50147: Tools and Creative Techniques for Designing User Interfaces in Microsoft Silverlight 2.0
Microsoft Silverlight 2.0 Training Course for Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester Yorkshire & London
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Effective and relevant training at a realistic price!
- Peter Loerns, IT Manager, Derby
Course Information
| Course Code | 50147 |
| Fee | £1,150 (Exclusive of VAT) |
| Duration | Four Days |
| Delivery Format | Instructor Led |
| Dates: | Alternative Course - Please Contact Us for information |
Introduction
This four-day instructor-led training course teaches developers and designers how to use the Microsoft Expression Studio product set to build rich and compelling user experiences based on the Microsoft Silverlight 2 platform.
Audience
This course is intended for developers and designers. This includes visual, interactive, and Web designers who are currently familiar with tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Flash Player, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver.
At Course Completion
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the key features of Silverlight 2
- Describe the people, tools, and tool workflow associated with creating Silverlight experiences
- Create and manipulate images by using Microsoft Expression Design
- Create projects in the Microsoft Expression Blend design software
- Assemble and build a rich user interface (UI) by using Expression Blend
- Develop and customize media by using Microsoft Expression Encoder
- Hand off design projects and graphical assets to developers
- Develop basic code in a Silverlight project
- Enhance the user experience by using keyboard interactivity, text effects, and ink
- Develop advanced animation effects
- Develop advanced media effects
- Publish a Silverlight application
- Customize the built-in controls
- Create custom user controls
- Create Deep Zoom Silverlight experiences
Course Outline
Module 1: Fundamentals of Microsoft Silverlight
This module introduces Silverlight and provides the context for the rest of the course. The module demonstrates the key capabilities and features of Silverlight. The intention of this module and its demonstrations is to create a "wow" factor to enthuse students and get them excited about learning more. It also presents an overview of Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) to give students an insight into the language on which the tools in Expression Studio and Silverlight are based.
Lessons
- Introducing Silverlight
- Introducing XAML
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Explain the uses and capabilities of Silverlight
- Create and manipulate common Silverlight features by using XAML
Module 2: Introducing the Workflow for Building Experiences in Microsoft Silverlight
This module covers the life of a Silverlight project from start to finish. The module describes each stage in the creation process, the people typically involved, and the tools that they use.
Lessons
- Building Silverlight Experiences
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe the workflow of the people and tools that are associated with creating Silverlight experiences
Module 3: Preparing Images by Using Microsoft Expression Design
This module explains how to create vector and bitmap images by using Expression Design and export them in a format that is suitable for a Silverlight project.
Lessons
- Introducing Expression Design
- Preparing Images by Using Expression Design
Lab : Creating Graphic Assets by Using Expression Design
- Creating a Button
- Exporting Bitmap Images as PNG, and Vector-Based Objects as Silverlight XAML Files
- Exporting Bitmap and Vector-Based Images by Using Slices
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe the functionality of Expression Design
- Create a compelling UI button by using vector-based and bitmap graphics
- Prepare and export images by using Expression Design
Module 4: Introducing Microsoft Expression Blend
This module introduces students to Expression Blend, explains what the program enables them to achieve, and shows the Silverlight project structure.
Lessons
- Introducing Expression Blend
- Creating an Expression Blend Project
- Organizing Objects in Expression Blend
Lab : Building a Simple Expression Blend Project
- Creating a Silverlight Project
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe the core features of Expression Blend
- Build a simple Expression Blend project
- Organize objects inside an Expression Blend project
Module 5: Creating a User Interface by Using Microsoft Expression Blend
This module shows the students how to use Expression Blend to create a rich UI. The module describes drawing in Expression Blend and how to use the tools in Expression Blend to create animations. This module also explains how to add basic interactivity to a Silverlight application and provides a brief introduction to the Microsoft Visual C# development tool from a designer's perspective.
Lessons
- Drawing and Editing
- Animating Objects
- Introducing Visual C#
- Adding Basic Interactivity
Lab : Expanding PowerPlay
- Enhancing the PowerPlay Application
Lab : Animating Objects
- Adding Animation to PowerPlay
Lab : Performing Page Transitions
- Creating a Page Transition
- Adding Interactivity
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Draw and edit images in Expression Blend
- Create Storyboards to animate objects
- Add basic interactivity to an application and perform page transitions
Module 6: Designing by Using Controls
This module introduces the built-in controls that are supplied with Silverlight; details how to customize those controls by using styles and templates and by manipulating control states; and then explains how to create and utilize user controls.
