Strange behavior on ShowDialog in WPF

Question

I create separate Window, design it with XAML and when I invoke ShowDialog from main form it seems like my dialog (Window) blinks once and then shows itself. Is it a common behavior? I didn't notice that in while working with Windows Forms. I also ran application on another computer, and get the same thing. It bothers me, cause I was developing a simple game, and it's not the effect I would like users to experience.

Answer 1

No. Blinking on ShowDialog is not a common behaviour. Could you first try with an empty Window:

new Window().ShowDialog();

in order to see if the problem persists?

Aside from the main topic, WPF/XAML might be not the proper technology for a complicated game due to performance reasons (although for a simple one must be OK).

Answer 2

It is not a complicated dialog, considering the design. It contains just label and button. Here is one sample:

<Window x:Class="A_Boggle.Info"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
Title="Info" Height="300" Width="670" AllowsTransparency="True" WindowStyle="None" Background="Transparent" BorderBrush="Transparent" Foreground="Transparent" ShowInTaskbar="False" ResizeMode="NoResize" WindowStartupLocation="CenterScreen" Closing="Window_Closing">
<Grid>
    <Border Background="Transparent" Visibility="{Binding Visibility}">
        <Border BorderBrush="#FF7C4400" BorderThickness="4"
            CornerRadius="10,0,10,0" VerticalAlignment="Center"    HorizontalAlignment="Center" Height="177.5" Width="596.25">
            <Border.Background>
                <RadialGradientBrush Center="0.5,0.5" GradientOrigin="0.5,0.5" RadiusX="0.479" RadiusY="0.524">
                    <GradientStop Color="#FFF58611" Offset="0"/>
                    <GradientStop Color="#FFF58611" Offset="0.11798000335693359"/>
                    <GradientStop Color="#FFE9B231" Offset="1"/>
                </RadialGradientBrush>
            </Border.Background>
            <Border.BitmapEffect>
                <DropShadowBitmapEffect Color="Black" Opacity="0.5" Direction="270" ShadowDepth="0.7" />
            </Border.BitmapEffect>
            <Grid>
                <Separator Height="20" Name="separator1" Margin="8.75,0,6.25,45" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" />
                <Button Style="{DynamicResource OrangeButton}" Margin="406.25,0,6.25,6" Height="37.75" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" FontSize="16" Name="dialogButton" Click="dialogButton_Click"></Button>
                <Label FontFamily="Resources/#French Grotesque" FontSize="20" Foreground="#FF7C4400" Margin="8.75,20,6.25,71.25" Name="messageLabel"></Label>
            </Grid>
        </Border>
    </Border>
</Grid>