Pro Expression Blend 4 (Paperback)

Pro Expression Blend 4 is for .NET developers, and graphical artists, who want to learn the ins-and-outs of the Expression Blend IDE. You may know already that this tool can be used to build Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Silverlight, and Windows Phone 7 applications; however, this book will take you well beyond the basics and provide you with a detailed examination of the key Blend topics, including workspace customization, graphics, layout, styles, themes, data binding, and the use of SketchFlow, giving you an excellent understanding of the Blend product and what it can do for you.   Over the course of these eight chapters, you will learn numerous techniques to simplify the authoring of XAML using Blend. These include:  

• Transforming a vector graphic into a custom control template with a few clicks of the mouse
• Generating complex animations using an integrated timeline editor
• Visually designing interactive data templates
• Creating prototypes (via SketchFlow) that can be transformed into production-level code    

Throughout the book you’ll work with both Blend and .NET code to finalize fully working projects that will provide both valuable insights and a sound foundation for your future WPF and Silverlight projects. Each chapter will give you ample opportunity to build .NET software using the Blend IDE. But this is not a programming book, per se. While some examples will require a manageable amount of C# code, this book is squarely focused to help you gain mastery over the numerous tools, editors, designers, and wizards of the Microsoft Expression Blend IDE.   

What you’ll learn

• Transforming a vector graphic into a custom control template with a few clicks of the mouse
• Generating complex animations using an integrated timeline editor
• Visually designing interactive data templates
• Creating prototypes (via SketchFlow) that can be transformed into production-level code    

Who this book is for

Pro Expression Blend 4 is for .NET developers, and graphical artists, who want to learn the ins-and-outs of the Expression Blend IDE.

Table of Contents

1. Learning the Core Blend IDE
2. Vector Graphics and Object Resources
3. The Animation Editor
4. Controls, Layouts, and Behaviors
5. Styles, Templates, and UserControls
6. Blend Data Binding Techniques
7. Designing for Windows Phone 7
8. Prototyping with SketchFlow

《Pro Expression Blend 4》適用於.NET開發人員和圖形藝術家，他們想要深入了解Expression Blend IDE的各種細節。您可能已經知道這個工具可以用於構建Windows Presentation Foundation（WPF）、Silverlight和Windows Phone 7應用程序；然而，這本書將帶您深入研究Blend的關鍵主題，包括工作區自定義、圖形、佈局、樣式、主題、數據綁定以及SketchFlow的使用，讓您對Blend產品有很好的理解，並了解它能為您做些什麼。

在這八章的過程中，您將學習到許多簡化使用Blend編寫XAML的技巧。這些技巧包括：
- 通過幾下點擊，將矢量圖形轉換為自定義控件模板
- 使用集成的時間軸編輯器生成複雜的動畫
- 以視覺方式設計交互式數據模板
- 創建可以轉換為生產級代碼的原型（通過SketchFlow）

在整本書中，您將使用Blend和.NET代碼來完成完整的工作項目，這將為您未來的WPF和Silverlight項目提供有價值的見解和堅實的基礎。每一章都將給您充足的機會使用Blend IDE來構建.NET軟件。但這不是一本純粹的編程書。雖然一些示例需要一定量的C#代碼，但本書的重點是幫助您掌握Microsoft Expression Blend IDE的眾多工具、編輯器、設計師和嚮導。

您將學到什麼：
- 通過幾下點擊，將矢量圖形轉換為自定義控件模板
- 使用集成的時間軸編輯器生成複雜的動畫
- 以視覺方式設計交互式數據模板
- 創建可以轉換為生產級代碼的原型（通過SketchFlow）

本書適合對Expression Blend IDE的細節感興趣的.NET開發人員和圖形藝術家。