Do you use MS Expression Blend with WPF

[kevchadders]

Hi,

As i delve deeperin to WPF/WF, I came across Microsoft Expression, with the Expression Blend in particular. Below is a link to the main page with a lot of useful tutorials/vidoes on what it can do, and it look amazing.

http://expression.microsoft.com/en-us/cc197141.aspx

I understand that the screen you create with MS Blend will generate the XAML which can then be used with WPF. So, bearing that in mind, do any of you use MS Blend with WPF?
Does anyone have any experience with it?
Would you recommend Expression blend for a WPF programmer?

[chris128]

Yeah I use it for every WPF project I make - its much better than the WPF editor in VS :)

[Arrow_Raider]

I just type my xaml; I don't use a designer.

[chris128]

I type the XAMl for controls and the odd DataTemplate etc but creating animations and gradients is so much easier and faster in Blend...

[kevchadders]

At the moment i use VS to edit the XAML, though Blend look brillant. Just need to get around downloading the 3 month trail to try it on. :thumb:

[chris128]

Yeah well you would still use VS to edit the XAML because the Blend XAML editor sucks (just like the VS WPF designer sucks). I usually work on a project in both Blend and VS at the same time - when you open a project in VS and in Blend then they link together so that if you make a change in one then when you switch back to the other then it will say "changes have been made do you want to refresh?" (or words to that effect)

[bflosabre91]

I use illustrator with the XAML plug in.

http://www.mikeswanson.com/xamlexport/

i tried blend but i didnt really like it. I find it much easier to draw with illustrator, and then do any animations and junk with coding it myself.

[chris128]

Blend isnt designed to do anything like what Illustrator does though :S Expression Design is much closer to Illustrator than Blend.

[bflosabre91]

well what is the purpose of blend? i thought it was just a designer to build xaml code for you for any shapes,gradients,animations,styles, and stuff like that? am i mistaken? i just use illustrator to basically export me the gradients that i want or the shapes that i want so i dont have to type all the code and figure out the gradient stops and all that crap.

[chris128]

You can use Blend to do those things you mentioned yeah (and thats what I primarily use it for) but you said drawing - you cant draw in Blend (or at least if you can, thats not one of its primary purposes and I've never noticed it).

Like I said, you might want to check out Expression Design (obviously part of the same suite that Blend is part of - Expression) which is the same sort of thing as Illustrator but of course can export to XAML natively etc. Although having said that, if you are fine with Illustrator and the XAML plug in then probably no need to change anything eh :)

Blend overview: http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/Blend_Overview.aspx
Expression Blend 3 enables your ideas from concept to completion.
Expression Blend 3 revolutionizes the speed and efficiency with which you can take your ideas from concept to completion on the Silverlight and .NET platforms. Concepts and ideas can live through the project end-to-end, reducing redundancy, enhancing creativity and delivering compelling applications that exceed your client’s expectations for design, interactivity and usability

Design overview: http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/Design_Overview.aspx
Microsoft Expression Design 3 creates graphics for use in your design projects.
Microsoft Expression Design 3 is the perfect companion to Expression Blend or Expression Web. Leverage existing artwork, or use intuitive drawing tools to quickly build sophisticated vector assets.

PS I didnt realise version 3 of the Expression suite was out :)