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How to: Create Different Tile Patterns with a TileBrush

This example shows how to use the TileMode property of a TileBrush to create a pattern.

The TileMode property enables you to specify how the content of a TileBrush is repeated, that is, tiled to fill an output area. To create a pattern, you set the TileMode to Tile, FlipX, FlipY, or FlipXY. You must also set the Viewport of the TileBrush so that it is smaller than the area that you are painting; otherwise, only a single tile is produced, regardless which TileMode setting you use.

Example

The following example creates five DrawingBrush objects, gives them each a different TileMode setting, and uses them to paint five rectangles. Although this example uses the DrawingBrush class to demonstrate TileMode behavior, the TileMode property works identically for all the TileBrush objects, that is, for ImageBrush, VisualBrush, and DrawingBrush.

The following illustration shows the output that this example produces.


Tile patterns created with the TileMode property

TileBrush tiling example output

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

namespace BrushesIntroduction
{
    public class TileModeExample : Page
    {

        public TileModeExample()
        {
            Background = Brushes.White;
            Margin = new Thickness(20);
            StackPanel mainPanel = new StackPanel();
            mainPanel.HorizontalAlignment = HorizontalAlignment.Left;

            //
            // Create a Drawing. This will be the DrawingBrushes' content.
            //
            PolyLineSegment triangleLinesSegment = new PolyLineSegment();
            triangleLinesSegment.Points.Add(new Point(50, 0));
            triangleLinesSegment.Points.Add(new Point(0, 50));
            PathFigure triangleFigure = new PathFigure();
            triangleFigure.IsClosed = true;
            triangleFigure.StartPoint = new Point(0, 0);
            triangleFigure.Segments.Add(triangleLinesSegment);
            PathGeometry triangleGeometry = new PathGeometry();
            triangleGeometry.Figures.Add(triangleFigure);

            GeometryDrawing triangleDrawing = new GeometryDrawing();
            triangleDrawing.Geometry = triangleGeometry;
            triangleDrawing.Brush = new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(255, 204, 204, 255));
            Pen trianglePen = new Pen(Brushes.Black, 2);
            triangleDrawing.Pen = trianglePen;
            trianglePen.MiterLimit = 0;
            triangleDrawing.Freeze();

            //
            // Create the first TileBrush. Its content is not tiled.
            //
            DrawingBrush tileBrushWithoutTiling = new DrawingBrush();
            tileBrushWithoutTiling.Drawing = triangleDrawing;
            tileBrushWithoutTiling.TileMode = TileMode.None;
            
            // Create a rectangle and paint it with the DrawingBrush.
            Rectangle noTileExampleRectangle = createExampleRectangle();
            noTileExampleRectangle.Fill = tileBrushWithoutTiling;

            // Add a header and the rectangle to the main panel.
            mainPanel.Children.Add(createExampleHeader("None"));
            mainPanel.Children.Add(noTileExampleRectangle);

            //
            // Create another TileBrush, this time with tiling.
            //
            DrawingBrush tileBrushWithTiling = new DrawingBrush();
            tileBrushWithTiling.Drawing = triangleDrawing;
            tileBrushWithTiling.TileMode = TileMode.Tile;

            // Specify the brush's Viewport. Otherwise,
            // a single tile will be produced that fills
            // the entire output area and its TileMode will
            // have no effect.
            // This setting uses realtive values to
            // creates four tiles. 
            tileBrushWithTiling.Viewport = new Rect(0, 0, 0.5, 0.5);

            // Create a rectangle and paint it with the DrawingBrush.
            Rectangle tilingExampleRectangle = createExampleRectangle();
            tilingExampleRectangle.Fill = tileBrushWithTiling;
            mainPanel.Children.Add(createExampleHeader("Tile"));
            mainPanel.Children.Add(tilingExampleRectangle);

            //
            // Create a TileBrush with FlipX tiling.
            // The brush's content is flipped horizontally as it is
            // tiled in this example
            //
            DrawingBrush tileBrushWithFlipXTiling = new DrawingBrush();
            tileBrushWithFlipXTiling.Drawing = triangleDrawing;
            tileBrushWithFlipXTiling.TileMode = TileMode.FlipX;

            // Specify the brush's Viewport.
            tileBrushWithFlipXTiling.Viewport = new Rect(0, 0, 0.5, 0.5);

            // Create a rectangle and paint it with the DrawingBrush.
            Rectangle flipXTilingExampleRectangle = createExampleRectangle();
            flipXTilingExampleRectangle.Fill = tileBrushWithFlipXTiling;
            mainPanel.Children.Add(createExampleHeader("FlipX"));
            mainPanel.Children.Add(flipXTilingExampleRectangle);

            //
            // Create a TileBrush with FlipY tiling.
            // The brush's content is flipped vertically as it is
            // tiled in this example
            //
            DrawingBrush tileBrushWithFlipYTiling = new DrawingBrush();
            tileBrushWithFlipYTiling.Drawing = triangleDrawing;
            tileBrushWithFlipYTiling.TileMode = TileMode.FlipX;

            // Specify the brush's Viewport.
            tileBrushWithFlipYTiling.Viewport = new Rect(0, 0, 0.5, 0.5);

            // Create a rectangle and paint it with the DrawingBrush.
            Rectangle flipYTilingExampleRectangle = createExampleRectangle();
            flipYTilingExampleRectangle.Fill = tileBrushWithFlipYTiling;
            mainPanel.Children.Add(createExampleHeader("FlipY"));
            mainPanel.Children.Add(flipYTilingExampleRectangle);

