Multiple animations in a Storyboard at the same time?

Question

I created a few ColorAnimations and want them to run at the same time (whether they run syncronized doesn't matter). Sadly only one of them runs.

       storyboard = new Storyboard();

        //Animation Auditorium
        ColorAnimation SpotLightAnimation = new ColorAnimation();
        SpotLightAnimation.To = Color.FromArgb(1, Convert.ToByte(random.Next(0, 255)), Convert.ToByte(random.Next(0, 255)), Convert.ToByte(random.Next(0, 255)));
        SpotLightAnimation.Duration = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(3);
        SpotLightAnimation.Completed += new EventHandler(storyboard_Completed);

        this.RegisterName("MySpotlight", karte.SpotLightAuditorium);
        Storyboard.SetTargetName(SpotLightAnimation, "MySpotlight");
        Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(SpotLightAnimation, new PropertyPath(SpotLight.ColorProperty));

        storyboard.Children.Add(SpotLightAnimation);


        //Animation Wohnzimmer
        ColorAnimation SpotLightWohnzimmerAnimation = new ColorAnimation();
        SpotLightWohnzimmerAnimation.To = Color.FromArgb(1, Convert.ToByte(random.Next(0, 255)), Convert.ToByte(random.Next(0, 255)), Convert.ToByte(random.Next(0, 255)));
        SpotLightWohnzimmerAnimation.Duration = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(3);
        SpotLightAnimation.Completed += new EventHandler(storyboard_Completed);

        this.RegisterName("MySpotLightWonzimmer", karte.SpotLightWohnzimmer);
        Storyboard.SetTargetName(SpotLightWohnzimmerAnimation, "MySpotLightWonzimmer");
        Storyboard.SetTargetProperty(SpotLightWohnzimmerAnimation, new PropertyPath(SpotLight.ColorProperty));

        storyboard.Children.Add(SpotLightWohnzimmerAnimation);

        storyboard.Begin(this);


    }

    void storyboard_Completed(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        (storyboard.Children[0] as ColorAnimation).To = Color.FromArgb(1, Convert.ToByte(random.Next(0, 255)), Convert.ToByte(random.Next(0, 255)), Convert.ToByte(random.Next(0, 255)));
        storyboard.Begin(this);
    }

Answer 1

Could you provide some more info? Also, is there a reason as to why you are declaring this storyboard from within C#? Usually when I go abouts animating multiple color properties, I do something similar to the following:

           <Storyboard x:Name="MyCoolStoryboard">

          <ColorAnimation 
            Storyboard.TargetName="ThingIwantToAnimate"
            Storyboard.TargetProperty="Color"
            From="Blue" To="Red" Duration="0:0:1" />
          <ColorAnimation 
            Storyboard.TargetName="ThingIwantToAnimate2"
            Storyboard.TargetProperty="Color"
            From="Blue" To="Red" Duration="0:0:1" /> 
          <ColorAnimation 
            Storyboard.TargetName="ThingIwantToAnimate3"
            Storyboard.TargetProperty="Color"
            From="Blue" To="Red" Duration="0:0:1" /> 
          <ColorAnimation 
            Storyboard.TargetName="ThingIwantToAnimate4"
            Storyboard.TargetProperty="Color"
            From="Blue" To="Red" Duration="0:0:1" /> 
        </Storyboard>

And because you included the x:Name in the storyborad, you can always choose to start it from C# code by going:

Storyboard sb = this.FindResource("MyCoolStoryboard") as Storyboard; sb.Begin();

Answer 2

New answer :

I think that previously launched animation may be interfering and you may try this :

1. Reuses the same storyboard each time but stop previously launched animation and clear its children,

2. Launch the animation with the below snippet :

   this.BeginStoryboard(stboard, HandoffBehavior.SnapshotAndReplace, true);

Otherwise, does each animation work separetly ?

Also I notice that you subscribe to each animation completed instead of subscribing only to the storyboard : why ?

---

Old Answer :

Hello,

Can you provide the whole code ? Also : SpotLightWohnzimmerAnimation is a class'name or an instance ?

I usually follow this to launch animation from code : http://blog.lexique-du-net.com/index.php?post/2009/07/07/CREATE%2C-LAUNCH-and-CONTROL-a-WPF-animation-FROM-CODE

@Brandon: I think he is animating something not declared in its XAML like a spotlight... And creating animation allow you more flexibility by customizing all the parameters at runtime and not design time...1.