Blend & SL2 Beta 2 SplashScreen

08-21-2008 2:31 PM |

Hey all.

I am new at making loading/splah screens. What are the limitations? I heard as of Beta 2 more is included in the runtime.

Currently in my web application if I create a .XAML file I am only capable of sing Canvas, with no alignment options etc. Very limiting. I can't center my loading screen etc.

How can I create a little richer splash screen experience via Blend? Can I create another .XAP which includes a little better UI than a Canvas with no alignment properties? Does a Splash Screen take .XAP or only .XAML files?

All the examples I can find use .XAML and javascript to update progress events, etc.

Thanks!

Re: Blend & SL2 Beta 2 SplashScreen

08-22-2008 8:17 AM |

Did you look at here?

http://www.silverlight.net/QuickStarts/BuildUi/SplashScreen.aspx

Splashscreen its just a xaml file so you can build it with Blend like any other control.

Re: Blend & SL2 Beta 2 SplashScreen

08-22-2008 9:26 AM |

Yes that is the tutorial I was following however have you tried to build one of these in Blend? All you get is a Canvas, with no alignment options. Makes it very difficult to make a loading screen in the center of the screen.

Unless I am doing something wrong. But when I create a XAML file in the Web project, it's a very basic Canvas with almost all of the properties gone.

Re: Blend & SL2 Beta 2 SplashScreen

08-22-2008 9:38 AM |

I think you can use other layouts that Canvas (Grid or StackPanel).

Try to create a UserControl, then desing it as you want, and just copy Canvas/Grid/StackPanel markup and its child into another .xaml, and use it as splashscreen.

Re: Blend & SL2 Beta 2 SplashScreen

08-22-2008 11:42 AM |

Ok I'll give that a try.

Please MS allow us to make splash screens with all the controls they support properly in Blend. I am trying to hand a workflow to a designer so we can have nice Designer/Developer workflow and things like this are frustrating to say the least. I know 2.5 is Beta, thats why I want ot mention that it would be really nice for things to just work properly.

I'll give it a shot tonight!

Re: Blend & SL2 Beta 2 SplashScreen

08-22-2008 7:31 PM |

Nope.. doesn't work. I did the following:

<Grid Background="White"

xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"

xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"

xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"

xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"

mc:Ignorable="d"

</Grid>