Custom Button - Background Doesn't Change - wpf

Question

I'm trying to make a custom button, my only problem is that the background doesn't change. I am aware that i need to set the background value as {TemplateBinding Background} but i cannot seem to find the right spot. I tried at but it just doesn't work.
The button was created in expression blend, so any weird thing you might see may come from there, i believe.
<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<Style x:Key="DEHRButton" TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<Grid>
<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
<VisualStateGroup.Transitions>
<VisualTransition GeneratedDuration="0:0:0.1"/>
</VisualStateGroup.Transitions>
<VisualState x:Name="Normal"/>
<VisualState x:Name="MouseOver">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.StrokeThickness)" Storyboard.TargetName="path">
<EasingDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="2"/>
</DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="Pressed">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.StrokeThickness)" Storyboard.TargetName="path">
<EasingDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="3"/>
</DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="Disabled">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Opacity)" Storyboard.TargetName="path">
<EasingDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="0.7"/>
</DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Visibility)" Storyboard.TargetName="path">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{x:Static Visibility.Visible}"/>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
</VisualStateGroup>
</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<Path Fill="{TemplateBinding Background}"/>
<Path x:Name="path" Data="M14.666499,0.5 L14.833,0.94661933 14.833,0.5 67.170002,0.5 81.166,0.5 95.502998,0.5 81.336502,38.5 81.166,38.042648 81.166,38.5 28.833,38.5 14.833,38.5 0.5,38.5 z" Stretch="Fill" Stroke="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}">
<Path.Fill>
<LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
<GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0"/>
<GradientStop Color="White" Offset="1"/>
</LinearGradientBrush>
</Path.Fill>
</Path>
<ContentPresenter HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}" RecognizesAccessKey="True" SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}" VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"/>
</Grid>
<ControlTemplate.Triggers>
<Trigger Property="IsFocused" Value="True"/>
<Trigger Property="IsDefaulted" Value="True"/>
<Trigger Property="IsMouseOver" Value="True"/>
<Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True"/>
<Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="False"/>
</ControlTemplate.Triggers>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
<!-- Resource dictionary entries should be defined here. -->
Thanks for the help in advance.

Answer 1

The problem you have there is that the Fill property is bound two time (once to the Background, and once to your default style of Black and White).
Here is how you solve your problem:
<Style x:Key="DEHRButton" TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<Setter Property="Background">
<Setter.Value>
<LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
<GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0"/>
<GradientStop Color="White" Offset="1"/>
</LinearGradientBrush>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<Grid>
<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
<VisualStateGroup.Transitions>
<VisualTransition GeneratedDuration="0:0:0.1"/>
</VisualStateGroup.Transitions>
<VisualState x:Name="Normal"/>
<VisualState x:Name="MouseOver">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.StrokeThickness)" Storyboard.TargetName="path">
<EasingDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="2"/>
</DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="Pressed">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Shape.StrokeThickness)" Storyboard.TargetName="path">
<EasingDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="3"/>
</DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="Disabled">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Opacity)" Storyboard.TargetName="path">
<EasingDoubleKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="0.7"/>
</DoubleAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Visibility)" Storyboard.TargetName="path">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{x:Static Visibility.Visible}"/>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
</VisualStateGroup>
</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<Path x:Name="path" Fill="{TemplateBinding Background}" Data="M14.666499,0.5 L14.833,0.94661933 14.833,0.5 67.170002,0.5 81.166,0.5 95.502998,0.5 81.336502,38.5 81.166,38.042648 81.166,38.5 28.833,38.5 14.833,38.5 0.5,38.5 z" Stretch="Fill" Stroke="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}">
</Path>
<ContentPresenter HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}" RecognizesAccessKey="True" SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}" VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"/>
</Grid>
<ControlTemplate.Triggers>
<Trigger Property="IsFocused" Value="True"/>
<Trigger Property="IsDefaulted" Value="True"/>
<Trigger Property="IsMouseOver" Value="True"/>
<Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True"/>
<Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="False"/>
</ControlTemplate.Triggers>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
You define the default look as a Setter to the Background property, and you Template Bind the Fill to the Background. This allows you to have some default value for the Background, but also enables you to set your own background directly from the control like this:
<Button Background="Azure" Style="{StaticResource DEHRButton}" Height="20" Width="100"/>
Here is more about the Visual Tree in WPF. One of the seniors I worked with once said that you first need to understand the concept of Visual Tree and Logical Tree before starting to program in XAML, else you will start to hate it.