Trying to create animation at runtime in C#

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Hello,

I would like to create a Flash-like animation in C# that takes user input and then draws updates that animation.
I have created a Windows Forms application that takes input from the user and displays the textual data, but I would like to simulate it in an animation as well.
For e.g., if a user wants to see n number of balls move in a certain path, he enters the value for n and the animation is adjusted to play with n balls.
Is there a way to do this? Am I even using the right technology for it?

In case, this question is stupid, please bear with me as I am a beginner.

Posted 19-Nov-11 7:49am

Member 8412210

Updated 19-Nov-11 9:07am

André Kraak

v2

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Nov-11 16:58pm

So, is this really about Forms? Then remove WPF from your tags. Or explain.
--SA

2 solutions

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Shmuel Zang · Answer 1 · 2011-11-19T08:47:00

Solution 1

If you want animations that are updated according to a text, you can create a WPF animations and, update them in the event-handler of the TextChanged event of your TextBox.

Posted 19-Nov-11 8:47am

Shmuel Zang

Updated 19-Nov-11 11:11am

v3

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Member 8412210 20-Nov-11 1:13am

Thank you for the animations link. :)

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Answer 2 · 2011-11-19T11:07:00

Solution 2

I think WPF is better designed for animations, but if you really want using Forms, it's quite doable. You can find some basic ideas in my past solution, see how to do image animation[^].

You ball animation is a simple case (and I happened to do something like this). Balls are rendered in Control.OnPaint using an instance of Graphics passes as a parameter to this method, based on current time and the calculated model. The rendering update is triggered by a call to the method Control.Invalidate.

—SA

Posted 19-Nov-11 11:07am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Updated 19-Nov-11 11:11am

v2

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Nov-11 17:29pm

Who is so "clever" to vote like that? :-)
--SA

Member 8412210 20-Nov-11 0:59am

Thank you Shmuel and SAKryukov,
I've started the application in Windows Forms, but I've researched abt WPF being better for animations as you suggested, however i havent used it before. Thats why i tagged it. So that i may know if its better to code in that and again if what i wanted to do in it is possible.
To my limited knowledge, it seems i would create the animation i want using Blend to generate the XAML required in the WPF. Then send the user input value to that code to create the required no. of balls in tht animation? Is there a better way to get it done than this?
Thank you for the image animation tutorial link. It is a really good & helpful article. I will try and search for a WPF equivalent of it. Any directions to such links are welcome.
Thank you