Color transition in WPF

Question

I want to make a color transition of Background color of a WPF window.

How can I do this?

For example:

Brush i_color = Brushes.Red; //this is the initial color
Brush f_color = Brushes.Blue; //this is the final color

When I click on Button button1

private void button1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    this.Background = f_color; //here the transition begins. I don't want to be quick. Maybe an interval of 4 seconds.
}

Answer 1

In code it can be done with this

private void button1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    ColorAnimation ca = new ColorAnimation(Colors.Red, Colors.Blue, new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(4)));
    Storyboard.SetTarget(ca, this);
    Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(ca, new PropertyPath("Background.Color"));

    Storyboard stb = new Storyboard();
    stb.Children.Add(ca);
    stb.Begin();
}

As H.B. pointed out this will work too

private void button1_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    ColorAnimation ca = new ColorAnimation(Colors.Blue, new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(4)));
    this.Background = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Red);
    this.Background.BeginAnimation(SolidColorBrush.ColorProperty, ca);
}

Answer 2

Here is one way:

<Window x:Class="WpfApplication1.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">

    <Grid x:Name="BackgroundGrid" Background="Red">

        <Button HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top">
            Transition
            <Button.Triggers>
                <EventTrigger RoutedEvent="Button.Click">
                    <BeginStoryboard>
                        <Storyboard>
                            <ColorAnimation  Storyboard.TargetName="BackgroundGrid" From="Red" To="Blue" Duration="0:0:4" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Background" />
                        </Storyboard>
                    </BeginStoryboard>
                </EventTrigger>
            </Button.Triggers>
        </Button>
    </Grid>
</Window>

Answer 3

You can use an animation (read this), specifically a ColorAnimation (see examples) or ColorAnimationUsingKeyframes.

Answer 4

Just to complete LPL and H.B. answer..... In my case I needed to revert a control back to the same color it was before the animation.

Here is my code

ColorAnimation animation = new ColorAnimation()
{
    From = Colors.Orange,
    To = ((SolidColorBrush)myControl.Background).Color,//Revert to initial control Color
    Duration = new Duration(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2))
};

myControl.Background = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Orange);//Do not use a frozen instance
myControl.Background.BeginAnimation(SolidColorBrush.ColorProperty, animation);