Siticone Traffic Light

The SiticoneTrafficLight is a specialized WinForms control designed to simulate a realistic traffic signal. It features smooth color transitions, built-in blinking logic, and a robust state management system. Ideal for status indicators, process monitoring dashboards, and simulation interfaces.

State & Behavior

Control the active signal color and dynamic behaviors like blinking.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`State`	LightState	light.State = LightState.Red; The active color: `Off`, `Red`, `Yellow`, or `Green`. Changing this triggers a smooth color transition animation.
`IsBlinking`	bool	light.IsBlinking = true; When true, the light toggles between its current color and the Off color at the interval defined by BlinkInterval.
`BlinkInterval`	int	light.BlinkInterval = 500; The speed of the blinking effect in milliseconds.

Appearance & Colors

Customize the colors used for each state and the transition speed.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`AnimationDuration`	int	light.AnimationDuration = 300; Time in milliseconds for the color to fade from one state to another.
`RedColor`	Color	light.RedColor = Color.Crimson; Color displayed when State is Red.
`YellowColor`	Color	light.YellowColor = Color.Gold; Color displayed when State is Yellow.
`GreenColor`	Color	light.GreenColor = Color.LimeGreen; Color displayed when State is Green.
`OffColor`	Color	light.OffColor = Color.DarkGray; Color displayed when State is Off or during the 'off' phase of a blink.
`BorderColor`	Color	light.BorderColor = Color.Gray; The color of the ring around the light.

Events & Lifecycle

The control provides a rich event model, allowing you to intercept state changes or synchronize other UI elements with animations.

Event Handling

// 1. State Changing (Cancellable)
// Fires before the state updates. Allows validation logic.
trafficLight.StateChanging += (s, e) => 
{
                // Prevent turning Green if the system is not ready
                if (e.NextState == LightState.Green && !IsSystemReady())
    {
        e.Cancel = true;
                MessageBox.Show("System check failed!");
    }
};

// 2. State Changed
// Fires after the transition animation completes.
trafficLight.StateChanged += (s, e) => 
{
                Console.WriteLine($"Light is now {e.NewState}");
};

// 3. Animation Events
trafficLight.AnimationStart += (s, e) => Console.WriteLine("Fading...");
trafficLight.AnimationEnd += (s, e) => Console.WriteLine("Fade Complete");

// 4. Click Interaction
trafficLight.LightClicked += (s, e) => 
{
                Console.WriteLine($"Clicked while {e.StateOnClick}");
};

Designer Experience

Includes Visual Studio Smart Tags for quick configuration.

Category	Features
`Behavior`	Quickly set State and toggle IsBlinking directly from the design surface.
`Actions`	Preview Animation Cycle: Runs a full Red -> Green -> Yellow -> Off animation loop in the designer. Toggle Blinking: Turns blinking on/off instantly for testing.

Detailed Usage Examples

Example 1: Simple Status Indicator

Using the traffic light to show server connectivity status.

C# - Status Indicator

private void UpdateServerStatus(bool isConnected, bool hasWarnings)
{
                if (!isConnected)
    {
        statusLight.State = LightState.Red;
        statusLight.IsBlinking = true; // Blink red for error
    }
                else if (hasWarnings)
    {
        statusLight.State = LightState.Yellow;
        statusLight.IsBlinking = false; // Solid yellow for warning
    }
                else
    {
        statusLight.State = LightState.Green;
        statusLight.IsBlinking = false; // Solid green for OK
    }
}

Example 2: Traffic Cycle Simulation

Simulates a standard traffic signal cycle using a Timer.

C# - Signal Cycle

private Timer _trafficTimer;

private void StartTrafficCycle()
{
    _trafficTimer = new Timer { Interval = 2000 };
    _trafficTimer.Tick += (s, e) => 
    {
                switch (trafficLight1.State)
        {
                case LightState.Green:
                trafficLight1.State = LightState.Yellow;
                break;
                case LightState.Yellow:
                trafficLight1.State = LightState.Red;
                break;
                case LightState.Red:
                default:
                trafficLight1.State = LightState.Green;
                break;
        }
    };
    _trafficTimer.Start();
}