Lessons
- Introducing Silverlight Controls
- Customizing Controls
- Creating Custom User Controls
Lab : Creating Custom User Controls
- Creating Components for a Custom Control
- Creating a Custom User Control and Specifying Properties
- Adding Dependency Properties to Your Custom Control
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe the controls that are provided with Silverlight
- Customize existing controls by using styles and templates
- Explain the purpose and use of control states in the Expression Blend design software
- Describe the purpose of, and how to create, custom user controls in Expression Blend
Module 7: Publishing Media Content
This module shows how to use Expression Encoder to encode video and audio, add markers to video, and generate a customizable Silverlight media player.
Lessons
- Introducing Expression Encoder
- Customizing the Media Player
- Adding Markers to Video
Lab : Customizing a Video Skin
- Creating a Media Player and Customizing the Background Assets
- Customizing the Timer and Chapter Control Elements
- Creating the Timeline and Volume Slider Bars
- Creating the Player Control Elements
Lab : Publishing with Video Markers
- Applying Markers to Trigger Events
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Explain the main features and functionality of Expression Encoder
- Customize a media player
- Add markers to a video to trigger simple events
Module 8: Creating Deep Zoom Experiences
This module introduces the Deep Zoom feature within Silverlight by way of the MultiScaleImage control, and then explains the purpose of the Deep Zoom Composer application and how to use it.
Lessons
- Introducing Deep Zoom
- Using Deep Zoom Composer
Lab : Customizing a Deep Zoom Project by Using Expression Blend
- Creating a Deep Zoom Experience
- Updating the Deep Zoom Experience by Using Expression Blend
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Explain what the Deep Zoom technology is
- Describe how to create and customize Deep Zoom experiences
Module 9: Handing Off Your Project to a Developer
This module describes what designers must do to prepare their project for hand-off to a developer so that they can increase the efficiency of the creation workflow. The module describes guidelines and best practices for designers and how to use a centralized source control system to manage a project.
Lessons
- Preparing Your Project for Hand-Off
- Adding Projects and Assets to Source Control
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Describe how to prepare a project for hand-off
- Explain how to use source control
Module 10: Performing Basic Development Tasks in Microsoft Silverlight
This module gives a more in-depth look at using Microsoft .NET code to add logic to Silverlight applications. The module shows how to use the default code-behind file, create dynamic effects by using code, and manipulate the more complex properties of objects.
Lessons
- Silverlight Fundamentals
- Manipulating Objects in Code at Run Time
Lab : Modifying XAML Objects by Using C#
- Modifying XAML Objects
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Add simple code to a Silverlight project
- Access and modify objects in Silverlight applications at run time
Module 11: Enhancing the User Experience
This module shows how to add more features to a Silverlight application, such as keyboard interactivity, text effects, and ink support.
Lessons
- Adding Keyboard Interactivity
- Working with Text Properties
- Adding Ink Support
Lab : Writing Ink Messages
- Implementing an Ink Application
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Add keyboard interactivity to a Silverlight application
- Work with text properties in a Silverlight application
- Add ink support to a Silverlight application
Module 12: Creating Advanced Animations
This module explains how to create more complex animations by using code. The module describes how to develop spline animations and create scripted animations.
Lessons
- Creating KeySpline Animations
- Creating Code-Based Animations
Lab : Creating a Snowy Background
- Creating a Background Glow and a Snowflake
- Adding Animation Functionality
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Develop KeySpline animations
- Develop code-based animations
Module 13: Advanced Media
This module shows how to use media effects to give impact to a project. The module describes how to use video brushes to render a video on multiple surfaces and to create live video reflections. The module also shows how to create a custom media player to use in a Silverlight application.
Lessons
- Painting with a VideoBrush
- Handling MediaElement Events
Lab : Creating an Advanced Media Player
- Creating a Media Player
- Adding Slider Controls
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Create advanced video effects by using the VideoBrush
- Create an advanced media player
Module 14: Publishing Your Microsoft Silverlight Application
This module describes the final stages of the application creation process. The module explains how to optimize the appearance and performance of a project for the Web and how to effectively publish the project. The module also examines how to use the WebClient object to optimize the download performance.
Lessons
- Publication Process
- Working with the Silverlight Control
- Optimizing Run-Time Performance by Using the WebClient Object
Lab : Adding Full-Screen Functionality to a Media Player
- Creating a Full-Screen Media Player
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Publish Silverlight content by using Microsoft Silverlight Streaming by Windows Live
- Program the Silverlight control
- Optimize run-time performance by using the WebClient object