1 Silverlight Learning Camp Posted by Steve Wong | at 5:13 PM

Starting from tomorrow, I will start posting a series of Silverlight tutorial

Visiting my blog seems going to a camp where provides a serier of silverlight class =)

I hope more and more developers will join this family and program with silverlight

You will then find it much better than Flash or even Flex

0 Tried Microsoft Tag Posted by Steve Wong | at 2:28 AM

Wow! Really a great experience!

I have, recently, tried the latest Microsoft Technology - Microsoft Tag.

So, here comes to the question - what is Tag?

Tag is an interactive 2D barcode.
As soon as you snap it with your phone, which has TagReader installed, you can instantly, easily get the information behind the barcode.

Let's try this one.

1. You need a mobile phone with either Windows Mobile, iPhone, J2ME, Blackberry, or Symbian S60.
2. Make sure your mobile phone has internet connection and photo taking function.
3. Visit http://gettag.mobi/ and download the application - TagReader.
4. 

Also, compare Microsoft Tag, QRCode and Datamatrix , actually, Tag doesnt contain any information but only the ID. After the Tag is read by the TagReader, the ID will be sent to the Microsoft Server and link to the final information. So, Tag has a great advantage is that it is smaller in real size than other 2D barcodes.

And I have tried to snap it using my phone. Even my phone have not get the focus, TagReader correctly reads the Tag and go to my blog! WoW!

Congrad~ really an impressive technology!

0 Move from wordpress Posted by Steve Wong | at 4:03 AM

Reason for moving from wordpress to here blogger is so simple

WORDPRESS blocks iFrame for showing silverlight

0 VS2010 beta + Silverlight 3 Posted by Steve Wong | at 3:25 AM

I have installed VS 2010 beta and Silverlight 3 SDK also Silverlight 2 SDK but the problem is I can't debug my application.

It keeps showing "Unable to Start Debugging. The Silverlight managed debugging package isn't installed".

Finally the problem can be solved by installing Developer Runtime

for Silverlight 2 download here

for Silverlight 3 download here

Enjoy building application now ;-)

0 Microsoft Tag Posted by Steve Wong | at 11:34 AM

Microsoft Tag API announcement

Microsoft Tag is a mobile application that enables users to link almost anything in the real world to more information or to an interactive experience on the mobile device. Microsoft Tag client software installed on the mobile device allows the owner to use the device’s camera to scan or take a picture of ("snap") a Tag barcode, then accesses the information associated with the Tag on the mobile device. Businesses can use Microsoft Tag to interact with their customers like never before, using physical media such as print catalogs or POS displays as the launching point. Tag owners create and manage Tags at the Microsoft Tag Web site, http://tag.microsoft.com/ManageAds.aspx.

The Microsoft Tag API allows anyone to create Tag from the web, the desktop, mobile devices.

 

It just like the barcode used it japan, same idea but different inplementation. That's the innovation =)

So, let's get started now 

1. Sign-up if you are a new Tag user


2. Apply for an API key.


3. Getting Started with Tag Web Services


4. View the documentation


5. Provide feedback or questions

 

Reference:http://blogs.msdn.com/tag/archive/2009/07/23/microsoft-tag-api-announcement.aspx

1 3D in Silverlight 3 (beta) Posted by Steve Wong | at 10:15 PM

As I know, many are waiting for the release of Silverlight 3 Beta. I just heard it from someone, I dont exactly remember who he/she is. Then I go and download the Tools and try things out.

Of course, we should know the definition of XYZ plane before we do our code.

It is the common one as in Silverlight 3. Vertical is the y-axis. Horizontal is the x-axis. And into and out of computer screen is defined as Z-axis.

Here comes to the next part.

Before doing 3D graphics in Silverlight 3, you should know what is ,in fact, handling the work. It is the PlaneProjection Class.
It is put inside the Windows.Media Namespace. Inside the class, there are twelve members.

• GlobalOffsetX


• GlobalOffsetY


• GlobalOffsetZ


• LocalOffsetX


• LocalOffsetY


• LocalOffsetZ


• RotationX


• RotationY


• RotationZ


• CenterOfRotationX


• CenterOfRotationY


• CenterOfRotationZ

Now, I will introduce them briefly.

How to add them in UIElement?

As I said before, it is put under the PlaneProject. For every element in XAML, you should put like this.

        <Image Source="Waterfall.jpg" Width="200" Height="150">
            <Image.Projection>
                <PlaneProjection RotationX="-50"/>
            </Image.Projection>
        </Image>

It is easiest one. Becareful for the positive and negative side to the Rotation.

    <UserControl.Resources>
        <Storyboard x:Name="myRotation">
            <DoubleAnimation Duration="0:0:5" From="0" To="360" Storyboard.TargetName="myPic" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(UIElement.Projection).(PlaneProjection.RotationY)" AutoReverse="True"/>
        </Storyboard>
    </UserControl.Resources>

Here, you should have the image at all.

        <Image x:Name="myPic" Source="Waterfall.jpg" Width="200" Height="150" Margin="80,0,120,150">
            <Image.Projection>
                <PlaneProjection GlobalOffsetZ="-2000" RotationY="0" CenterOfRotationY="0.1"/>
            </Image.Projection>
        </Image>

This is an example for revolve about Y-axis. Try to press F5 now!! Of course, you should add the myRotation.Begin() in Loaded Event so as to start the animation.

Oh, and please feel free to visit here and get a brief concept about different properties and Silverlight 3 beta.

http://samples.msdn.microsoft.com/Silverlight/SampleBrowser/index.htm

More will be released here. Keeping visting my blog =)

SteveWong (Hong Kong)

4 We can live without Motion Path Posted by Steve Wong | at 11:19 PM

For Silverlight, many agree it is not perfect enough coz it doesnt include many features that inside WPF. Well, as we all know, Silverlight is an engine for us to create a web-based program/application. In my opinion, being a web-based application, it should be lite but not simple of course. As I remember, last week, someone ask how to create a motion path in Silverlight in order to make a picture flying around an ellipse (circular motion). Yesterday, another post has been created where people keep on discussing the problem of silverlight without motion path.

I think all we can do is to relate Math and Programming together.
Fortunately, my PureMath teacher has taught about a set of parametric equations which declare a path of circle. Then I try to implement it on Silverlight. Finally, it works, and I my extremely happy with that. Here is the solution.

XAML

[sourcecode language='xml']




[/sourcecode]

...

[sourcecode language='xml']














[/sourcecode]

C#:

[sourcecode language='csharp'] int t = 0;
double AniX;
double AniY;

void Page_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
Ellipse_ani_X.From = Ellipse_ani_Y.From = 0;
Ellipse_ani_Y.To = Ellipse_ani_X.To = AniX = AniY = 0;
t++;
myStory_Ellipse.Begin();
}

private void Ellipse_ani_X_Completed(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
myStory_Ellipse.Stop();
Ellipse_ani_X.From = AniX;
Ellipse_ani_X.To= AniX = Math.Cos(t * Math.PI / 50 ) * 100;
Ellipse_ani_Y.From = AniY;
Ellipse_ani_Y.To = AniY = Math.Sin(t * Math.PI / 50 ) * 100;
t++;
myStory_Ellipse.Begin();

}

private void Ellipse_ani_Y_Completed(object sender, EventArgs e)
{

}[/sourcecode]

I am trying to work out the motion path solution. I hope it will help all of you.

Regards,
Steve Wong(Hong Kong)
Live with Light!