Siticone Animate Container

The SiticoneAnimateContainer component adds fluid, high-performance animations to any Windows Forms container control (Panels, Forms, GroupBoxes, etc.). It supports complex entry and exit transitions, staggered child control animations, and visual effects like blur, slide, and wipe, enabling modern, cinema-like UI experiences.

Core Animation Settings

Fundamental properties defining what gets animated and how the motion looks.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`TargetContainer`	Control	animator.TargetContainer = this.panelMain; The specific container (Panel, Form, UserControl) to apply effects to.
`ContainerAnimationTypeIn`	AnimationType	animator.ContainerAnimationTypeIn = ContainerAnimationType.Slide; The effect used when the container appears (Show).
`ContainerAnimationTypeOut`	AnimationType	animator.ContainerAnimationTypeOut = ContainerAnimationType.Fade; The effect used when the container disappears (Hide).
`AnimationDuration`	int	animator.AnimationDuration = 500; Total time in milliseconds for the animation to complete.
`EasingType`	EasingType	animator.EasingType = AnimationEasingType.EaseOut; Mathematical curve for acceleration (Linear, Bounce, Elastic, etc.).
`SlideDirection`	AnimationDirection	animator.SlideDirection = AnimationDirection.Right; Direction of movement for Slide, Wipe, and Fold animations.

Behavior Configuration

Controls when animations trigger and how they handle state changes.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`AnimateOnShow`	bool	animator.AnimateOnShow = true; Automatically triggers animation when `Visible` becomes true.
`AnimateOnHide`	bool	animator.AnimateOnHide = true; Automatically triggers animation when `Visible` becomes false.
`ReverseExitAnimation`	bool	animator.ReverseExitAnimation = true; If true, the exit animation plays the entry animation backwards (e.g., Slide Right becomes Slide Left).
`HideBeforeAnimation`	bool	animator.HideBeforeAnimation = true; Ensures the container is invisible before the entry animation starts to prevent flickering.

Child Control Animations

Settings to animate individual controls inside the container sequentially or simultaneously.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`AnimateChildControls`	bool	animator.AnimateChildControls = true; Applies animation effects to buttons, labels, and textboxes inside the container.
`AnimateControlsOnly`	bool	animator.AnimateControlsOnly = false; If true, the container background stays static while content moves.
`ChildControlDelay`	int	animator.ChildControlDelay = 50; Delay in ms between each child control starting its animation (Stagger effect).
`ControlAnimationOrder`	ChildOrder	animator.ControlAnimationOrder = ChildControlAnimationOrder.TopToBottom; Sequence logic: LeftToRight, TopToBottom, Random, etc.
`FadeChildControls`	bool	animator.FadeChildControls = true; Applies transparency fading to children alongside movement.

Public Methods

Programmatic control over animations and transitions.

StartAnimation(bool isEntering)

// Manually triggers the animation.
// true = Entry animation (Show), false = Exit animation (Hide).
siticoneAnimateContainer1.StartAnimation(true);

TransitionControls(from, to, type)

// Smoothly transitions between two controls (e.g., Wizard pages).
// Automatically handles hiding 'panel1' and showing 'panel2'.
siticoneAnimateContainer1.TransitionControls(
    panelStep1, 
    panelStep2, 
                ContainerAnimationType.Slide
);

StartPulsing()

// Creates a heartbeat/pulse effect on the container.
// Useful for drawing attention to validation errors or notifications.
siticoneAnimateContainer1.StartPulsing(
    pulseCount: 3, 
    pulseInterval: 800, 
    pulseScale: 1.1f
);

Highlight(Color, Duration)

// Temporarily flashes the container border/background.
siticoneAnimateContainer1.Highlight(Color.Yellow, 1000);

Events

Event	Description
`AnimationStarted`	Fired immediately when an animation sequence begins.
`AnimationCompleted`	Fired when the animation finishes and the control is in its final state.
`AnimationProgress`	Fired repeatedly during animation frames (0.0 to 1.0). Useful for syncing other UI elements.
`TransitionEnd`	Fired when `TransitionControls` completes the swap.

