WPF - Confusing DataTrigger/DoubleAnimation behaviour

Question

I'm trying to animate the ScaleY property of a LayoutTransform based on a DataTrigger bound to a boolean on my ViewModel class. The animation happens when the value is first seen to be false by the DataTrigger (when the application first starts) and when i first change it to true in a checkbox's checked event but not when i set it to false in the same checkbox's unchecked event.

A simplified version of what i'm doing is listed below.

The ViewModel class is very simple, containing a single boolean DependencyProperty called Selected.

    public class VM : DependencyObject
{
    public bool Selected
    {
        get { return (bool)GetValue(SelectedProperty); }
        set { SetValue(SelectedProperty, value); }
    }

    // Using a DependencyProperty as the backing store for Selected.  This enables animation, styling, binding, etc...
    public static readonly DependencyProperty SelectedProperty =
        DependencyProperty.Register("Selected", typeof(bool), typeof(VM), new UIPropertyMetadata(false));
}

The Window.xaml contains a button and a checkbox. When the checkbox is checked, i set the ViewModel's 'Selected' property to true and false when it is unchecked. Here's the code for both the xaml and it's code-behind.

<Window x:Class="DataTriggers.Window1"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:y="clr-namespace:DataTriggers"
Title="Window1" Height="300" Width="300">
<Window.Resources>
    <y:VM x:Key="VM"/>

    <Style TargetType="Button" x:Key="but">
        <Style.Triggers>
            <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding Selected}" Value="False">
                <DataTrigger.EnterActions>
                    <BeginStoryboard>
                        <Storyboard>
                            <DoubleAnimation Duration="0:0:1"
                                             To="0"
                                             Storyboard.TargetProperty="(LayoutTransform).(ScaleTransform.ScaleY)"/>
                        </Storyboard>
                    </BeginStoryboard>
                </DataTrigger.EnterActions>
            </DataTrigger>
            <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding Selected}" Value="True">
                <DataTrigger.EnterActions>
                    <BeginStoryboard>
                        <Storyboard>
                            <DoubleAnimation Duration="0:0:1"
                                             To="1"
                                             Storyboard.TargetProperty="(LayoutTransform).(ScaleTransform.ScaleY)"/>
                        </Storyboard>
                    </BeginStoryboard>
                </DataTrigger.EnterActions>
            </DataTrigger>
        </Style.Triggers>
    </Style>
</Window.Resources>
<StackPanel>

            <Button Style="{StaticResource but}" DataContext="{StaticResource VM}">
        <Button.LayoutTransform>
            <ScaleTransform></ScaleTransform>
        </Button.LayoutTransform>
            me
            </Button>
    <CheckBox Checked="CheckBox_Checked" Unchecked="CheckBox_Unchecked"/>
</StackPanel>

    public partial class Window1 : Window
{
    public Window1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void CheckBox_Checked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {

        VM vm = this.FindResource("VM") as VM;
        vm.Selected = true;
    }

    private void CheckBox_Unchecked(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        VM vm = this.FindResource("VM") as VM;
        vm.Selected = false;
    }
}

I know that the DataTrigger fires when the property is false because if i change the DoubleAnimation to a simple Setter operating on the Opacity property then i see the correct results. So it would seem to be a problem with how I'm using the DoubleAnimation.

Any help would be appriciated.

Answer 1

This is ODD behavior but i decided to refactor the 'False' case into the DataTrigger's ExitActions like this -

<DataTrigger Binding="{Binding Selected}" Value="True">
                <DataTrigger.EnterActions>
                    <BeginStoryboard>
                        <Storyboard>
                            <DoubleAnimation Duration="0:0:1"
                                             To="1"
                                             Storyboard.TargetProperty="(RenderTransform).(ScaleTransform.ScaleY)"/>
                        </Storyboard>
                    </BeginStoryboard>
                </DataTrigger.EnterActions>
                <DataTrigger.ExitActions>
                    <BeginStoryboard>
                        <Storyboard>
                            <DoubleAnimation Duration="0:0:1"
                                             To="0"
                                             Storyboard.TargetProperty="(RenderTransform).(ScaleTransform.ScaleY)"/>
                        </Storyboard>
                    </BeginStoryboard>
                </DataTrigger.ExitActions>
            </DataTrigger>

That works as intended. I don't know what the difference is between the two cases but at least it's an answer.