render usercontrol on top of everything - wpf

Question

I have a usercontrol which I want to animate via rendertransform. (rot, trans, scale)
It works out fine, but the control is on a layer below layers with other controls, which are created by itemcontrols with itemsources.
The usercontrol should not know about it's parents so I guess i'm looking for something like a universal render zindex.
My idea was to use a popup but it comes with peformance disadvantages and mouse event complications.
(that was with a bitmapcachebrush )
I guess i cant take out the item from the itemssource of the itemscontrol and put it on a front layer.
Is an adorner what I am looking for? Also it doesnt have to / shouldnt be responsive to mouse events. (the canvas parent around it handling mouse enter and leave is)
Are there other possibilities?

Answer 1

1.custom control xaml cutout
2.custom control mouse event
3.ui element adorner class
<Grid x:Name="adholder" Width="{Binding ElementName=thiscontrol, Path=ActualWidth}">
<!-- Add adorning content here -->
<Grid x:Name="gridAnimation" IsHitTestVisible="False"
Height="{Binding ElementName=thiscontrol, Path=ActualHeight}"
Width="{Binding ElementName=thiscontrol, Path=ActualWidth}">
<Grid.CacheMode>
<BitmapCache x:Name="bmpcache" EnableClearType="True"
RenderAtScale="1"
SnapsToDevicePixels="False"
/>
</Grid.CacheMode>
private void thiscontrol_MouseEnter(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
{
if (StoryboardEnter != null)
{
layer = AdornerLayer.GetAdornerLayer(gridAnimation);
adholder.Children.Clear();
adc = new AdornerContentPresenter(adholder);
adc.Content = gridAnimation;
layer.Add(adc);
StoryboardEnter.RunAnim(gridAnimation, AnimationDirection.To, AnimationReset.Reset);
}
}
//not my code
public class AdornerContentPresenter : Adorner
{
private VisualCollection _Visuals;
private ContentPresenter _ContentPresenter;
public AdornerContentPresenter(UIElement adornedElement)
: base(adornedElement)
{
_Visuals = new VisualCollection(this);
_ContentPresenter = new ContentPresenter();
_Visuals.Add(_ContentPresenter);
}
public AdornerContentPresenter(UIElement adornedElement, Visual content)
: this(adornedElement)
{ Content = content; }
protected override Size MeasureOverride(Size constraint)
{
_ContentPresenter.Measure(constraint);
return _ContentPresenter.DesiredSize;
}
protected override Size ArrangeOverride(Size finalSize)
{
_ContentPresenter.Arrange(new Rect(0, 0,
finalSize.Width, finalSize.Height));
return _ContentPresenter.RenderSize;
}
protected override Visual GetVisualChild(int index)
{ return _Visuals[index]; }
protected override int VisualChildrenCount
{ get { return _Visuals.Count; } }
public object Content
{
get { return _ContentPresenter.Content; }
set { _ContentPresenter.Content = value; }
}
}