A tool tip appearance redefining is a very important point
of an application style. A way of a tool tip emergence is not less important
for sense. If you observe this process by default then it is easy to see that a
tool tip appears without applying any visual effect. In some cases this
behavior can be acceptable. However, there are scenarios when it is necessary
to redefine this behavior and display a tool tip using animation.
In Silverlight there are ways to define animation of a tool
tip showing and hiding. For these purposes there is a mechanism of triggers which
allows us to define show behavior of a tool tip. To specify an animation you
should create Storyboard which is started at the moment the trigger has
responded.
Listing 8 - Defining event trigger for tool tip
<Button Content="Button">
<ToolTipService.ToolTip>
<ToolTip Name="Tooltip1">
<ToolTip.Triggers>
<EventTrigger>
<BeginStoryboard>
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="Tooltip1"
Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity" From="0" To="1" Duration="0:00:00.4"/>
</Storyboard>
</BeginStoryboard>
</EventTrigger>
</ToolTip.Triggers>
<ToolTip.Template>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="ToolTip">
<Grid>
<Path Fill="Blue" Stretch="Fill"
Stroke="#FF000000" Margin="0" UseLayoutRounding="False" Data="M290,232
C255.65538,225.35266 230.24176,237 198,237 C198,237.66667 198,238.33333 198,239
C184.91988,239 147.17065,252.34129 162,282 C173.83936,305.67871
188.39276,311.26788 226,305 C242.90622,302.18228 258.14798,288.43201 277,301
C291.76587,310.8439 303.67093,309.80832 324,304 C333.82855,301.19183
350.48572,296.19049 356,287 C363.6926,284.80212 361.08459,285.57697 363,276
C364.26926,269.65378 368.23724,266.49304 360,262 C350.63977,256.89441
336.47565,259.85699 326,257 C315.53107,254.14484 294.14899,268.5047 289,256
C286.06909,248.88211 289.59357,249.43437 293,243 C297.50867,234.4836
291.76053,239.34572 290,232 z"/>
<ContentPresenter
Content="{TemplateBinding Content}"
HorizontalAlignment="Center"
VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
</Grid>
</ControlTemplate>
</ToolTip.Template>
<TextBlock Text="Some text"/>
</ToolTip>
</ToolTipService.ToolTip>
</Button>In this case, animation is a smooth appearance of a tool tip
in an application. But at the same time, animation can be as complex as it is
necessary. For example, it is possible to use animation to stretch a width of a
tool tip at the moment of its appearance.
Listing 9 - Animation of stretching of width for
tool tip
<Button Content="Button">
<ToolTipService.ToolTip>
<ToolTip Width="100">
<ToolTip.RenderTransform>
<ScaleTransform x:Name="ScaleTransofrm1" CenterX="50"/>
</ToolTip.RenderTransform>
<ToolTip.Triggers>
<EventTrigger>
<BeginStoryboard>
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="ScaleTransofrm1" Storyboard.TargetProperty="ScaleX"
From="0" To="1" Duration="0:00:00.5"/>
</Storyboard>
</BeginStoryboard>
</EventTrigger>
</ToolTip.Triggers>
<TextBlock Text="Some text"/>
</ToolTip>
</ToolTipService.ToolTip>
</Button>
Also, you can combine some animations and create more
complex appearance effects. For example, it is possible to stretch a tool tip
on width and height and change a value of an transparency.
Listing 10 - More difficult animation for the tool
tip
<Button Content="Button">
<ToolTipService.ToolTip>
<ToolTip Name="Tooltip2" Width="100" Height="80">
<ToolTip.RenderTransform>
<ScaleTransform x:Name="ScaleTransofrm1" CenterX="50"
CenterY="40"/>
</ToolTip.RenderTransform>
<ToolTip.Triggers>
<EventTrigger>
<BeginStoryboard>
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="ScaleTransofrm1" Storyboard.TargetProperty="ScaleX"
From="0" To="1" Duration="0:00:00.5"/>
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="ScaleTransofrm1" Storyboard.TargetProperty="ScaleY"
From="0" To="1" Duration="0:00:00.5"/>
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="Tooltip2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity" From="0"
To="1" Duration="0:00:00.5"/>
</Storyboard>
</BeginStoryboard>
</EventTrigger>
</ToolTip.Triggers>
<TextBlock Text="Some text"/>
</ToolTip>
</ToolTipService.ToolTip>
</Button>
Finally, you can help to bright up a tool tip appearance
thanks to adding animation in a pendulum style. For these purposes, you can use
animation-based KeyFrame. You should set boundary points of a tool tip
movements in every key frame. As a result, the appearance of the animation can
be set as follows.
Listing 10 - Pendulum animation for the tool tip
<Button Content="Button">
<ToolTipService.ToolTip>
<ToolTip Name="Tooltip3" Width="100" Height="80">
<ToolTip.RenderTransform>
<TransformGroup>
<ScaleTransform x:Name="ScaleTransofrm2"
CenterX="50" CenterY="40"/>
<RotateTransform x:Name="RotateTransform1"
CenterX="50" CenterY="0"/>
</TransformGroup>
</ToolTip.RenderTransform>
<ToolTip.Triggers>
<EventTrigger>
<BeginStoryboard>
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="ScaleTransofrm2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="ScaleX"
From="0" To="1" Duration="0:00:00.5"/>
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="ScaleTransofrm2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="ScaleY"
From="0" To="1" Duration="0:00:00.5"/>
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="Tooltip3" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity" From="0"
To="1" Duration="0:00:00.5"/>
<DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames
Storyboard.TargetName="RotateTransform1" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Angle">
<DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames.KeyFrames>
<DoubleKeyFrameCollection>
<LinearDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0:00:00.1" Value="-25" />
<LinearDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0:00:00.2" Value="25" />
<LinearDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0:00:00.3" Value="-17" />
<LinearDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0:00:00.4" Value="17" />
<LinearDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0:00:00.5" Value="-5" />
<LinearDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0:00:00.6" Value="5" />
<LinearDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0:00:00.7" Value="0" />
</DoubleKeyFrameCollection>
</DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames.KeyFrames>
</DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</BeginStoryboard>
</EventTrigger>
</ToolTip.Triggers>
<TextBlock Text="Some text"/>
</ToolTip>
</ToolTipService.ToolTip>
</Button>
So, using these techniques, it is possible to define
animation of tool tips appearance. Such animation can make a user interface
more dynamic and user friendly.
Unfortunately, such animations cannot be packed into styles.
It creates additional inconveniences when you try to define an application in a
same style. The solution is inheritance of ToolTip class and definition a
property to set a style and animation in it.
