Animation & Indeterminate Mode

This feature provides smooth, momentum-based animations for determinate progress updates and a marquee (indeterminate) mode for situations where the progress is unknown or in constant motion.

Overview

The Animation & Indeterminate Mode feature manages two key aspects of the control's dynamic behavior. In determinate mode, progress changes trigger a smooth, momentum-based animation toward the target value using properties like AnimationDurationMs and AnimationTimerInterval. In indeterminate mode, a marquee effect is activated to visually indicate that processing is underway even when a precise progress value is not available.

Properties and Their Details

The table below summarizes the main properties related to animations and indeterminate mode:

Property

Description

Default Value

AnimationDurationMs

Controls the duration (in milliseconds) for smooth, momentum-based transitions when updating the progress value.

300.0

AnimationTimerInterval

Sets the interval for the animation timer, dictating how frequently the control is updated during an animation.

15 (milliseconds)

Indeterminate

Toggles the indeterminate (marquee) mode; when set to true, the control stops the determinate animation and starts a continuous marquee effect.

false

IndeterminateBarColor

Specifies the color used for the progress bar when in indeterminate mode.

ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#221e41")

Note: Although the control’s internal implementation uses additional timers (such as the marquee timer) and fields for managing animation momentum, only the properties listed above are intended for direct customization.

Key Points

Aspect

Details

Smooth Transitions

The control employs momentum-based animation to create smooth visual transitions between progress values, enhancing the user experience.

Clear Indeterminate Feedback

When in indeterminate mode, the marquee effect provides immediate visual feedback that processing is in progress, even when an exact value is unknown.

Configurable Animation Timing

Developers can fine-tune the animation speed and refresh rate through AnimationDurationMs and AnimationTimerInterval to match application needs.

Best Practices

Practice

Explanation

Choose Appropriate Duration

Select an AnimationDurationMs value that balances smoothness with responsiveness, ensuring that the animation feels natural and not sluggish.

Set Timer Intervals Judiciously

Use a reasonable AnimationTimerInterval to achieve fluid animation without overloading the UI thread, especially on less powerful hardware.

Use Indeterminate Mode When Progress Is Unknown

Switch to Indeterminate mode for tasks where the completion percentage is unpredictable, ensuring that users are still aware that work is in progress.

Synchronize with Other UI Elements

Ensure that any changes in animation timing or mode transitions do not conflict with other UI animations to maintain a consistent overall experience.

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall

Explanation

Avoidance Strategy

Overly Long Animation Duration

Setting AnimationDurationMs too high may cause delays that make the UI feel unresponsive.

Test and choose a moderate duration that balances smoothness with responsiveness.

Too Short Timer Intervals

Using a very low AnimationTimerInterval can lead to unnecessary CPU usage and potential performance issues.

Use a timer interval that provides smooth animation without excessive resource consumption.

Indeterminate Mode Overuse

Keeping the control in indeterminate mode when progress values are available can confuse users about task completion status.

Switch to determinate mode as soon as progress values become available to provide clear feedback on task completion.

Usage Scenarios

Scenario

Description

Sample Code Integration

Task with Known Progress

When processing tasks with a known completion percentage, use determinate mode to animate progress changes smoothly.

csharp // Initialize a progress bar in determinate mode with animation SiticoneHProgressBar progressBar = new SiticoneHProgressBar(); progressBar.Indeterminate = false; progressBar.Value = 30; progressBar.AnimationDurationMs = 300; this.Controls.Add(progressBar); 

Task with Unknown Progress

For processes where the progress is unknown (e.g., loading resources or background processing), activate indeterminate mode to show a marquee.

csharp // Create a progress bar in indeterminate mode to indicate ongoing processing SiticoneHProgressBar progressBar = new SiticoneHProgressBar(); progressBar.Indeterminate = true; progressBar.IndeterminateBarColor = Color.Blue; this.Controls.Add(progressBar); 

Dynamic Switching Between Modes

In scenarios where progress initially is unknown and later becomes determinate, dynamically switch between indeterminate and determinate modes.