            //
            // Create a TileBrush with FlipXY tiling.
            // The brush's content is flipped vertically as it is
            // tiled in this example
            //
            DrawingBrush tileBrushWithFlipXYTiling = new DrawingBrush();
            tileBrushWithFlipXYTiling.Drawing = triangleDrawing;
            tileBrushWithFlipXYTiling.TileMode = TileMode.FlipXY;

            // Specify the brush's Viewport.
            tileBrushWithFlipXYTiling.Viewport = new Rect(0, 0, 0.5, 0.5);

            // Create a rectangle and paint it with the DrawingBrush.
            Rectangle flipXYTilingExampleRectangle = createExampleRectangle();
            flipXYTilingExampleRectangle.Fill = tileBrushWithFlipXYTiling;
            mainPanel.Children.Add(createExampleHeader("FlipXY"));
            mainPanel.Children.Add(flipXYTilingExampleRectangle);

            Content = mainPanel;
        }

        //
        // Helper method that creates rectangle elements.
        //
        private static Rectangle createExampleRectangle()
        {
            Rectangle exampleRectangle = new Rectangle();
            exampleRectangle.Width = 50;
            exampleRectangle.Height = 50;
            exampleRectangle.Stroke = Brushes.Black;
            exampleRectangle.StrokeThickness = 1;
            return exampleRectangle;
        }

        //
        // Helper method that creates headers for the examples. 
        //
        private static TextBlock createExampleHeader(String text)
        {
            TextBlock header = new TextBlock();
            header.Margin = new Thickness(0, 10, 0, 0);
            header.Text = text;
            return header;
        }
    }
}
<!-- Demonstrates TileMode values. -->
<Page  
  xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
  xmlns:PresentationOptions="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation/options" 
  xmlns:mc="https://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
  mc:Ignorable="PresentationOptions"
  Background="White" Margin="20">
  <Page.Resources>

    <!-- Define a Drawing as a resource that it can be easily used
         as content for all the DrawingBrush objects in this example. -->
    <GeometryDrawing x:Key="TriangleDrawing"
      Geometry="M0,0 L50,0 0,50Z" Brush="#CCCCFF"
      PresentationOptions:Freeze="True" >
      <GeometryDrawing.Pen>
        <Pen Thickness="2" Brush="Black" MiterLimit="0" />
      </GeometryDrawing.Pen>
    </GeometryDrawing>
  </Page.Resources>

  <StackPanel HorizontalAlignment="Left">
    <TextBlock Margin="0,10,0,0">None</TextBlock>
    <Rectangle Width="50" Height="50" Stroke="Black" StrokeThickness="1">
      <Rectangle.Fill>

        <!-- The DrawingBrush's content is not tiled in this example. -->
        <DrawingBrush TileMode="None" 
          Drawing="{StaticResource TriangleDrawing}" />
      </Rectangle.Fill>
    </Rectangle>

    <TextBlock Margin="0,10,0,0">Tile</TextBlock>
    <Rectangle Width="50" Height="50" Stroke="Black" StrokeThickness="1">
      <Rectangle.Fill>

        <!-- The DrawingBrush's content is tiled in this example. 
             The Viewport property is set to create four tiles. -->
        <DrawingBrush TileMode="Tile" Viewport="0,0,0.5,0.5" 
          Drawing="{StaticResource TriangleDrawing}"/>
      </Rectangle.Fill>
    </Rectangle>

    <TextBlock Margin="0,10,0,0">FlipX</TextBlock>
    <Rectangle Width="50" Height="50" Stroke="Black" StrokeThickness="1">
      <Rectangle.Fill>

        <!-- The DrawingBrush's content is flipped horizontally as it is
             tiled in this example. -->
        <DrawingBrush 
          TileMode="FlipX" Viewport="0,0,0.5,0.5"
          Drawing="{StaticResource TriangleDrawing}" />
      </Rectangle.Fill>
    </Rectangle>

    <TextBlock Margin="0,10,0,0">FlipY</TextBlock>
    <Rectangle Width="50" Height="50" Stroke="Black" StrokeThickness="1">
      <Rectangle.Fill>

        <!-- The DrawingBrush's content is flipped vertically as it is
             tiled in this example. -->
        <DrawingBrush TileMode="FlipY" Viewport="0,0,0.5,0.5" 
          Drawing="{StaticResource TriangleDrawing}" />
      </Rectangle.Fill>
    </Rectangle>

    <TextBlock Margin="0,10,0,0">FlipXY</TextBlock>
    <Rectangle Width="50" Height="50" Stroke="Black" StrokeThickness="1">
      <Rectangle.Fill>

        <!-- The DrawingBrush's content is flipped horizontally
             and vertically as it is tiled in this example. -->
        <DrawingBrush TileMode="FlipXY" Viewport="0,0,0.5,0.5" 
          Drawing="{StaticResource TriangleDrawing}" />
      </Rectangle.Fill>
    </Rectangle>

  </StackPanel>
</Page>

See Also

Tasks

How to: Set the Tile Size for a TileBrush

Concepts

Painting with Images, Drawings, and Visuals

Other Resources

ImageBrush Sample
ImageBrush Sample
VisualBrush Sample
DrawingBrush Sample