Develop Reference

How to make an image(or a rectangle) follow a Spline

I have a project that I need to make an image follow a spline.
I build the spline using Graphics.DrawCurve through an array of Points.
I'm trying to use PointAnimationUsingPath but I can't seem to get it to work. Apparently it doesn't work in C# with Windows form.
Can someone give me a light on how to do this?
Thank you All.
-----EDIT-----
Change to a WPF UserControl as recommend in comments.
Still need some help as the shape does not move exactly following the dots, below my code:
public partial class SplineBox : UserControl
{
Point[] finalPoint;
public SplineBox()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
public void MoveShape(Point[] _path)
{
// Create a NameScope for the page so that
// we can use Storyboards.
NameScope.SetNameScope(this, new NameScope());
// Create the EllipseGeometry to animate.
EllipseGeometry animatedEllipseGeometry =
new EllipseGeometry(new Point(10, 100), 15, 15);
// Register the EllipseGeometry's name with
// the page so that it can be targeted by a
// storyboard.
this.RegisterName("AnimatedEllipseGeometry", animatedEllipseGeometry);
// Create a Path element to display the geometry.
Path ellipsePath = new Path();
ellipsePath.Data = animatedEllipseGeometry;
ellipsePath.Fill = Brushes.Blue;
ellipsePath.Margin = new Thickness(15);
SplineCanvas.Children.Add(ellipsePath);
this.Content = SplineCanvas;
// Create the animation path.
PathGeometry animationPath = new PathGeometry();
PathFigure pFigure = new PathFigure();
pFigure.StartPoint = _path[0];
PolyBezierSegment pBezierSegment = new PolyBezierSegment();
for (int p = 1; p < _path.Length; p++)
{
pBezierSegment.Points.Add(_path[p]);
}
pFigure.Segments.Add(pBezierSegment);
animationPath.Figures.Add(pFigure);
// Freeze the PathGeometry for performance benefits.
animationPath.Freeze();
// Create a PointAnimationgUsingPath to move
// the EllipseGeometry along the animation path.
PointAnimationUsingPath centerPointAnimation = new PointAnimationUsingPath();
centerPointAnimation.PathGeometry = animationPath;
centerPointAnimation.Duration = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5);
centerPointAnimation.RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior.Forever;
// Set the animation to target the Center property
// of the EllipseGeometry named "AnimatedEllipseGeometry".
Storyboard.SetTargetName(centerPointAnimation, "AnimatedEllipseGeometry");
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(centerPointAnimation,
new PropertyPath(EllipseGeometry.CenterProperty));
// Create a Storyboard to contain and apply the animation.
Storyboard pathAnimationStoryboard = new Storyboard();
pathAnimationStoryboard.RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior.Forever;
pathAnimationStoryboard.AutoReverse = true;
pathAnimationStoryboard.Children.Add(centerPointAnimation);
// Start the Storyboard when ellipsePath is loaded.
ellipsePath.Loaded += delegate (object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
// Start the storyboard.
pathAnimationStoryboard.Begin(this);
};
}
public void Paint(ScreenObject _spline)
{
List<Point> points = new List<Point>();
if (true)
{
var spline = _spline;
foreach (System.Windows.Point point in spline.SplineAnchors)
{
Point tempP = new Point((int)point.X, (int)point.Y);
points.Add(tempP);
}
finalPoint = points.ToArray();
//Pen pen = new Pen(Color.FromArgb(255, 0, 0, 255), 1);
//e.Graphics.DrawCurve(pen, finalPoint);
foreach (Point p in finalPoint)
{
// Create a red Ellipse.
Ellipse myEllipse = new Ellipse();
// Create a SolidColorBrush with a red color to fill the
// Ellipse with.
SolidColorBrush mySolidColorBrush = new SolidColorBrush();
// Describes the brush's color using RGB values.
// Each value has a range of 0-255.
mySolidColorBrush.Color = Color.FromArgb(255, 100, 255, 0);
myEllipse.Fill = mySolidColorBrush;
myEllipse.StrokeThickness = 2;
myEllipse.Stroke = Brushes.Black;
// Set the width and height of the Ellipse.
myEllipse.Width = 10;
myEllipse.Height = 10;
myEllipse.Margin = new Thickness(p.X - 5, p.Y - 5, 0, 0);
//e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(pen, new Rectangle(p.X - 5, p.Y - 5, 10, 10));
//e.Graphics.FillRectangle(Brushes.Red, new Rectangle(p.X - 5, p.Y - 5, 10, 10));
SplineCanvas.Children.Add(myEllipse);
}
}
}
}