Enumerations

ContainerAnimationType Enum

public enum ContainerAnimationType
{
    None, Fade, Slide, Scale, Rotate, 
    Bounce, Flip, Blur, Wipe, Ripple, Fold
}

Detailed Usage Examples

Example 1: Smooth Form Entrance

Apply a professional fade-in and slide-up effect when a form loads.

C# - Form Load Animation

public LoginForm()
{
                InitializeComponent();
    
                var animator = new SiticoneAnimateContainer(this.components);
    animator.TargetContainer = this; // Target the form itself
    
                // Configure for "Slide Up + Fade" effect
    animator.ContainerAnimationTypeIn = ContainerAnimationType.Slide;
    animator.SlideDirection = AnimationDirection.Up;
    animator.AnimationDuration = 700;
    animator.EasingType = AnimationEasingType.EaseOut;
    
                // Ensure form starts hidden for the effect
    animator.AnimateOnShow = true;
    animator.HideBeforeAnimation = true;
}

Example 2: Animated Side Menu

Slide a navigation drawer in and out based on a hamburger button click.

C# - Drawer Toggle

private void btnMenu_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
                // Configure animation logic
    animatorSideMenu.AnimationDuration = 400;
    animatorSideMenu.SlideDirection = AnimationDirection.Left;
    animatorSideMenu.ContainerAnimationTypeIn = ContainerAnimationType.Slide;
    animatorSideMenu.ContainerAnimationTypeOut = ContainerAnimationType.Slide;

                // Toggle visibility - animation triggers automatically due to AnimateOnShow/Hide
    pnlSideMenu.Visible = !pnlSideMenu.Visible;
}

Example 3: Wizard Page Transition

Seamlessly transition between panels in a multi-step wizard using TransitionControls.

C# - Wizard Navigation

private void btnNext_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
                // Transition from Step 1 to Step 2
                // Uses "Wipe" effect for a modern feel
    wizardAnimator.SlideDirection = AnimationDirection.Left;
    
    wizardAnimator.TransitionControls(
        pnlStep1, 
        pnlStep2, 
                ContainerAnimationType.Wipe
    );
}

private void btnBack_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
                // Go back with reverse direction
    wizardAnimator.SlideDirection = AnimationDirection.Right;
    
    wizardAnimator.TransitionControls(
        pnlStep2, 
        pnlStep1, 
                ContainerAnimationType.Wipe
    );
}

Example 4: Staggered List Entrance

Animate a list of items (e.g., cards or buttons) entering one by one for a cascading effect.

C# - Staggered Controls

private void LoadDashboard()
{
                // Target the container holding the cards
    listAnimator.TargetContainer = flowLayoutPanelCards;
    
                // Set up Child Control Animation
    listAnimator.AnimateControlsOnly = true; // Don't animate the panel background
    listAnimator.AnimateChildControls = true;
    
                // Critical: Set delay for the cascade effect
    listAnimator.ChildControlDelay = 100; // 100ms between each item
    listAnimator.ControlAnimationOrder = ChildControlAnimationOrder.TopToBottom;
    
                // Animation Style
    listAnimator.SlideDirection = AnimationDirection.Up;
    listAnimator.ContainerAnimationTypeIn = ContainerAnimationType.Slide;
    
                // Trigger
    listAnimator.StartAnimation(true);
}

Example 5: Visual Feedback for Errors

Use the StartPulsing method to alert the user to a validation error.

C# - Error Feedback

private void ValidateInput()
{
                if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(txtUsername.Text))
    {
                // Attach animator to the input container temporarily
        errorAnimator.TargetContainer = pnlUsernameContainer;
        
                // Highlight Red
        errorAnimator.Highlight(Color.Red, 500);
        
                // Pulse 3 times to grab attention
        errorAnimator.StartPulsing(
            pulseCount: 3,
            pulseInterval: 200,
            pulseScale: 1.05f
        );
    }
}