Tools and Creative Techniques for Designing User Interfaces by using Microsoft Silverlight 2.0
(Microsoft Training Course: 50147) - 4 days - £2100 exc VAT

This 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.. It is intended for developers and designers who are currently familiar with tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Flash Player, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver.

1. Fundamentals of Microsoft Silverlight
2. Introducing the Workflow for Building Experiences in Microsoft Silverlight
3. Preparing Images by Using Microsoft Expression Design
4. Introducing Microsoft Expression Blend
5. Creating a User Interface by Using Microsoft Expression Blend
6. Designing by Using Controls
7. Publishing Media Content
8. Creating Deep Zoom Experiences
9. Handing Off Your Project to a Developer
10. Performing Basic Development Tasks in Microsoft Silverlight
11. Enhancing the User Experience
12. Creating Advanced Animations
13. Advanced Media
14. Publishing Your Microsoft Silverlight Application

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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. 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.
• Introducing Silverlight
• Introducing XAML

Skills

• Explain the uses and capabilities of Silverlight.
  
• Create and manipulate common Silverlight features by using XAML.
  

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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.
• Building Silverlight Experiences

Skills

• Describe the workflow of the people and tools that are associated with creating Silverlight experiences.
  

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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.
• Introducing Expression Design
• Preparing Images by Using Expression Design
• Lab: Creating Graphic Assets by Using Expression Design.

Skills

• 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.
  

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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.
• Introducing Expression Blend
• Creating an Expression Blend Project
• Organising Objects in Expression Blend
• Lab: Building a Simple Expression Blend Project

Skills

• Describe the core features of Expression Blend.
  
• Build a simple Expression Blend project.
  
• Organise objects inside an Expression Blend project.
  

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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.
• Drawing and Editing
• Animating Objects
• Introducing Visual C#
• Adding Basic Interactivity
• Lab: Expanding PowerPlay
• Lab: Animating Objects
• Lab: Performing Page Transitions

Skills

• Draw and edit images in Expression Blend.
  
• Create Storyboards to animate objects.
  
• Add basic interactivity to an application and perform page transitions.
  

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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.
• Introducing Silverlight Controls
• Customising Controls
• Creating Custom User Controls
• Lab: Creating Custom User Controls

Skills

• Describe the controls that are provided with Silverlight.
  
• Customise 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.
  

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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 customisable Silverlight media player.
• Introducing Expression Encoder
• Customising the Media Player
• Adding Markers to Video
• Lab: Customising a Video Skin
• Lab: Publishing with Video Markers

Skills

• Explain the main features and functionality of Expression Encoder.
  
• Customise a media player.
  
• Add markers to a video to trigger simple events.
  

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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.
• Introducing Deep Zoom
• Using Deep Zoom Composer
• Lab: Customizing a Deep Zoom Project by Using Expression Blend

Skills

• Explain what the Deep Zoom technology is.
  
• Describe how to create and customise Deep Zoom experiences.
  

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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.
• Preparing Your Project for Hand-Off
• Adding Projects and Assets to Source Control

Skills

• Describe how to prepare a project for hand-off.
  
• Explain how to use source control.
  

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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.
• Silverlight Fundamentals
• Manipulating Objects in Code at Run Time
• Lab: Modifying XAML Objects by Using C#

Skills

• Add simple code to a Silverlight project.
  
• Access and modify objects in Silverlight applications at run time.
  

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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.
• Adding Keyboard Interactivity
• Working with Text Properties
• Adding Ink Support
• Lab: Writing Ink Messages

Skills

• Add keyboard interactivity to a Silverlight application.
  
• Work with text properties in a Silverlight application.
  
• Add ink support to a Silverlight application.
  

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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.
• Creating KeySpline Animations
• Creating Code-Based Animations
• Lab: Creating a Snowy Background

Skills

• Develop KeySpline animations.
  
• Develop code-based animations.
  

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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.
• Painting with a VideoBrush
• Handling MediaElement Events
• Lab: Creating an Advanced Media Player

Skills

• Create advanced video effects by using the VideoBrush.
  
• Create an advanced media player.
  

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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.
• Publication Process
• Working with the Silverlight Control
• Optimising Run-Time Performance by Using the WebClient Object
• Lab: Adding Full-Screen Functionality to a Media Player

Skills

• Publish Silverlight content by using Microsoft Silverlight Streaming by Windows Live.
  
• Program the Silverlight control.
  
• Optimise run-time performance by using the WebClient object.
  

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Before attending this course, students must have the following pre-requisites:

• Familiarity with tools such as Photoshop, Flash Player, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver.

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.