Multiple Animations Windows Phone 7

I am trying to make one-hand machine game. To animate falling down Images I am using storyboard. My question is if someone know how to make multiple images. In this code I have just on image falling down. Somone know how to make e.g 100 images animation in the storyboard?
private Storyboard CreateStoryBoard()
{
Storyboard sb = new Storyboard();
DoubleAnimation firstAnimation = new DoubleAnimation();
firstAnimation.SpeedRatio = 8;
firstAnimation.From = 0;
firstAnimation.To = 600;
firstAnimation.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
Storyboard.SetTarget(firstAnimation, Okejka);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(firstAnimation, new PropertyPath("(Canvas.Top)"));
sb.Children.Add(firstAnimation);
return sb;
}
private void SpinButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
Storyboard sb = CreateStoryBoard();
sb.Begin();
}

For each object you need create DoubleAnimation, each DoubleAnimation add to one Storyboard and then play it.
This is one method of my AnimationHelper, I modified it for this case.
public static void Animate(List<DependencyObject> objects, EventHandler onComplete = null)
{
Storyboard sb = new Storyboard();
foreach (DependencyObject obj in objects)
{
DoubleAnimation da = new DoubleAnimation();
da.From = FromValue; // Set you From value
da.To = ToValue; // Set your To value
da.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2)); // Set your Duration
// a.EasingFunction = anim.Func; Easing function
// da.BeginTime = anim.BeginTime; Begin time for each DA
Storyboard.SetTarget(da, obj);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(da, new PropertyPath(/* this your Property path */));
sb.Children.Add(da);
}
if (onComplete != null)
sb.Completed += onComplete;
sb.Begin();
}
UPDATE #1 The next code is Button.Click event handler, this code creates 20 Images and adds it to Canvas, next step is create animations for each Image using one instance of Storyboard.
private async void b1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
CanvasContainer.Children.Clear();
_images = new List<Image>();
// load bitmap
BitmapImage bmp = new BitmapImage(new Uri("Assets/appbar/appbar.italic.png", UriKind.Relative));
// create 20 Image instance
for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++)
{
Image img = new Image();
img.Source = bmp;
img.Stretch = Stretch.Fill;
img.Width = 20;
img.Height = 20;
_images.Add(img);
Canvas.SetTop(img, 0);
Canvas.SetLeft(img, i * 20 + 5);
CanvasContainer.Children.Add(img);
}
// Simulate some delay or any task (3 sec)
await Task.Delay(3000);
Storyboard sb = new Storyboard();
// delay animation time for each object
TimeSpan beginTime = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(0);
foreach (Image img in _images)
{
DoubleAnimation da = new DoubleAnimation();
da.From = 0; // Set start value to 0 px
da.To = 700; // Set end value to 700 px
da.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2)); // Set animation time to 2 sec
da.BeginTime = beginTime; // Set delay for each Image
beginTime += TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(100);
Storyboard.SetTarget(da, img);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(da, new PropertyPath("(Canvas.Top)"));
sb.Children.Add(da);
}
sb.Begin();
}
Code result:

How to code a swivel type animation on a textbox in C# without using markup

I saw an example on how to create a glow effect when the image gets focus in mark-up.
Below is the C# code example i found that uses double animation for opacity of a rectangle, i need to perform a glow or swivel effect using C# and not markup since i am not comfortable with it.
DoubleAnimation myDoubleAnimation = new DoubleAnimation();
myDoubleAnimation.From = 1.0;
myDoubleAnimation.To = 0.0;
myDoubleAnimation.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
myDoubleAnimation.AutoReverse = true;
myDoubleAnimation.RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior.Forever;
myStoryboard = new Storyboard();
myStoryboard.Children.Add(myDoubleAnimation);
Storyboard.SetTargetName(myDoubleAnimation, myRectangle.Name);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(myDoubleAnimation, new PropertyPath(Rectangle.OpacityProperty));

You can add this in your Main(), after InitializeComponent();
textBlock1.Text = "Mouse over me";
var effect = new DropShadowEffect();
effect.Color = Colors.Red;
effect.BlurRadius = 10d;
effect.Opacity = 0d;
effect.ShadowDepth = 0d;
textBlock1.Effect = effect;
textBlock1.MouseEnter += (s, e) => {
var anim = new DoubleAnimation(0d, 1d, new Duration(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(500)));
effect.BeginAnimation(DropShadowEffect.OpacityProperty, anim); };
textBlock1.MouseLeave += (s, e) => {
var anim = new DoubleAnimation(1d, 0d, new Duration(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(500)));
effect.BeginAnimation(DropShadowEffect.OpacityProperty, anim); };
But I'd suggest stop wasting time with C# for GUI code, XAML is so much more convenient.

