WPF - Animations in a user control, learning, tryi

Question

OK I'm redoing this since I messed it up. :) here's the xaml.

<Window
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    x:Class="ucWaitIndicator.Window1"
    x:Name="Window"
    Title="Window1"
    Width="640" Height="480">
    <Window.Resources>
        <Storyboard x:Key="OnLoaded1">
            <DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames BeginTime="00:00:00" Storyboard.TargetName="path" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.RenderTransform).(TransformGroup.Children)[2].(RotateTransform.Angle)" RepeatBehavior="Forever">
                <SplineDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="00:00:00.5000000" Value="360"/>
            </DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
        </Storyboard>
    </Window.Resources>
    <Window.Triggers>
        <EventTrigger RoutedEvent="FrameworkElement.Loaded">
            <BeginStoryboard Storyboard="{StaticResource OnLoaded1}"/>
        </EventTrigger>
    </Window.Triggers>

    <Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot">
        <Path Data="M180.99244,64C116.37543,64 63.992443,116.38299 63.992443,181 63.992443,245.61742 116.37549,298 180.99244,298 245.60981,298 297.99244,245.61737 297.99244,181 297.99244,116.38304 245.60986,64 180.99244,64z M180.99244,0.5C205.91427,0.5 229.65641,5.5507355 251.25119,14.684582 256.64987,16.968037 261.91435,19.506668 267.02946,22.285378 307.95065,44.515015 339.31398,82.108706 353.37751,127.32482 356.89353,138.6289 359.32811,150.40922 360.56053,162.54492 361.79308,174.68071 361.79307,187.31935 360.56053,199.45508 355.63085,247.99793 331.46539,290.85483 295.8072,320.28259 277.97817,334.9964 257.2756,346.35331 234.66763,353.38507 223.36361,356.90106 211.58325,359.33566 199.44752,360.56808 187.31179,361.80063 174.67315,361.80063 162.53737,360.56808 113.99482,355.63844 71.137715,331.47319 41.70987,295.81476 26.995966,277.98571 15.63918,257.28314 8.6073667,234.67519 5.0914601,223.37117 2.6567941,211.59082 1.4243458,199.45508 0.19188775,187.31935 0.19188165,174.68071 1.4243458,162.54492 6.3541056,114.00227 30.519295,71.145355 66.177677,41.717426 84.006863,27.003489 104.70924,15.646738 127.31726,8.6149235 138.62133,5.0989907 150.40165,2.6643478 162.53737,1.4319025 168.60525,0.81567122 174.76199,0.5 180.99244,0.5z" Margin="10,10,0,0" x:Name="path" RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5" Stretch="Fill" Stroke="Black" Height="77" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="77" MouseLeftButtonDown="path_MouseLeftButtonDown" MouseRightButtonDown="path_MouseRightButtonDown">
            <Path.RenderTransform>
                <TransformGroup>
                    <ScaleTransform ScaleX="1" ScaleY="1" />
                    <SkewTransform AngleX="0" AngleY="0" />
                    <RotateTransform Angle="0" />
                    <TranslateTransform X="0" Y="0" />
                </TransformGroup>
            </Path.RenderTransform>
            <Path.Fill>
                <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
                    <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0" />
                    <GradientStop Color="#FF7E7E7E" Offset="1" />
                </LinearGradientBrush>
            </Path.Fill>
        </Path>
    </Grid>
</Window>

It's a continuous animation. In the codebehind I have the following:

public partial class Window1 : Window
{
public Storyboard myStoryboard;

public Window1()
    {
        this.InitializeComponent();

        // Insert code required on object creation below this point.
    myStoryboard = (Storyboard)TryFindResource("OnLoaded1");
    myStoryboard.Begin();
}

private void path_MouseLeftButtonDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
{
    myStoryboard.Begin();
}


private void path_MouseRightButtonDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
{
    myStoryboard.Stop();

}

}

I get really sporadic control using the start and stop methods. Sometimes a stop works, but only if I've done the rightclick start first. I don't understand why STOP is not stopping it, and start is not starting it?

Thanks guys.

Answer 1

You don't yet have anything to start or stop. You need a storyboard. Start with this Animation Overview (msdn)

Answer 2

Do you want to do this in XAML or in the c# code behind?

Both methods can give you some great flexibility with your animations.

