DiscreteColorKeyFrame Class

This class is used as part of a ColorKeyFrameCollection in conjunction with a ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames to animate a Color property value along a set of key frames.

A key frame defines a segment of the ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames to which it belongs. Each key frame has a target Value and a KeyTime. The KeyTime specifies the time at which the key frame's Value should be reached. A key frame animates from the target value of the previous key frame to its own target value. It starts when the previous key frame ends and ends when its own key time is reached.

Discrete key frames such as DiscreteColorKeyFrame create sudden "jumps" between values (no interpolation). In other words, the animated property does not change until the key frame's key time is reached, at which point the animated property goes suddenly to the target value.

The following example uses the ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames class to animate the Background property of a StackPanel. This animation uses three key frames in the following manner:

1. During the first two seconds, LinearColorKeyFrame gradually changes the color from green to red. Linear key frames like LinearColorKeyFrame create a smooth linear transition between values.

2. During the end of the next half second, DiscreteColorKeyFrame quickly changes the color from red to yellow. Discrete key frames like DiscreteColorKeyFrame create sudden changes between values; the animation occurs quickly and has no interpolation between values at all.

3. During the final two seconds, SplineColorKeyFrame changes the color again, this time from yellow back to green. Spline key frames like SplineColorKeyFrame create a variable transition between values according to the values of the KeySpline property. A KeySpline provides a way to alter the relationship of time versus value during the animation duration to be nonlinear, and in particular the relationship can be a curve that would be difficult to produce with individual key frames. In this example, the change in color begins slowly and speeds up exponentially toward the end of the time segment.

<StackPanel Background="Transparent" x:Name="myStackPanel"
            Loaded="Start_Animation">
    <StackPanel.Resources>
        <Storyboard x:Name="colorStoryboard">
            <ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames BeginTime="00:00:00" 
             Storyboard.TargetName="myStackPanel" 
             Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Panel.Background).(SolidColorBrush.Color)">

                <!-- Go from green to red in the first 2 seconds. LinearColorKeyFrame creates
        a smooth, linear animation between values. -->
                <LinearColorKeyFrame Value="Red" KeyTime="00:00:02" />

                <!-- In the next half second, go to yellow. DiscreteColorKeyFrame creates a 
        sudden jump between values. -->
                <DiscreteColorKeyFrame Value="Yellow" KeyTime="00:00:2.5" />

                <!-- In the final 2 seconds of the animation, go from yellow back to green. SplineColorKeyFrame 
        creates a variable transition between values depending on the KeySpline property. In this example,
        the animation starts off slow but toward the end of the time segment, it speeds up exponentially.-->
                <SplineColorKeyFrame Value="Green" KeyTime="00:00:4.5" KeySpline="0.6,0.0 0.9,0.00" />

            </ColorAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
        </Storyboard>
    </StackPanel.Resources>
</StackPanel>

Windows Phone OS

Windows Phone

Reference

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