How to: Animate the Position of an Object by Using PointAnimation

This example shows how to use the PointAnimation class to animate an object along a Path.

Example

The following example moves an ellipse along a Path from one point on the screen to another. The example animates the position of an EllipseGeometry by using PointAnimation to animate the Center property.

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

namespace SDKSamples
{
    // This example shows how to use PointAnimation to animate the 
    // position of an ellipse by animating the Center property of an  
    // EllipseGeometry. PointAnimation is used because the Center property 
    // takes a Point value. 
    public class PointAnimationExample : Page
    {
        public PointAnimationExample()
        {

            // Create a NameScope for this page so that 
            // Storyboards can be used.
            NameScope.SetNameScope(this, new NameScope());

            EllipseGeometry myEllipseGeometry = new EllipseGeometry();
            myEllipseGeometry.Center = new Point(200, 100);
            myEllipseGeometry.RadiusX = 15;
            myEllipseGeometry.RadiusY = 15;

            // Assign the EllipseGeometry a name so that 
            // it can be targeted by a Storyboard. 
            this.RegisterName(
                "MyAnimatedEllipseGeometry", myEllipseGeometry);

            Path myPath = new Path();
            myPath.Fill = Brushes.Blue;
            myPath.Margin = new Thickness(15);
            myPath.Data = myEllipseGeometry;

            PointAnimation myPointAnimation = new PointAnimation();
            myPointAnimation.Duration = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2);

            // Set the animation to repeat forever. 
            myPointAnimation.RepeatBehavior = RepeatBehavior.Forever;

            // Set the From and To properties of the animation.
            myPointAnimation.From = new Point(200, 100);
            myPointAnimation.To = new Point(450, 250);

            // Set the animation to target the Center property 
            // of the object named "MyAnimatedEllipseGeometry."
            Storyboard.SetTargetName(myPointAnimation, "MyAnimatedEllipseGeometry");
            Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(
                myPointAnimation, new PropertyPath(EllipseGeometry.CenterProperty));

            // Create a storyboard to apply the animation.
            Storyboard ellipseStoryboard = new Storyboard();
            ellipseStoryboard.Children.Add(myPointAnimation);

            // Start the storyboard when the Path loads.
            myPath.Loaded += delegate(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
            {
                ellipseStoryboard.Begin(this);
            };

            Canvas containerCanvas = new Canvas();
            containerCanvas.Children.Add(myPath);

            Content = containerCanvas;
        }

    }
}

<!-- This example shows how to use PointAnimation to animate the
position of an ellipse by animating the Center property of an 
EllipseGeometry. PointAnimation is used because the Center property
takes a Point value. -->
<Page  xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
    <Canvas>
      <Path Fill="Blue" Margin="15,15,15,15">
        <Path.Data>

          <!-- Describes an ellipse. -->
          <EllipseGeometry x:Name="MyAnimatedEllipseGeometry"
            Center="200,100" RadiusX="15" RadiusY="15" />
        </Path.Data>
        <Path.Triggers>
          <EventTrigger RoutedEvent="Path.Loaded">
            <BeginStoryboard Name="MyBeginStoryboard">
              <Storyboard>

                <!-- Animate the Center property so that the ellipse animates from 
                one point on the screen to another. -->
                <PointAnimation
                Storyboard.TargetProperty="Center"
                Storyboard.TargetName="MyAnimatedEllipseGeometry"
                Duration="0:0:2" From="200,100" To="450,250" RepeatBehavior="Forever" />
              </Storyboard>
            </BeginStoryboard>
          </EventTrigger>
        </Path.Triggers>
      </Path>
    </Canvas>
</Page>

See Also

Concepts

Animation Overview

WPF Graphics, Animation, and Media Overview

Reference

PointAnimation

Path

EllipseGeometry

Center

Other Resources

Graphics How-to Topics

Graphics Samples

Animation and Timing

Animation and Timing How-to Topics

Animation and Timing Samples