Using a Storyboard animation on a programmatically-added control - wpf

Question

I'm trying to fade in a new control to my application's "app" area which is programmatically added after the existing controls are removed. My code looks like this:
void settingsButton_Clicked(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
ContentCanvas.Children.Clear();
// Fade in settings panel
NameScope.SetNameScope(this, new NameScope());
SettingsPane s = new SettingsPane();
s.Name = "settingsPane";
this.RegisterName(s.Name, s);
this.Resources.Add(s.Name, s);
Storyboard sb = new Storyboard();
DoubleAnimation settingsFade = new DoubleAnimation();
settingsFade.From = 0;
settingsFade.To = 1;
settingsFade.Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(0.33));
settingsFade.RepeatBehavior = new RepeatBehavior(1);
Storyboard.SetTargetName(settingsFade, s.Name);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(settingsFade, new PropertyPath(UserControl.OpacityProperty));
ContentCanvas.Children.Add(s);
sb.Children.Add(settingsFade);
sb.Begin();
}
However, when I run this code, I get the error "No applicable name scope exists to resolve the name 'settingsPane'."
What am I possibly doing wrong? I'm pretty sure I've registered everything properly :(

Answer 1

I wouldn't hassle with the NameScopes etc. and would rather use Storyboard.SetTarget instead.
var b = new Button() { Content = "abcd" };
stack.Children.Add(b);
var fade = new DoubleAnimation()
{
From = 0,
To = 1,
Duration = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5),
};
Storyboard.SetTarget(fade, b);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(fade, new PropertyPath(Button.OpacityProperty));
var sb = new Storyboard();
sb.Children.Add(fade);
sb.Begin();

Answer 2

I solved the problem using this as parameter in the begin method, try:
sb.Begin(this);
Because the name is registered in the window.

Answer 3

I agree, the namescopes are probably the wrong thing to use for this scenario. Much simpler and easier to use SetTarget rather than SetTargetName.
In case it helps anyone else, here's what I used to highlight a particular cell in a table with a highlight that decays to nothing. It's a little like the StackOverflow highlight when you add a new answer.
TableCell cell = table.RowGroups[0].Rows[row].Cells[col];
// The cell contains just one paragraph; it is the first block
Paragraph p = (Paragraph)cell.Blocks.FirstBlock;
// Animate the paragraph: fade the background from Yellow to White,
// once, through a span of 6 seconds.
SolidColorBrush brush = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Yellow);
p.Background = brush;
ColorAnimation ca1 = new ColorAnimation()
{
From = Colors.Yellow,
To = Colors.White,
Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(6.0)),
RepeatBehavior = new RepeatBehavior(1),
AutoReverse = false,
};
brush.BeginAnimation(SolidColorBrush.ColorProperty, ca1);

Answer 4

It is possible odd thing but my solution is to use both methods:
Storyboard.SetTargetName(DA, myObjectName);
Storyboard.SetTarget(DA, myRect);
sb.Begin(this);
In this case there is no error.
Have a look at the code where I have used it.
int n = 0;
bool isWorking;
Storyboard sb;
string myObjectName;
UIElement myElement;
int idx = 0;
void timer_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (isWorking == false)
{
isWorking = true;
try
{
myElement = stackObj.Children[idx];
var possibleIDX = idx + 1;
if (possibleIDX == stackObj.Children.Count)
idx = 0;
else
idx++;
var myRect = (Rectangle)myElement;
// Debug.WriteLine("TICK: " + myRect.Name);
var dur = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(2000);
var f = CreateVisibility(dur, myElement, false);
sb.Children.Add(f);
Duration d = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2);
DoubleAnimation DA = new DoubleAnimation() { From = 1, To = 0, Duration = d };
sb.Children.Add(DA);
myObjectName = myRect.Name;
Storyboard.SetTargetName(DA, myObjectName);
Storyboard.SetTarget(DA, myRect);
Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(DA, new PropertyPath("Opacity"));
sb.Begin(this);
n++;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
Debug.WriteLine(ex.Message + " " + DateTime.Now.TimeOfDay);
}
isWorking = false;
}
}