Here is the XAML storyboard solution, let me know if you want a pure c# version.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Imaging;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
using System.Media.Animation;
using System.Windows.Resources;
using System.Windows.Markup;
// Make sure to include this reference to use Storyboard Class
using System.Windows.Media.Animation;


namespace StoryboardSample
{
    public partial class Window1 : Window
 {
        // Set up the Storyboard variable
        public Storyboard myStoryboard;
        public Window1()
  {
   this.InitializeComponent();

   // Assign the Storyboard to the variable.
            myStoryboard = (Storyboard)TryFindResource("myStoryboard");
            myFunction();

  }
        public void myFunction()
        {
            // Begin the Animation
            myStoryboard.Begin();
        }
 }
}


<Window
 xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
 xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
 x:Class="StoryboardSample.Window1"
 x:Name="Window"
 Title="Window1"
 Width="640" Height="480">
 <Window.Resources>
  <Storyboard x:Key="myStoryboard">
   <DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames BeginTime="00:00:00" Storyboard.TargetName="myRect" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.RenderTransform).(TransformGroup.Children)[3].(TranslateTransform.Y)">
    <SplineDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="00:00:00" Value="0"/>
    <SplineDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="00:00:01" Value="-71"/>
   </DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
  </Storyboard>
 </Window.Resources>
 <Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot">
 <Rectangle x:Name="myRect" Fill="Black" Width="300" Height="150" RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5" >
  <Rectangle.RenderTransform>
   <TransformGroup>
    <ScaleTransform ScaleX="1" ScaleY="1"/>
    <SkewTransform AngleX="0" AngleY="0"/>
    <RotateTransform Angle="0"/>
    <TranslateTransform X="0" Y="0"/>
   </TransformGroup>
  </Rectangle.RenderTransform>
 </Rectangle>
 </Grid>
</Window>

I have a write-up on my blog with a little more detail on this code.

Answer 3

This works exactly how I would expect it to work. Let me know if you need more info about what I did. It comes down to how XAML Storyboards behave. They can be a little tricky at first because the Begin/Stop/Pause/Resume behavior isn't exactly obvious. You can't Pause/Resume unless it's already running, and (in Silverlight) you can't Begin a Storyboard again UNLESS you've actually STOP it. So the loop function has both of these lines

// Silverlight ONLY    
storyboard.Stop(); 
storyboard.Begin();

Luckily WPF doesn't make you do this.

public partial class Window1 : Window
    {
        public Storyboard myStoryboard;

        public Window1()
        {
            this.InitializeComponent();

            // Insert code required on object creation below this point.
            myStoryboard = (Storyboard)TryFindResource("OnLoaded1");
            // This will loop your storyboard endlessly so you can use the Pause/Resume functions
            myStoryboard.Completed += new EventHandler(myStoryboard_Completed);
            // Begin the animation and immediately Pause it.
            myStoryboard.Begin();
            myStoryboard.Pause();
        }

        void myStoryboard_Completed(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            myStoryboard.Begin();

        }

        private void path_MouseLeftButtonDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
        {
           // Start the spinning again 
           myStoryboard.Resume();
        }


        private void path_MouseRightButtonDown(object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
        {
           // Pause the Spinning.
            myStoryboard.Pause();

        }

    }

You also need to remove the Event Trigger, and start the Storyboard from the Code Behind.

 <Window.Triggers>
        <EventTrigger RoutedEvent="FrameworkElement.Loaded">
            <!-- REMOVE THIS LINE
                   <BeginStoryboard Storyboard="{StaticResource OnLoaded1}"/>
                    -->
        </EventTrigger>
    </Window.Triggers>

Answer 4

Take a look at the wait indicator in Chris Anderson's Silverlight 2 app: (Full source and a live demo is available at the link.)

<!-- Created by Chris Anderson: http://chrisa.wordpress.com -->
<UserControl x:Class="SilverlightLOBFramework.Controls.Layout.WaitIndicator"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" 
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" 
    Width="30" Height="30">

    <UserControl.Resources>
        <Storyboard x:Name="IndicatorStoryboard">
            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames 
                                  Storyboard.TargetName="Ellipse1"
                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Fill).(SolidBrush.Color)"
                                  BeginTime="0" RepeatBehavior="Forever">

                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#CCFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#9CFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.15" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#6DFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.3" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#3EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.45" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#2EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.60" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.75" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.90" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:01.05" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames 
                                  Storyboard.TargetName="Ellipse2"
                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Fill).(SolidBrush.Color)"
                                  BeginTime="0" RepeatBehavior="Forever">

