How to: Create a Beveled Visual Effect
The BevelBitmapEffect can be used to create an inner bevel which raises the surface of a visible object according to a specified curve (set by the EdgeProfile property). Below are a series of examples that show the following:
How to use simple markup to apply the effect to an object
How to use a Style to apply the effect to one or more objects
How to use code to apply the effect to an object
How to use an animation to animate the properties of an effect applied to an object
Note: All of the examples below apply only a single effect to an object. To apply multiple effects, you can use BitmapEffectGroup. See How to: Create Multiple Visual Effects for examples.
Example
The following example shows how to use a BevelBitmapEffect to create a bevel inside of a Button.
<Page xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<StackPanel>
<Button Width="200" Height="80" Margin="50">
Bevelled Button
<Button.BitmapEffect>
<!-- <BitmapEffectGroup> would go here if you wanted to apply more
then one effect to the TextBox. However, in this example only
one effect is being applied so BitmapEffectGroup does not need
to be included. -->
<!-- The BevelBitmapEffect has several important properties that
determine characteristics of the bevel effect:
- BevelWidth: Specifies how wide the bevel is (size of the bevel). In this
example, the bevel is fairly wide at 15 (default is 5).
- EdgeProfile: Specifies the curve of the bevel. The default is "Linear".
- LightAngle: Specifies in what direction the "virtual light" is coming from
that create the shadows of the bevel. It is an angle between 0 and 360 with 0
starting on the right hand side and moving counter-clockwise around the object.
The shadows of the bevel are on the opposite side of where the light is cast.
The value of 320 in this example casts the light on the lower right hand side
of the bevel and shadow on the upper left.
- Relief: Specifies the height of the relief of the bevel. Range is between 0 and 1
with 1 having the most relief (darkest shadows). The default is 0.3.
- Smoothness: Specifies how smooth the shadows are. The range is between 0 and 1
with 1 being the softest. Default is 0.5. -->
<BevelBitmapEffect BevelWidth="15" EdgeProfile="CurvedIn" LightAngle="320" Relief="0.4"
Smoothness="0.4" />
</Button.BitmapEffect>
</Button>
</StackPanel>
</Page>
The following illustration shows the effect created in the previous example.
.png "Screenshot: Bevelled button")
The following example shows how to use a Style to apply a BevelBitmapEffect to any Button on the page when the mouse pointer moves over it. In addition, when the button is pressed, another BevelBitmapEffect is applied with a different BevelWidth value which makes the button look like it is being pushed down.
<Page xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
<!-- Resources define Styles for the entire page. -->
<Page.Resources>
<!-- This style applies to any Button on the page. -->
<Style TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<Style.Triggers>
<!-- When the mouse pointer moves over the button, apply a bevel
with a wide BevelWidth. -->
<Trigger Property="IsMouseOver" Value="true">
<Setter Property="BitmapEffect" >
<Setter.Value>
<BevelBitmapEffect BevelWidth="15" />
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Trigger>
<!-- When the mouse pointer is pressed, apply a bevel with a
narrower BevelWidth to make the button appear to get pressed. -->
<Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="true">
<Setter Property="BitmapEffect" >
<Setter.Value>
<BevelBitmapEffect BevelWidth="5" />
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Trigger>
</Style.Triggers>
</Style>
</Page.Resources>
<StackPanel>
<!-- The Style defined above applies to this Button which makes
the Button become beveled while it is pressed. -->
<Button Width="200" Height="80" Margin="50">Press to Bevel</Button>
</StackPanel>
</Page>
The following example shows how to use code to apply a BevelBitmapEffect to a Button when the mouse pointer moves over it.
<Page xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
x:Class="SDKSample.BevelExample" >
<StackPanel>
<Button MouseEnter="OnMouseOverBevelButton" Width="200" Height="80" Margin="50">
MouseOver to Bevel!
</Button>
</StackPanel>
</Page>
The following code handles the event from the preceding markup.
using System;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media.Effects;
namespace SDKSample
{
public partial class BevelExample : Page
{
// Add Bevel effect.
void OnMouseOverBevelButton(object sender, RoutedEventArgs args)
{
// Get a reference to the Button.
Button myButton = (Button)sender;
// Initialize a new BevelBitmapEffect that will be applied
// to the Button.
BevelBitmapEffect myBevelEffect = new BevelBitmapEffect();
// Set the BevelWidth. The default for BevelWidth is 5.
myBevelEffect.BevelWidth = 15;
// Set the EdgeProfile. The default value is Linear.
myBevelEffect.EdgeProfile = EdgeProfile.CurvedIn;
// Set the LightAngle (direction where light is coming from) to 320 degrees.
myBevelEffect.LightAngle = 320;
// Set the Relief to an intermediate value of 0.5. Relief specifies the relief
// between light and shadow for the bevel. The default value is 0.3.
myBevelEffect.Relief = 0.4;
// Set the Smoothness. The default value is 0.5. This example sets
// the property to the maximum value which is 1.
myBevelEffect.Smoothness = 0.4;
// Apply the bitmap effect to the Button.
myButton.BitmapEffect = myBevelEffect;
}
}
}
The following example shows how to animate the BevelWidth and LightAngle properties of the BevelBitmapEffect so that when the mouse pointer moves over the Button, the inner level of the bevel increases while the artificial light source used for the bevel revolves around the Button.
<Page xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" >
<StackPanel>
<Button Width="200" Height="80" Margin="50">
MouseOver ME!
<Button.BitmapEffect>
<!-- This BitmapEffect is targeted by the animation. -->
<BevelBitmapEffect x:Name="myBevelBitmapEffect" BevelWidth="0" EdgeProfile="CurvedIn" />
</Button.BitmapEffect>
<Button.Triggers>
<EventTrigger RoutedEvent="Button.MouseEnter">
<BeginStoryboard>
<Storyboard>
<!-- Animate the BevelWidth from 0 to 15. -->
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="myBevelBitmapEffect"
Storyboard.TargetProperty="BevelWidth"
From="0" To="15" Duration="0:0:0.5" AutoReverse="True"
/>
<!-- Animate the LightAngle so that the light source and
corresponding bevel shadows move around the button. -->
<DoubleAnimation
Storyboard.TargetName="myBevelBitmapEffect"
Storyboard.TargetProperty="LightAngle"
From="360" To="0" Duration="0:0:0.5" AutoReverse="True"
/>
</Storyboard>
</BeginStoryboard>
</EventTrigger>
</Button.Triggers>
</Button>
</StackPanel>
</Page>
See Also
Tasks
How to: Apply a Blur Effect to a Visual
How to: Create a Drop Shadow Visual Effect
How to: Create an Embossed Visual Effect
How to: Create Multiple Visual Effects
How to: Animate Multiple Visual Effects