Microsoft Expression Blend 2 for Windows: Visual QuickStart Guide

Book description

This task-based, visual reference guide uses step-by-step instructions and plenty of screenshots to teach beginning and intermediate users how to create streamlined, innovative and just plain beautiful applications with Microsoft's new application development tool . Design expert and author Robert Reinhardt takes readers step-by-step through the features and tools, and shows them how they can use Microsoft Expression Blend to create engaging, cinematic user interfaces with a rich design environment that combines multiple media elements including vectors, pixel images, 3D content, video and audio, high quality text, and animation. Whether learning the application from start or looking for specific task-based answers, Microsoft Expression Blend for Windows: Visual QuickStart Guide, provides designers and application developers with exactly the information they need.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
    1. Dedication
  2. Special Thanks to
  3. Introduction
    1. What Is Expression Blend?
    2. What Are WPF and Silverlight?
    3. When Should You Use Blend, WPF, and Silverlight?
    4. What You’ll Need
    5. How to Use This Book
    6. Feedback and Support
  4. 1. Getting Started
    1. Creating a Project
    2. Touring the Workspace
    3. Working with Panels
    4. About the Project Panel
    5. Working with the Artboard
    6. About the Interaction Panel
    7. About the Properties Panel
  5. 2. Creating Artwork and Text
    1. Touring the Tools
    2. About the Asset Library
    3. Drawing Geometric Shapes
    4. Creating Solid Color and Gradient Brushes
    5. Setting the Fill Attributes
    6. Setting the Stroke Attributes
    7. Transforming Gradients
    8. Creating Paths
    9. Touring the Text Controls
    10. Formatting Text in the TextBlock Control
  6. 3. Modifying Graphics
    1. Using Selection Tools
    2. Selecting Objects with the Selection Tool
    3. Resizing Graphic Elements
    4. Positioning Graphic Elements
    5. Flipping, Rotating, and Skewing an Object
    6. Converting a Graphic Element to a Path
    7. Distorting Graphic Elements
    8. Creating a Triangle
  7. 4. Working with Graphic Layouts and Groups
    1. Selecting the Correct Layout Panel
    2. General Layout Panel Actions
    3. Working with the Grid Panel
      1. Rows and columns
      2. Positioning elements in a Grid panel
      3. Understanding sizes in a Grid panel
    4. Working with the Canvas Panel
    5. Working with the Stack Panel
    6. Grouping Graphic Elements
    7. Aligning Graphic Elements
    8. Ordering Graphic Elements
  8. 5. Working with Resources
    1. Understanding Resources
      1. Scope of a resource
    2. Creating a Resource
    3. Applying Resources to Objects
    4. Editing a Resource
  9. 6. Creating Basic Animations
    1. Touring the Timeline Panel
      1. The Timeline options menu
    2. Working with Timelines
    3. Working with Keyframes
    4. Previewing an Animation
    5. Adding Easing
    6. Animating Color Effects
  10. 7. Working with Images, Video, and Audio
    1. Media Formats
    2. Importing Images and Video
    3. Working with Images
    4. Creating an ImageBrush
    5. Working with Audio and Video
    6. Working with the Stretch Property
      1. ImageBrush and Stretch
    7. Using the Markers Collection
  11. 8. Styling and Templates
    1. Understanding Styles and Templates
    2. Creating a Style
    3. Modifying a Style
    4. Creating a Template
    5. Working with Templates and States
  12. 9. Data and Triggers
    1. Understanding Data Sources
    2. Using Data Sources
    3. Binding Data to a ListBox
    4. Understanding Triggers
    5. Creating a Trigger for a Button Click
  13. 10. Building a Banner Ad for Silverlight 2
    1. Creating the Layout
    2. Creating the Background
    3. Creating the Main Text
    4. Adding Animation
    5. Adding Interactivity
  14. 11. Creating a Video Player in Silverlight
    1. Creating the Layout
    2. Importing the Video
    3. Adding the Video Controls
    4. Styling the Play Button
    5. Styling the Volume Button
    6. Styling the Full-Screen Button
    7. Styling the Scrubber and the Volume Slider
    8. Adding Interactivity
      1. Modifying the code
  15. 12. Browsing Desktop Images with WPF
    1. Creating the Layout
    2. Adding the Folder Controls
    3. Adding Media to the Application
    4. Adding Interactivity to the UI

Product information

  • Title: Microsoft Expression Blend 2 for Windows: Visual QuickStart Guide
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: December 2008
  • Publisher(s): Peachpit Press
  • ISBN: 9780321603579