WPF: How to animate color change?

Question

I have a grid, a window root element. I want to apply an animation which would change it's background color from white to green in 5 seconds. Here's what I did:

private void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    ColorAnimation animation;

    animation = new ColorAnimation();
    animation.From = Colors.White;
    animation.To = Colors.Green;
    animation.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
    rootElement.BeginAnimation(Grid.BackgroundProperty, animation);
}

The code doesn't work. Nothing is changing. Where am I making a mistake? Thanks.

Solution 1

Solved!

private void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    SolidColorBrush rootElementBrush;
    ColorAnimation animation;

    rootElementBrush = this.FindResource("RootElementBrush") as SolidColorBrush;

    // Animate the brush 
    animation = new ColorAnimation();
    animation.To = Colors.Green;
    animation.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
    rootElementBrush.BeginAnimation(SolidColorBrush.ColorProperty, animation);
}

Here's an explanation:

My initial mistake was that I wanted to change the Grid.BackgroundProperty by assigning colors to it, but it accepts brushes instead... apples and oranges! So, I created a SolidColorBrush static resource and named it rootElementBrush. In XAML, I set Grid rootElement's background property to that static resource. And finally, I modified the animation, so now it changes the color for that SolidColorBrush. Easy!

Solution 2

Give this a try:

<ColorAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="PlayButtonArrow" 
Storyboard.TargetProperty="Fill.Color"
From="White"
To="Green"              
Duration="0:0:5.0"
AutoReverse="False"/>

Solution 3

You do not need to set the StaticResource, just use the Storyboard.

private void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    // Animate the brush 
    ColorAnimation animation = new ColorAnimation();
    animation.To = Colors.Green;
    animation.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
    Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(animation, new PropertyPath("(Grid.Background).(SolidColorBrush.Color)", null));
    Storyboard storyboard = new Storyboard();
    storyboard.Children.Add(animation);
    storyboard.Begin(rootElement);
}

Comments

[Boris]

I need it in code-behind and also I need to call it from code-behind. I am thinking that I might be making a mistake in my code because I am trying to change a color, but Grid.Background property is actually taking a brush...

[THE DOCTOR]

Glad you were able to get this resolved. You should select your own answer as the one which you have accepted here.

[Boris]

@zedo I know, but it tells me I won't be able to mark it correct in the next two days. It's waiting for things to cool down first, hahahaha

[RollRoll]

how to set "from" white "to" orignal image color?