About Xceed Blendables for WPF

Easily create compelling 2D and 3D User Interfaces.

Xceed Blendables for WPF includes nearly 30 WPF controls including Zoombox (zoom and pan capabilities), ChromelessWindow (custom-branded windows), TimelinePanel  (arrange data or UI elements along a timeline) and Carousel3D (with fully configurable layout and animation). The product lets you deliver User Interface environments that update content dynamically. Xceed Blendables for WPF comes with five layouts, including GridLayout3D and EllipseLayout3D. Custom layouts can easily be integrated.

Xceed Blendables for WPF Included Controls:

  • Zoombox - Provides zoom and pan capabilities that can be controlled by the mouse or keyboard or programmatically. Also provides a viewfinder and Back and Forward navigation.
  • ElementSnapshot - Renders any FrameworkElement into the Visual Tree without it actually being in the Visual Tree itself, allowing substantial performance boosts. Especially useful to enable the use of bitmap effects in an application without the performance degradation caused when a bitmap effect is in the Visual Tree.
  • Carousel3D - Gives developers ItemsControl-like functionality in a 3D environment. Provides fully configurable layout and animation, with collection change support.
  • ChromelessWindow - Lets programmers create custom-branded windows, with the added benefit of adding drag functionality to a window using XAML code.
  • TimelinePanel - Arranges data or UI elements along a timeline, letting developers provide data visualizations that are better suited to chronological order.
  • DragAndDrop - Lets WPF ItemsControls support drag-and-drop with a built-in adorner through attached properties, using a single line of XAML. Automatically uses the data object when moving or copying items.
  • Pie Chart - Not only good for charts, but also for radial-based controls like gauges and speedometers.
  • EvalBinding - A markup extension that lets developers create bindings that include the dynamic evaluation of code expressions. Changes in any of the properties involved cause it to be reevaluated.
  • SimpleBinding - The core of EvalBinding, which can be used in place of native WPF binding but uses a simplified syntax and provides intelligent type conversion, often eliminating the need for custom value converters.
  • NumericRangeToObjectConverter -Allows developers to create converters that return an object based on a configurable range of values, rather than a single discrete value.
  • OSChecker - Ideal for apps targeting multiple operating systems, the control exposes the current OS version through a DependencyProperty that can be used for style and template triggers and more.

2D Layout and Panel Technology

  • Provides switchable 2D layouts through the SwitchPanel core.
  • Gives designers and developers a total of 13 layouts.
  • Features smooth animation and transition of elements between different panels.
  • Lets designers and developers choose between three animation styles: Force and Resistance, Penner Animations and Customize

Provides 8 custom layouts:

  • RandomPanel - Ideal for constantly changing views. The panel offers a different view each time it is rendered by randomly laying out content within the panel.
  • RadialCanvas - Places content radially around a center using set angles, content rotation, and distance from the center.
  • AutoStretchPanel - Automatically fills a panel with content. Content stretches to accommodate the changing size of the panel.
  • RelativeCanvas -Arranges content in relation to a specific point within the canvas.
  • PerspectivePanel - Creates a unique and changing view, in perspective, on a set of items. Lets you specify angle of twist, scaling, shifting, and more to transform the view.
  • CameraPanel - Provides a virtual camera that moves within a panel to zoom in, out, and around content. Lets software creators deliver amazing 3D-like user experiences.
  • TimelinePanel - Content with time-based information is automatically placed along a timeline. Includes features to automatically visualize items with similar or overlapping time stamps.
  • Carousel - Arranges items in a carousel, imitating a 3D layout without CPU-taxing true 3D.

Includes 5 SwitchPanel-compatible versions of stock WPF panels, letting you provide the traditional and familiar in a modern, animated context.

  • StackPanel - Arranges content in a horizontal or vertical layout, stacking or placing side by side based on the individual content dimensions.
  • CanvasPanel - Used for directly placing content. Allows the user to set content in relation to the edges of the canvas.
  • WrapPanel - Performs content layout in a horizontal or vertical orientation. When content reaches the edge of the panel, it automatically wraps to the next row or column.
  • DockPanel - Arranges content to the edge of the application. Multiple pieces of content aligned to the same edge will stack in order.
  • Grid - Aligns elements according to Row and Column designations.

Real-Time 3D Layout Technology

Provides a component platform for creating 3D interfaces in WPF applications. Lets developers and designers concentrate on the creative and functional aspects, specifying layout animation and content. A built-in change notification framework allows developers to simply point to a collection of items to be included in the 3D layout. The core ItemsControl3D provides real-time 3D by taking care of the details, such as automatically adjusting content and layout, dynamically, based on items added at any point in the application runtime.  Items added to the 3D scene are routed to the ItemModelGenerator interface that is part of the ItemsControl3D framework to be rendered as a proper 3D model.

Provides an extendable, pluggable layout system. Developers and designers can use one of the 5 included layouts, or use their own, which will still automatically use the framework’s change notification and animation capabilities. StackLayout3D: Arranges content in a horizontal or vertical 3D layout, stacking or placing items side-by-side based on the 3D model’s dimensions.

  • GridLayout3D - Content is placed according to a 3D grid of rows and columns.
  • EllipseLayout3D - Makes creating a perfect circle or elongated ellipse for 3D content placement easy.
  • CanvasLayout3D - Lets you place content in relation to X, Y, and Z points.
  • SpiralLayout3D - Provides many properties to adjust the shape and size of a spiral-based 3D layout.

WPF technology

  • Object-oriented design for WPF/.NET 4, written in C# and XAML.
  • Based on a flexible and extensible object model, with modular and reusable visual elements.
  • Uses true WPF content controls, so they can contain anything.
  • Supports Right-To-Left text.
  • Complete source code (C# and XAML) available in the Blueprint Edition.
  • Seamless integration with the WPF base class libraries.
  • Complete documentation fully integrated into Visual Studio.
  • Includes a variety of VB.NET and C# sample applications to get you started.
  • Design-time support in Visual Studio 2010 and Expression Blend.
  • Can be used in conjunction with the MVVM and MVC design and architectural patterns.