Animating the height and width of an object in C#

I am trying to get these ellipses to grow but I cannot figure out how to start the animation. This is my first attempt at WPF animation and I don't quite understand how it all works.
private void drawEllipseAnimation(double x, double y)
{
StackPanel myPanel = new StackPanel();
myPanel.Margin = new Thickness(10);
Ellipse e = new Ellipse();
e.Fill = Brushes.Yellow;
e.Stroke = Brushes.Black;
e.Height = 0;
e.Width = 0;
e.Opacity = .8;
canvas2.Children.Add(e);
Canvas.SetLeft(e, x);
Canvas.SetTop(e, y);
DoubleAnimation myDoubleAnimation = new DoubleAnimation();
myDoubleAnimation.From = 0;
myDoubleAnimation.To = 10;
myDoubleAnimation.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
myStoryboard = new Storyboard();
myStoryboard.Children.Add(myDoubleAnimation);
Storyboard.SetTargetName(myDoubleAnimation, e.Name);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(myDoubleAnimation, new PropertyPath(Ellipse.HeightProperty));
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(myDoubleAnimation, new PropertyPath(Ellipse.WidthProperty));
}

You don't need a Storyboard here. Just do
e.BeginAnimation(Ellipse.WidthProperty, myDoubleAnimation);
e.BeginAnimation(Ellipse.HeightProperty, myDoubleAnimation);
If you really need to do it with a Storyboard, you will have to add separate animations, one per animated property, to the Storyboard. And you have to call SetTarget instead of SetTargetName when you don't apply a name. Finally you'll need to start the Storyboard by calling Begin:
DoubleAnimation widthAnimation = new DoubleAnimation
{
From = 0,
To = 10,
Duration = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)
};
DoubleAnimation heightAnimation = new DoubleAnimation
{
From = 0,
To = 10,
Duration = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)
};
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(widthAnimation, new PropertyPath(Ellipse.WidthProperty));
Storyboard.SetTarget(widthAnimation, e);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(heightAnimation, new PropertyPath(Ellipse.HeightProperty));
Storyboard.SetTarget(heightAnimation, e);
Storyboard s = new Storyboard();
s.Children.Add(widthAnimation);
s.Children.Add(heightAnimation);
s.Begin();

WPF - Storyboard completed event

I'm designing a game like this
class Anima
{
Storyboard story;
Random rand;
Canvas canvas;
Ellipse target;
public Anima() {
rand = new Random();
canvas = new Canvas();
target = new Ellipse();
target.Fill = Brushes.Red;
target.Width = 50;
target.Height = 50;
Canvas.SetLeft(target, rand.NextDouble() * 300);
Canvas.SetTop(target, rand.NextDouble() * 300);
canvas.Children.Add(target);
story = new Storyboard();
story.BeginTime = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(rand.Next(500, 5000));
DoubleAnimation a = new DoubleAnimation();
a.To = rand.NextDouble() * 300;
a.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(50));
Storyboard.SetTarget(a, target);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(a, new PropertyPath(Canvas.LeftProperty));
story.Children.Add(a);
DoubleAnimation b = new DoubleAnimation();
b.To = rand.NextDouble() * 300;
b.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(50));
Storyboard.SetTarget(b, target);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(b, new PropertyPath(Canvas.TopProperty));
story.Children.Add(b);
story.Completed += new EventHandler(story_Completed);
Window win = new Window();
win.Loaded += delegate(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
story.Begin();
};
win.Content = canvas;
win.Show();
}
void story_Completed(object sender, EventArgs e) {
int next = rand.Next(500, 5000);
double left = rand.NextDouble() * 300;
double top = rand.NextDouble() * 300;
Console.WriteLine("position: ({0:G6}, {1:G6})", Canvas.GetLeft(target), Canvas.GetTop(target));
Console.WriteLine("state : wait for " + next + " ms");
Console.WriteLine("next : ({0:G6}, {1:G6})", left, top);
Console.WriteLine();
(story.Children[0] as DoubleAnimation).To = left;
(story.Children[1] as DoubleAnimation).To = top;
story.BeginTime = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(next);
story.Begin();
}
}
Everything is great, but I found that the ellipse didn't get the right position and make an error about 2% to 50%. It seems like the Storyboard.Completed event triggered before the end of animation.
What's wrong with it?

I would suggest that you use CompositionTarget.Rendering event or DispatcherTimer for controlling complex animations, especially if you are developing a game. The built-in animations are not precise enough and cannot be controlled easily.
Here are some links that will get you started on CompositionTarget
How to: Render on a Per Frame Interval Using CompositionTarget
Using the CompositionTarget
Fun with Animation Part 1

use Dispatcher.BeginInvoke(...), you can get the right value