Microsoft Expression Blend Unleashed

Description

Table of Contents

Part I Overview

1 Introduction to Expression Blend . . . 3

2 Welcome to the New World . . . 31

3 Expression Blend Panels . . . 63

4 XAML for Beginners . . . 91

Part II Going with the Flow

5 UIElement: Control Embedding . . . 105

6 Panel-Based Containers . . . 131

Part III Using All the New Stuff

7 Using the Blend Toolbox: Tools and Common Controls. . . 147

8 An Example Control Using Just the Tools Palette . . . 175

9 Using the Blend Asset Library . . . 209

10 Visual Studio: C# Primer. . . 269

Part IV Extended Graphic Tools

11 Graphic Items. . . 323

Part V Templates and Data

12 Templates. . . 359

13 Data Binding . . . 391

Part VI Controlling Controls

14 Animations with Storyboards . . . 415

15 Commands . . . 437

16 Using Resources for Skins. . . 459

17 Working with Windows. . . 475

Part VII Advanced Topics

18 Creating a Custom Control . . . 489

19 Using 3D in Blend . . . 511

20 Controlling Media (Music or Video) . . . 523

Index . . . 555

Back Cover

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

Author

Brennon Williams is among the top .NET developers in the UK, consistently contracted by leading consultancies for cutting edge development projects. He has an extremely wide skill set as a hybrid designer/developer, with experience in Flash, 3D Object Modeling, and DirectX based development. Brennon's UK company X-Coders Limited is the preferred Blend/WPF training and development provider for some of the World's largest companies.

For almost 15 years, Brennon has worked in several countries as a consultant software developer. He is currently employed as XAML Architect for SmithBayes in the UK and Dev Lead/XAML Architect for Motorola's WPF project in the United States and Sri Lanka. He is also creating his ExpressTrain video tutorial network online at ww.learnexpressionstudio.com. When he schedules an hour or two of free time, he enjoys nothing more than having a BBQ with his wife and kids in the backyard.