Animation Features

Animation Features enable smooth and customizable transitions for progress value changes in the control.

Overview

This section documents the animation capabilities of the control, which include settings to control the duration, easing function, and enablement of animations. Developers can also monitor animation states via events and manually control animations with provided methods.

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Properties and Events

The following table details the key animation-related properties and events:

Property/Event	Type / Value	Description
AnimationEnabled	bool (default: true)	Determines whether animated transitions occur when the progress value changes.
AnimationDuration	int (default: 250 ms)	Sets the total duration of the animation in milliseconds. Minimum value enforced is 16 ms.
AnimationEasingFunc	AnimationEasing (enum)	Selects the easing function (e.g., Linear, EaseInQuad, EaseOutCubic, etc.) that defines the acceleration and deceleration of the animation.
IsAnimating (Read-only)	bool	Indicates if an animation is currently in progress.
AnimationCompleted (Event)	EventHandler	Fired when an animation sequence completes.
AnimationStateChanged (Event)	EventHandler<AnimationStateChangedEventArgs>	Notifies subscribers when the animation state changes (i.e., when an animation starts or stops).

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Methods

The table below summarizes the methods provided for controlling animations:

Method	Signature	Description
StopAnimation	public void StopAnimation()	Stops any active animation immediately and forces the control to display the target value.
SetValueWithoutAnimation	public void SetValueWithoutAnimation(double value)	Sets the progress value instantly without triggering an animation effect.

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Code Examples and Samples

Below are some comprehensive code examples to demonstrate how to integrate and utilize the animation features.

Example 1: Basic Animation Setup

This example demonstrates enabling animation, setting duration, and using a custom easing function when updating the progress value.

// Initialize the progress bar control
SiticoneVBarsProgress progressBar = new SiticoneVBarsProgress
{
    AnimationEnabled = true,         // Enable animations
    AnimationDuration = 500,           // Set animation duration to 500ms
    AnimationEasingFunc = SiticoneVBarsProgress.AnimationEasing.EaseInOutCubic, // Use EaseInOutCubic easing
    Minimum = 0,
    Maximum = 100
};

// Set an initial value with animation
progressBar.Value = 30;

Example 2: Handling Animation Events

This sample shows how to subscribe to animation events to perform additional actions once the animation is complete or when the animation state changes.

// Subscribe to the AnimationCompleted event
progressBar.AnimationCompleted += (sender, e) =>
{
    MessageBox.Show("Animation has completed!");
};

// Subscribe to the AnimationStateChanged event to monitor animation state transitions
progressBar.AnimationStateChanged += (sender, e) =>
{
    if (e.IsAnimating)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Animation started.");
    }
    else
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Animation stopped.");
    }
};

// Update the progress value to trigger an animation
progressBar.Value = 80;

Example 3: Updating Progress Without Animation

If immediate updates are required without the animated effect, use the SetValueWithoutAnimation method.

// Immediately update the progress value to 50 without animation
progressBar.SetValueWithoutAnimation(50);

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Key Points

Point	Details
Animation Enablement	Ensure AnimationEnabled is set to true to utilize smooth transitions.
Duration Settings	Use AnimationDuration to control the speed of animations, respecting the minimum duration constraint.
Easing Functions	Select an appropriate AnimationEasingFunc to match the desired animation style.
Event Monitoring	Leverage AnimationCompleted and AnimationStateChanged events to react to animation lifecycle events.

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Best Practices

Practice	Recommendation
Use Meaningful Durations	Choose an AnimationDuration that is long enough for visual clarity without being sluggish (250–500ms is typical).
Select Appropriate Easing	Experiment with different AnimationEasingFunc options (e.g., EaseInOutCubic) to best match your UI’s flow.
Avoid Frequent Rapid Updates	Rapid successive changes may interrupt animations; consider debouncing value changes to allow smooth transitions.
Monitor Animation State	Use the provided events to ensure that application logic is synchronized with visual updates.

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Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Solution
Setting AnimationDuration Too Low	Ensure the duration is not set below the minimum threshold (16 ms) to prevent jarring animations.
Overloading the Animation System	Avoid triggering multiple animations in quick succession; consider waiting for the current animation to finish.
Inconsistent Easing Function Usage	Changing the easing function mid-animation may restart the current animation; plan easing functions before implementation.

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Usage Scenarios

Scenario	Description	Sample Code
Smooth Value Update	When the application needs to visually represent progress changes (e.g., file upload progress).	progressBar.Value = newValue;
Immediate Value Correction	When a quick update is required without animation, such as a reset operation.	progressBar.SetValueWithoutAnimation(0);
Interactive Progress Bar	When users can adjust the progress bar via mouse interaction, the animation enhances feedback.	See integration with mouse event handlers in the control's code sample provided earlier.

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Review

Animation Features provide a robust way to visually represent progress changes. By enabling animations, configuring durations, and selecting easing functions, developers can create an engaging and responsive user interface. Additionally, the provided events allow for effective synchronization between UI animations and application logic.

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Summary

Animation Features in the control offer:

• Customizable animation settings (enablement, duration, and easing functions).

• Real-time animation state monitoring through events.

• Methods to control animation flow (stop or set value without animation).

These features ensure a visually smooth and intuitive experience when updating progress values. Integrating these features can significantly improve the interactivity and visual appeal of .NET WinForms applications.

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Additional Sections

Integration Tips

Tip	Details
Initialize Early	Configure animation properties during control initialization to avoid mid-run configuration changes.
Event Handling	Always unsubscribe from events during disposal to prevent memory leaks.
Testing	Test animations on multiple screen resolutions and system performance profiles to ensure consistency.

Demo Application Sample

Below is a complete sample demonstrating a basic WinForms application integrating the control with animation features:

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

namespace DemoApplication
{
    public partial class MainForm : Form
    {
        private SiticoneVBarsProgress progressBar;

        public MainForm()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            InitializeProgressBar();
        }

        private void InitializeProgressBar()
        {
            // Instantiate and configure the progress bar
            progressBar = new SiticoneVBarsProgress
            {
                Location = new System.Drawing.Point(50, 50),
                Size = new System.Drawing.Size(30, 200),
                Minimum = 0,
                Maximum = 100,
                AnimationEnabled = true,
                AnimationDuration = 400,
                AnimationEasingFunc = SiticoneVBarsProgress.AnimationEasing.EaseInOutCubic
            };

            // Subscribe to animation events
            progressBar.AnimationCompleted += (s, e) =>
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Animation finished!");
            };

            // Add the control to the form
            this.Controls.Add(progressBar);
        }

        private void UpdateProgressButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            // Trigger a progress update with animation
            progressBar.Value = 75;
        }

        private void InstantUpdateButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            // Update progress immediately without animation
            progressBar.SetValueWithoutAnimation(25);
        }
    }
}

This demo application illustrates how to set up the control, subscribe to its events, and update its value both with and without animations.

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By following this comprehensive guide, developers can fully leverage the Animation Features of the control to build engaging, smooth, and responsive .NET WinForms applications.