How to: Trigger an Animation When a Property Value Changes
This example shows how to use a Trigger to start a Storyboard when a property value changes. You can use a Trigger inside a Style, ControlTemplate, or DataTemplate.
Example
The following example uses a Trigger to animate the Opacity of a Button when its IsMouseOver property becomes true.
<!-- PropertyTriggerExample.xaml
Shows how to use property triggers to start animations. -->
<Page
xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
WindowTitle="Animate Properties with Storyboards">
<Page.Resources>
<Style x:Key="PropertyTriggerExampleButtonStyle" TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
<Setter Property="Opacity" Value="0.25" />
<Style.Triggers>
<Trigger Property="IsMouseOver" Value="True">
<Trigger.EnterActions>
<BeginStoryboard>
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity"
To="1" Duration="0:0:1" />
</Storyboard>
</BeginStoryboard>
</Trigger.EnterActions>
<Trigger.ExitActions>
<BeginStoryboard>
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity"
To="0.25" Duration="0:0:1" />
</Storyboard>
</BeginStoryboard>
</Trigger.ExitActions>
</Trigger>
</Style.Triggers>
</Style>
</Page.Resources>
<StackPanel Margin="20">
<Button Style="{StaticResource PropertyTriggerExampleButtonStyle}">
Move the mouse over me.
</Button>
</StackPanel>
</Page>
Animations applied by property Trigger objects behave in a more complex fashion than EventTrigger animations or animations started using Storyboard methods. They "handoff" with animations defined by other Trigger objects, but compose with EventTrigger and method-triggered animations.