Abstract: Described is a method and system in which storyboard objects coordinate the animation of multiple elements and/or media displayed on a computer graphics display. Storyboards relate properties of elements in an element tree to a timeline, such that the properties associated with a storyboard are animated/play together as a group by starting, stopping, seeking or pausing the storyboard. Triggers, such as controlled by user interaction with the displayed information, including property triggers that change values in response to a state change, and event triggers that fire events, may cause the storyboard to start, stop, pause and seek. Storyboards may be used in XAML-based programs, and may be directly associated with elements, or indirectly associated with elements via styles. Complex properties and changeables are supported. Media playback may be controlled via storyboards, and thereby coordinated with other media playback and/or animations.

Abstract: A three dimensional adorner may be displayed with a corresponding three dimensional object when the object is created or inserted into a display and also at any subsequent time that the object is selected. Additionally, if any portions of the adorner are obscured, the adorner may be reoriented such that the obscured portions are made accessible. Distortion of the adorner in a perspective view may be reduced by removing the adorner from the perspective view, regenerating the adorner in an orthographic view, and then merging the orthographic view of the regenerated adorner with the perspective view of the corresponding object.

Abstract: Smooth transitions between rich media (e.g., animations of visual elements of a UI) are provided when a “second” animation is started on a property of a visual element for which a “first” animation is already running. When the second animation is started, an animation system causes a current value of the property that resulted from the running of the “first” animation (i.e., snapshot) to be stored, terminates or releases the first animation, and then causes the second animation to run using the snapshot as the “from” value of the property. Because the second animation “begins” at exactly the point at which the first animation ended, the transition between the first and second animation is smooth. An animation storage object can be created for a property for which an animation has been triggered to store base values and snapshots of the property while being animated.

Abstract: Described is a method and system in which storyboard objects coordinate the animation of multiple elements and/or media displayed on a computer graphics display. Storyboards relate properties of elements in an element tree to a timeline, such that the properties associated with a storyboard are animated/play together as a group by starting, stopping, seeking or pausing the storyboard. Triggers, such as controlled by user interaction with the displayed information, including property triggers that change values in response to a state change, and event triggers that fire events, may cause the storyboard to start, stop, pause and seek. Storyboards may be used in XAML-based programs, and may be directly associated with elements, or indirectly associated with elements via styles. Complex properties and changeables are supported. Media playback may be controlled via storyboards, and thereby coordinated with other media playback and/or animations.

Abstract: Combined object level and property level key framing systems, methods, and user interfaces are provided in which a user can enter a mode where any change to a property is recorded as a key framing action (e.g., creation or edit) at the current time as indicated by a timeline. When a key frame is created in this mode, the surrounding object level key frames are inspected to ensure that the functionality that users expect from object level key frames is maintained. If a user explicitly creates an animation of an attribute that spans an object level key frame, then that span for the animation is maintained as the user edits.

Abstract: An transition information is created and stored for layout animations. This transition information is then applied to layout changes at runtime when a trigger event occurs to animate a change in a layout. In one embodiment, transition information is provided in a script. The script details how a layout transition will occur in a layout during runtime. When the transition does occur, the transition information specified is applied to the transition, thereby allowing the user experience to be enhanced. In this way, animation is integrated in providing a graphical display.