                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#CCFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.15" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#9CFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.3" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#6DFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.45" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#3EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.60" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#2EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.75" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.90" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:01.05" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames 
                                  Storyboard.TargetName="Ellipse3"
                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Fill).(SolidBrush.Color)"
                                  BeginTime="0" RepeatBehavior="Forever">

                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.15" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#CCFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.3" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#9CFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.45" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#6DFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.60" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#3EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.75" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#2EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.90" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:01.05" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames 
                                  Storyboard.TargetName="Ellipse4"
                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Fill).(SolidBrush.Color)"
                                  BeginTime="0" RepeatBehavior="Forever">

                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.15" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.3" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#CCFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.45" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#9CFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.60" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#6DFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.75" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#3EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.90" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#2EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:01.05" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames 
                                  Storyboard.TargetName="Ellipse5"
                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Fill).(SolidBrush.Color)"
                                  BeginTime="0" RepeatBehavior="Forever">

                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#2EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.15" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.3" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.45" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#CCFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.60" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#9CFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.75" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#6DFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.90" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#3EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:01.05" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames 
                                  Storyboard.TargetName="Ellipse6"
                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Fill).(SolidBrush.Color)"
                                  BeginTime="0" RepeatBehavior="Forever">

                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#3EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#2EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.15" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.3" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.45" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.60" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#CCFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.75" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#9CFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.90" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#6DFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:01.05" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames 
                                  Storyboard.TargetName="Ellipse7"
                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Fill).(SolidBrush.Color)"
                                  BeginTime="0" RepeatBehavior="Forever">

                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#6DFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#3EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.15" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#2EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.3" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.45" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.60" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.75" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#CCFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.90" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#9CFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:01.05" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames 
                                  Storyboard.TargetName="Ellipse8"
                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Fill).(SolidBrush.Color)"
                                  BeginTime="0" RepeatBehavior="Forever">

                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#9CFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#6DFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.15" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#3EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.3" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#2EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.45" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.60" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.75" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#1EFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:00.90" />
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="#CCFFFFFF" KeyTime="00:00:01.05" />
            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
        </Storyboard>
    </UserControl.Resources>

    <Canvas x:Name="LayoutRoot">
        <Ellipse x:Name="Ellipse1" Fill="#1EFFFFFF" Canvas.Left="0" Canvas.Top="11" Height="8" Width="8"></Ellipse>
        <Ellipse x:Name="Ellipse2" Fill="#1EFFFFFF" Canvas.Left="3" Canvas.Top="3" Height="8" Width="8"></Ellipse>
        <Ellipse x:Name="Ellipse3" Fill="#1EFFFFFF" Canvas.Left="11" Canvas.Top="0" Height="8" Width="8"></Ellipse>
        <Ellipse x:Name="Ellipse4" Fill="#2EFFFFFF" Canvas.Left="19" Canvas.Top="3" Height="8" Width="8"></Ellipse>
        <Ellipse x:Name="Ellipse5" Fill="#3EFFFFFF" Canvas.Left="22" Canvas.Top="11" Height="8" Width="8"></Ellipse>
        <Ellipse x:Name="Ellipse6" Fill="#6DFFFFFF" Canvas.Left="19" Canvas.Top="19" Height="8" Width="8"></Ellipse>
        <Ellipse x:Name="Ellipse7" Fill="#9CFFFFFF" Canvas.Left="11" Canvas.Top="22" Height="8" Width="8"></Ellipse>
        <Ellipse x:Name="Ellipse8" Fill="#CCFFFFFF" Canvas.Left="3" Canvas.Top="19" Height="8" Width="8"></Ellipse>
    </Canvas>
</UserControl>

---

using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;

namespace SilverlightLOBFramework.Controls.Layout
{
    public partial class WaitIndicator : UserControl
    {
        #region Constructor
        public WaitIndicator()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            if (!System.ComponentModel.DesignerProperties.GetIsInDesignMode(this))
                LayoutRoot.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
        } 
        #endregion

        #region Public Functions
        public void Start()
        {
            LayoutRoot.Visibility = Visibility.Visible;
            IndicatorStoryboard.Begin();
        }

        public void Stop()
        {
            LayoutRoot.Visibility = Visibility.Collapsed;
            IndicatorStoryboard.Stop();
        } 
        #endregion
    }
}