csharp // Toggle between indeterminate and determinate mode dynamically SiticoneHProgressBar progressBar = new SiticoneHProgressBar(); // Start with indeterminate mode progressBar.Indeterminate = true; // Later, when progress can be determined: progressBar.Indeterminate = false; progressBar.Value = 75; 

Code Example and Demo

Below is an extensive example demonstrating how to integrate and customize the Animation & Indeterminate Mode feature in a simple WinForms application:

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using SiticoneNetFrameworkUI;

namespace AnimationIndeterminateDemo
{
    public class MainForm : Form
    {
        private SiticoneHProgressBar progressBar;
        private Button toggleModeButton;
        private Button updateValueButton;
        private bool isIndeterminate = false;

        public MainForm()
        {
            // Initialize the form
            Text = "Animation & Indeterminate Mode Demo";
            Size = new Size(500, 300);

            // Initialize the progress bar with determinate mode
            progressBar = new SiticoneHProgressBar()
            {
                Location = new Point(50, 50),
                Size = new Size(400, 30),
                Indeterminate = false,
                Value = 20,
                AnimationDurationMs = 300,
                AnimationTimerInterval = 15,
                // Set a custom color for indeterminate mode (visible when toggled)
                IndeterminateBarColor = Color.Blue
            };

            // Button to toggle between determinate and indeterminate modes
            toggleModeButton = new Button()
            {
                Text = "Toggle Mode",
                Location = new Point(50, 100),
                AutoSize = true
            };
            toggleModeButton.Click += ToggleModeButton_Click;

            // Button to update the progress value in determinate mode
            updateValueButton = new Button()
            {
                Text = "Increase Progress",
                Location = new Point(150, 100),
                AutoSize = true
            };
            updateValueButton.Click += (s, e) =>
            {
                // Increase progress by 10 until maximum is reached
                if (!progressBar.Indeterminate)
                {
                    progressBar.Value = Math.Min(progressBar.Value + 10, progressBar.Maximum);
                }
            };

            // Add controls to the form
            Controls.Add(progressBar);
            Controls.Add(toggleModeButton);
            Controls.Add(updateValueButton);
        }

        private void ToggleModeButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            // Toggle between indeterminate (marquee) and determinate modes
            isIndeterminate = !isIndeterminate;
            progressBar.Indeterminate = isIndeterminate;

            // Optionally reset or update the progress value when switching modes
            if (!isIndeterminate)
            {
                // Resume determinate mode with a defined progress value
                progressBar.Value = 20;
            }
        }

        [STAThread]
        public static void Main()
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.Run(new MainForm());
        }
    }
}

Review

Aspect

Evaluation

Smoothness and Responsiveness

The momentum-based animation provides a visually appealing transition that makes progress updates feel smooth and natural.

Clear Indeterminate Feedback

The marquee effect in indeterminate mode effectively communicates ongoing processing even when precise progress data is unavailable.

Flexibility

Developers can easily switch between determinate and indeterminate modes to match varying application requirements.

Summary

The Animation & Indeterminate Mode feature enhances the progress bar control by providing smooth, animated transitions for determinate progress updates and a continuously moving marquee effect for indeterminate scenarios. This dual-mode functionality ensures that the control can effectively communicate progress status under diverse operational contexts while maintaining a polished user experience.

Additional Sections

Troubleshooting Tips

Tip

Description

Validate Animation Duration

If animations appear sluggish or too rapid, adjust AnimationDurationMs to better suit your application's responsiveness requirements.

Monitor Timer Performance

Ensure that the AnimationTimerInterval is not set too low to avoid excessive CPU usage, particularly in resource-constrained environments.

Verify Mode Transitions

When switching between indeterminate and determinate modes, confirm that the control correctly resets and displays the intended progress state.

Integration Checklist

Checklist Item

Status

Configure AnimationDurationMs and AnimationTimerInterval appropriately

[ ] Done

Set the Indeterminate property based on task requirements

[ ] Done

Test smooth transitions in determinate mode

[ ] Done

Verify marquee behavior in indeterminate mode

[ ] Done

Confirm mode toggling and value updates work as expected

[ ] Done

This comprehensive documentation should assist developers in understanding, integrating, and leveraging the Animation & Indeterminate Mode feature of the provided control effectiv

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Last updated 19 days ago