How to: Animate a Property Without Using a Storyboard

Article
11/03/2006

This example shows one way to apply an animation to a property without using a Storyboard.

Note:
This functionality is not available in Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML). For information about animating a property in XAML, see How to: Animate a Property by Using a Storyboard.

To apply a local animation to a property, use the BeginAnimation method. This method takes two parameters: a DependencyProperty that specifies the property to animate, and the animation to apply to that property.

Example

The following example shows how to animate the width and background color of a Button.

/*

   This sample demonstrates how to apply non-storyboard animations to a property.
   To animate in markup, you must use storyboards.

*/

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Windows;
using namespace System::Windows::Navigation;
using namespace System::Windows::Media;
using namespace System::Windows::Media::Animation;
using namespace System::Windows::Shapes;
using namespace System::Windows::Controls;


namespace Microsoft {
   namespace Samples {
      namespace Animation {
         namespace LocalAnimations {
            // Create the demonstration.
            public ref class LocalAnimationExample : Page {

            public: 
               LocalAnimationExample ()
               {
                  WindowTitle = "Local Animation Example";
                  StackPanel^ myStackPanel = gcnew StackPanel();
                  myStackPanel->Margin = Thickness(20);

                  // Create and set the Button.
                  Button^ aButton = gcnew Button();
                  aButton->Content = "A Button";

                  // Animate the Button's Width.
                  DoubleAnimation^ myDoubleAnimation = gcnew DoubleAnimation();
                  myDoubleAnimation->From = 75;
                  myDoubleAnimation->To = 300;
                  myDoubleAnimation->Duration = Duration(TimeSpan::FromSeconds(5));
                  myDoubleAnimation->AutoReverse = true;
                  myDoubleAnimation->RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior::Forever;

                  // Apply the animation to the button's Width property.
                  aButton->BeginAnimation(Button::WidthProperty, myDoubleAnimation);

                  // Create and animate a Brush to set the button's Background.
                  SolidColorBrush^ myBrush = gcnew SolidColorBrush();
                  myBrush->Color = Colors::Blue;

                  ColorAnimation^ myColorAnimation = gcnew ColorAnimation();
                  myColorAnimation->From = Colors::Blue;
                  myColorAnimation->To = Colors::Red;
                  myColorAnimation->Duration = Duration(TimeSpan::FromMilliseconds(7000));
                  myColorAnimation->AutoReverse = true;
                  myColorAnimation->RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior::Forever;

                  // Apply the animation to the brush's Color property.
                  myBrush->BeginAnimation(SolidColorBrush::ColorProperty, myColorAnimation);
                  aButton->Background = myBrush;

                  // Add the Button to the panel.
                  myStackPanel->Children->Add(aButton);
                  this->Content = myStackPanel;
               };
            };
         }
      }
   }
}

/*

   This sample demonstrates how to apply non-storyboard animations to a property.
   To animate in markup, you must use storyboards.

*/

using System;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Navigation;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Animation;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
using System.Windows.Controls;

namespace Microsoft.Samples.Animation.LocalAnimations
{

    // Create the demonstration.
    public class LocalAnimationExample : Page 
    {
        
        

        
        public LocalAnimationExample()
        {
        
            
            WindowTitle = "Local Animation Example";
            StackPanel myStackPanel = new StackPanel();
            myStackPanel.Margin = new Thickness(20);                     
    
    
            // Create and set the Button.
            Button aButton = new Button();
            aButton.Content = "A Button";

            // Animate the Button's Width.
            DoubleAnimation myDoubleAnimation = new DoubleAnimation();
            myDoubleAnimation.From = 75;
            myDoubleAnimation.To = 300;
            myDoubleAnimation.Duration =  new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
            myDoubleAnimation.AutoReverse = true;
            myDoubleAnimation.RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior.Forever;
            
            // Apply the animation to the button's Width property.
            aButton.BeginAnimation(Button.WidthProperty, myDoubleAnimation);       

            // Create and animate a Brush to set the button's Background.
            SolidColorBrush myBrush = new SolidColorBrush();
            myBrush.Color = Colors.Blue;            

            ColorAnimation myColorAnimation = new ColorAnimation();
            myColorAnimation.From = Colors.Blue;
            myColorAnimation.To = Colors.Red;
            myColorAnimation.Duration =  new Duration(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(7000));
            myColorAnimation.AutoReverse = true;
            myColorAnimation.RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior.Forever;

            // Apply the animation to the brush's Color property.
            myBrush.BeginAnimation(SolidColorBrush.ColorProperty, myColorAnimation);           
            aButton.Background = myBrush;

            // Add the Button to the panel.
            myStackPanel.Children.Add(aButton);
            this.Content = myStackPanel;
        }
    }
    
}

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
'''This sample demonstrates how to apply non-storyboard animations to a property.
'''To animate in markup, you must use storyboards.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Imports System
Imports System.Windows
Imports System.Windows.Navigation
Imports System.Windows.Media
Imports System.Windows.Media.Animation
Imports System.Windows.Shapes
Imports System.Windows.Controls

Namespace Microsoft.Samples.Animation.LocalAnimations

    ' Create the demonstration.
    Public Class LocalAnimationExample
        Inherits Page

        Public Sub New()

            WindowTitle = "Animate Property Example"
            Dim myStackPanel As New StackPanel()
            myStackPanel.Margin = New Thickness(20)

            ' Create and set the Button.
            Dim aButton As New Button()
            aButton.Content = "A Button"

            ' Animate the Button's Width.
            Dim myDoubleAnimation As New DoubleAnimation()
            myDoubleAnimation.From = 75
            myDoubleAnimation.To = 300
            myDoubleAnimation.Duration = New Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5))
            myDoubleAnimation.AutoReverse = True
            myDoubleAnimation.RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior.Forever

            ' Apply the animation to the button's Width property.
            aButton.BeginAnimation(Button.WidthProperty, myDoubleAnimation)

            ' Create and animate a Brush to set the button's Background.
            Dim myBrush As New SolidColorBrush()
            myBrush.Color = Colors.Blue

            Dim myColorAnimation As New ColorAnimation()
            myColorAnimation.From = Colors.Blue
            myColorAnimation.To = Colors.Red
            myColorAnimation.Duration = New Duration(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(7000))
            myColorAnimation.AutoReverse = True
            myColorAnimation.RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior.Forever

            ' Apply the animation to the brush's Color property.
            myBrush.BeginAnimation(SolidColorBrush.ColorProperty, myColorAnimation)
            aButton.Background = myBrush

            ' Add the Button to the panel.
            myStackPanel.Children.Add(aButton)
            Me.Content = myStackPanel
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

For the complete sample, see Local Animations Sample.

A variety of animation classes in the System.Windows.Media.Animation namespace exist for animating different types of properties. For more information about animating properties, see Animation Overview. For more information about dependency properties (the type of properties that are shown in these examples) and their features, see Dependency Properties Overview.

There are other ways to animate without using Storyboard objects; for more information, see the Property Animation Techniques Overview.

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How to: Animate a Property Without Using a Storyboard

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