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A new version of Expression Blend for Silverlight 5 is now available for download with these features:

• Expiration date - June 30, 2013;
• Go-live license;
• updated Silverlight 5 SDK.

Check out the original post by the Expression Blend Team and download the new bits from here.

Happy Silverlighting!

A new project has been recently announced in the “Silverlight Experts” group on Linkedin by fellow group-member Laith Alasad:

The XAML Project contains “Free vector design resources for XAML-based technologies such as Silverlight, Metro, WP7, and WPF. Search and download pure XAML graphics for your web, desktop, and/or mobile applications.“

It’s a very useful resource, I’ve already inserted it in my favorites!

Happy XAMLing everyone

During the //Build conference in Anaheim the release of Windows 8 Developer preview has been announced: you can download it from this link.

To get started an impressive number of video tutorials is available in the official site of the conference: http://www.buildwindows.com/.

Check out also this great post by Michael for downloading all the Build videos in your pc.

Useful resources are available in the SDK: all the XAML Metro style app samples are available following this link.

It’s possible to install Windows 8 side by side with your operating system using a boot from VHD: I’ve followed the instructions described here by Mister Goodcat and all went smoothly.

Also available for download:

• Visual Studio 11 and .NET Framework 4.5 Developer Preview;
• RIA Services update for //build;
• Windows Azure SDK and tools update.

I’ve just published on CodePlex and the Expression gallery a new release of the Multi-Touch behaviors including these new features:

• support for Windows Phone 7.1 Beta 2 (refresh) “Mango”;
• added new property “IgnoredTypes” for excluding particular control types from the manipulations (thanks to Richie for the suggestions, feedback and code samples);
• the “Manipulation Processor” and “Inertia Processor” are now exposed by the behavior in order to enable personalized manipulations and gestures;
• new properties: CenterX, CenterY, Rotation, Scale permit to support custom gestures like “DoupleTap” zoom;
• Silverlight 4 and Windows Phone 7.1 samples updated with a simple ”DoubleTap” zoom example using the new exposed properties.

The source code and samples are available for download here.

Happy Silverlighting!

Landsat Touch for Silverlight is a new Silverlight based web application for browsing the newly published Landsat imagery available in ArcGIS on-line by Esri.

The sample comes complete with source code and uses the Silverlight/WP7 Multitouch Behavior available on Codeplex.

Happy Silverlighting!

In these days I’m receiving several questions in the Multi-Touch Behaviors forums about enabling Multi-Touch manipulations in Windows Phone applications composed by more than one page.

Today I’ve modified the available sample inserting an additional page containing an image enabled for translation, rotation, zoom and inertia via the usual “MultiTouchBehavior“:

Starting from release 0.6.1 it’s now possible to use the Behavior in different pages of the application, in this way enabling multi-touch in different elements of a Windows Phone 7 application:

<Canvas>
    <Image x:Name="_image"
        Source="{Binding SelectedPicture}">
        <interactivity:Interaction.Behaviors>
            <behaviors:MultiTouchBehavior
                    IsInertiaEnabled="True"
                    IsTranslateXEnabled="True"
                    IsTranslateYEnabled="True"
                    IsRotateEnabled="True"
                    IsScaleEnabled="True"
                    MinimumScale="30" MaximumScale="200"
                    AreFingersVisible="False"/>
        </interactivity:Interaction.Behaviors>
    </Image>
</Canvas>

As usually the sample code is available for download on http://multitouch.codeplex.com, check out the Visual Studio solution “SilverlightWP7MultiTouch.sln” which contains all necessary libraries.

Happy Silverlighting!

I’ve received several requests about the modalities of enabling multi-touch on a UI element using the Behavior available on my CodePlex project.

The traditional syntax using XAML is here:

<Image Source="Images/Desert.jpg" x:Name="image1">
    <interactivity:Interaction.Behaviors>
        <Silverlight4:MultiTouchBehavior 
            IsInertiaEnabled="True"
            IsTranslateXEnabled="True" 
            IsTranslateYEnabled="True"
            IsRotateEnabled="True" 
            IsScaleEnabled="True"
            MinimumScale="10" MaximumScale="100"
            AreFingersVisible="True"/>
    </interactivity:Interaction.Behaviors>
</Image>

What about if you want to achieve the same result using C#? Just obtain a collection of behaviors for your element and then add/remove the MultiTouchBehavior using the following syntax:

private void btnAttach_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    var behaviors = 
        System.Windows.Interactivity
        .Interaction.GetBehaviors(image1);
    behaviors.Clear();
    var mtb = new MultiTouchBehavior
    {
        IsRotateEnabled = true,
        IsScaleEnabled = true,
        IsTranslateXEnabled = true,
        IsInertiaEnabled = true,
        AreFingersVisible = true,
        MinimumScale = 20,
        MaximumScale = 200
    };
    behaviors.Add(mtb);
    mtb.Move(new Point(200, 150), 45, 100);
}

private void btnDetach_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    var behaviors = 
        System.Windows.Interactivity
        .Interaction.GetBehaviors(image1);
    if (behaviors.Count > 0)
    {
        behaviors.Clear();
    }
}

As usually the source code is available for download on the Multi-Touch CodePlex project (check out the SilverlightWP7MultiTouch Solution).

Oh, did I already say that it also works on Windows Phone 7?

Happy Silverlighting!

This year I’ll be presenting about “Silverlight, Multi-Touch and Natural User Interfaces” at the Techdays WPC 2010 conference in Milano on November, 25 2010.

The same day I’ll be also at the MVP booth, if you’re attending the conference come and say Hi!

Happy Silverlighting!

Check out the new book “Silverlight 4 User Interface Cookbook” by Vibor Cipan:

This is the overview taken from the publisher site:

The first and only book to focus exclusively on Silverlight UI development.
Have your applications stand out from the crowd with leading, innovative, and friendly user interfaces.
Detailed instructions on how to implement specific user interface patterns together with XAML and C# (where needed) code, and explainations that are easy-to-understand and follow.
Real world projects which you can explore in detail and make modifications as you go.
Written by Vibor Cipan – Microsoft MVP for Expression Blend and WPF, and Silverlight UX specialist.

I’ve just received my copy and I’m looking forward to read it in the next days!

Check out this great sample available in the XNA community site.

It includes code that uses the Gestures API to enable hold, drag, tap, flick, pinch gestures.