Microsoft Expression blend : unleashed

Microsoft Expression Blend Unleashed is about learning a new tool for designers, but also learning a new mindset for developers. Expression Blend enables the delivery of rich interactive applications, for the web as well as the desktop, allowing you to take graphical assets and blend them with functional .NET code through the power of XAML and the WPF platform. Microsoft Expression Blend Unleashed also features a C# Primer, introducing designers to the .NET Framework. .NET allows the reader to extend the functionality of many of the WPF elements used in Expression Blend. The most important concept for the reader to grasp is that Blend and Visual Studio together are about facilitating the kind of user experience everyone wants from the applications they use. This book will give you the skill set whether you are a designer or developer; from there, you just need to use a little imagination. Detailed information on how to... Design and develop WPF applications Use Blend’s animation workflows Design and implement WPF template types Create and manage Resource Dictionaries Master WPF Style templates Handle control events Understand advanced control properties in XAML/Blend/C# Create customized controls through inheritance Understand the fundamentals of XAML-based design and development Implement effective XML, CLR Data binding, and XAML template binding Extend XAML functionality with C# code Implement video and audio in your applications Use Blend as part of your designer/developer workflow Microsoft Expression Blend Unleashed......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 5 Part I: Overview......Page 18 The Next Generation User Experience......Page 20 Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)......Page 31 An Introduction to Expression Blend and XAML......Page 34 The Benefits of Expression Blend......Page 41 Summary......Page 46 Your First Look at Expression Blend 2......Page 48 Viewing XAML Elements......Page 53 The Best of Both Worlds or Not?......Page 60 Blend Versus Visual Studio Project Types......Page 63 Your First REAL Blend Application: Twitter Reader......Page 65 Summary......Page 77 Panels......Page 80 Summary......Page 107 XAML Syntax......Page 108 Summary......Page 118 Part II: Going with the Flow......Page 120 5 UIElement: Control Embedding......Page 122 Managing Embedding......Page 123 Limitations with ContentControls......Page 146 Summary......Page 147 Where Are the Anchors?......Page 148 Summary......Page 161 Part III: Using All the New Stuff......Page 162 7 Using the Blend Toolbox: Tools and Common Controls......Page 164 Toolbox Categories......Page 165 Tools in Detail......Page 168 Summary......Page 191 Building a Gel Button from Scratch......Page 192 Introduction to the Timeline and Timeline Events (Triggers)......Page 207 A Look at RoutedEvents......Page 215 Creating a Control Template......Page 218 Summary......Page 225 9 Using the Blend Asset Library......Page 226 Asset Library Overview......Page 227 Familiar Windows Controls......Page 230 A Look at the New WPF Controls in Blend......Page 263 Summary......Page 285 10 Visual Studio: C# Primer......Page 286 Data Types......Page 287 Summary......Page 335 Part IV: Extended Graphic Tools......Page 338 Sample Application......Page 340 Different Strokes......Page 342 Brushes Category......Page 345 Transformations......Page 351 Motion Paths......Page 356 Bitmap Effects......Page 362 Workflow: Import a Vector Object from Expression Design......Page 367 Summary......Page 373 Part V: Templates and Data......Page 374 12 Templates......Page 376 Control Templates......Page 377 Style Templates......Page 383 Data Templates......Page 393 Summary......Page 406 Binding to an Element......Page 408 Using Data Context......Page 418 CLR Data Binding......Page 423 Summary......Page 429 Part VI: Controlling Controls......Page 430 Storyboards and Timelines......Page 432 KeyFrames......Page 435 Triggers......Page 442 Duplicate and Reverse a Timeline......Page 450 Controlling the Timeline in Code......Page 451 Summary......Page 453 Concept of Commands......Page 454 Defining a New Command......Page 457 Simple XAMLNotepad Application......Page 459 Summary......Page 474 The Power of WPF Resources......Page 476 Changing a Style at Runtime in Code......Page 477 Using MergedDictionaries......Page 479 Loading an External Skin File......Page 485 Summary......Page 491 Window Elements......Page 492 Setting a Window to Show as Transparent......Page 494 Switching Between Windows in Code......Page 497 Summary......Page 503 Part VII: Advanced Topics......Page 504 Things to Consider......Page 506 Building the Control......Page 509 Testing the Control......Page 518 Summary......Page 525 Viewport3D......Page 528 Importing 3D Objects......Page 532 Summary......Page 539 Creating the Project......Page 540 Summary......Page 570 A......Page 572 B......Page 574 C......Page 575 E......Page 580 G......Page 582 H......Page 583 L......Page 584 M......Page 587 N......Page 588 P......Page 589 Q–R......Page 592 S......Page 593 T......Page 595 U......Page 597 W......Page 598 X......Page 599 Y–Z......Page 600

Microsoft Expression Blend Unleashed is about learning a new tool for designers, but also learning a new mindset for developers. Expression Blend enables the delivery of rich interactive applications, for the web as well as the desktop, allowing you to take graphical assets and blend them with functional .NET code through the power of XAML and the WPF platform. Microsoft Expression Blend Unleashed also features a C# Primer, introducing designers to the .NET Framework. .NET allows the reader to extend the functionality of many of the WPF elements used in Expression Blend. The most important concept for the reader to grasp is that Blend and Visual Studio together are about facilitating the kind of user experience everyone wants from the applications they use. This book will give you the skill set whether you are a designer or developer; from there, you just need to use a little imagination.

Detailed information on how to…

• Design and develop WPF applications
• Use Blend’s animation workflows
• Design and implement WPF template types
• Create and manage Resource Dictionaries
• Master WPF Style templates
• Handle control events
• Understand advanced control properties in XAML/Blend/C#
• Create customized controls through inheritance
• Understand the fundamentals of XAML-based design and development
• Implement effective
• Extend XAML functionality with C# code
• Implement video and audio in your applications
• Use Blend as part of your designer/developer workflow

__Microsoft Expression Blend Unleashed__ is about learning a new tool for designers, but also learning a new mindset for developers. Expression Blend enables the delivery of rich interactive applications, for the web as well as the desktop, allowing you to take graphical assets and blend them with functional .NET code through the power of XAML and the WPF platform. __Microsoft Expression Blend Unleashed__ also features a C# Primer, introducing designers to the .NET Framework. .NET allows the reader to extend the functionality of many of the WPF elements used in Expression Blend. The most important concept for the reader to grasp is that Blend and Visual Studio together are about facilitating the kind of user experience everyone wants from the applications they use. This book will give you the skill set whether you are a designer or developer; from there, you just need to use a little imagination. Detailed information on how to... * Design and develop WPF applications * Use Blend’s animation workflows * Design and implement WPF template types * Create and manage Resource Dictionaries * Master WPF Style templates * Handle control events * Understand advanced control properties in XAML/Blend/C# * Create customized controls through inheritance * Understand the fundamentals of XAML-based design and development * Implement effective XML, CLR Data binding, and XAML template binding * Extend XAML functionality with C# code * Implement video and audio in your applications * Use Blend as part of your designer/developer workflow Provides information on using Microsoft Expression Blend to develop applications, design template types, handle control events, create customized controls, implement video and audio in applications, and other tasks.