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How to: Animate a 3D Rotation Using Storyboards

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The following example shows how to make a 3D object rotate while it "wobbles" by animating the Angle and Axis properties of an AxisAngleRotation3D object. This AxisAngleRotation3D object specifies the rotation transform of the 3D object and so animating its properties creates the desire rotation effect. Within the Storyboard, DoubleAnimation is used to animate the Angle property while Vector3DAnimation is used to animate the Axis property.

Example

<Page xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" >
  <DockPanel>
    <Viewbox>
      <Canvas Width="321" Height="201">

        <!-- The Viewport3D provides a rendering surface for 3-D visual content. -->
        <Viewport3D Name="MyAnimatedObject"
          ClipToBounds="True" Width="150" Height="150"
          Canvas.Left="0" Canvas.Top="10">

          <!-- Defines the camera used to view the 3D object. -->
          <Viewport3D.Camera>
            <PerspectiveCamera x:Name="myPerspectiveCamera" Position="0,0,2" LookDirection="0,0,-1" 
             FieldOfView="60" />
          </Viewport3D.Camera>

          <!-- The ModelVisual3D children contain the 3D models -->
          <Viewport3D.Children>

            <!-- Two ModelVisual3D define the lights cast in the scene. Without light, the
                 3D object cannot be seen. Also, the direction of the lights affect shadowing. -->
            <ModelVisual3D>
              <ModelVisual3D.Content>
                <DirectionalLight Color="#FFFFFF" Direction="-0.612372,-0.5,-0.612372" />
              </ModelVisual3D.Content>
            </ModelVisual3D>
            <ModelVisual3D>
              <ModelVisual3D.Content>
                <DirectionalLight Color="#FFFFFF" Direction="0.612372,-0.5,-0.612372" />
              </ModelVisual3D.Content>
            </ModelVisual3D>
            <ModelVisual3D>
              <ModelVisual3D.Content>
                <GeometryModel3D>

                  <!-- The geometry specifes the shape of the 3D plane. In this case, a flat sheet is created. -->
                  <GeometryModel3D.Geometry>
                    <MeshGeometry3D
                     TriangleIndices="0,1,2 3,4,5 "
                     Normals="0,0,1 0,0,1 0,0,1 0,0,1 0,0,1 0,0,1 "
                     TextureCoordinates="0,0 1,0 1,1 1,1 0,1 0,0 "
                     Positions="-0.5,-0.5,0.5 0.5,-0.5,0.5 0.5,0.5,0.5 0.5,0.5,0.5 -0.5,0.5,0.5 -0.5,-0.5,0.5 " />
                  </GeometryModel3D.Geometry>

                  <!-- The material specifies the material applied to the plane. In this case it is a linear gradient.-->
                  <GeometryModel3D.Material>
                    <MaterialGroup>
                      <DiffuseMaterial>
                        <DiffuseMaterial.Brush>
                          <LinearGradientBrush StartPoint="0,0.5" EndPoint="1,0.5">
                            <LinearGradientBrush.GradientStops>
                              <GradientStop Color="Yellow" Offset="0" />
                              <GradientStop Color="Red" Offset="0.25" />
                              <GradientStop Color="Blue" Offset="0.75" />
                              <GradientStop Color="LimeGreen" Offset="1" />
                            </LinearGradientBrush.GradientStops>
                          </LinearGradientBrush>
                        </DiffuseMaterial.Brush>
                      </DiffuseMaterial>
                    </MaterialGroup>
                  </GeometryModel3D.Material>

                  <!-- The Transform specifies how to transform the 3D object. The properties of the
                        Rotation object are animated causing the 3D object to rotate and "wobble" (see Storyboard below).-->
                  <GeometryModel3D.Transform>
                    <RotateTransform3D>
                      <RotateTransform3D.Rotation>
                        <AxisAngleRotation3D x:Name="myAngleRotation" Axis="0,3,0" Angle="40" />
                      </RotateTransform3D.Rotation>
                    </RotateTransform3D>
                  </GeometryModel3D.Transform>
                </GeometryModel3D>
              </ModelVisual3D.Content>
            </ModelVisual3D>
          </Viewport3D.Children>

          <!-- Trigger the rotation animation when the 3D object loads. -->
          <Viewport3D.Triggers>
            <EventTrigger RoutedEvent="Viewport3D.Loaded">
              <BeginStoryboard>
                <Storyboard>

                  <!-- This animation animates the Angle property of the AxisAngleRotation3D
                       making the 3D object rotate from -60 degrees to 60 degrees. -->
                  <DoubleAnimation 
                   Storyboard.TargetName="myAngleRotation" 
                   Storyboard.TargetProperty="Angle" 
                   From="-60" To="60" Duration="0:0:4" AutoReverse="True"  RepeatBehavior="Forever"/>

                  <!-- This animation animates the Axis property of the AxisAngleRotation3D
                       making the 3D wobble as it rotates. -->
                  <Vector3DAnimation 
                   Storyboard.TargetName="myAngleRotation" 
                   Storyboard.TargetProperty="Axis" 
                   From="0,3,0" To="1,0,1" Duration="0:0:4" AutoReverse="True"  RepeatBehavior="Forever"/>

                </Storyboard>
              </BeginStoryboard>
            </EventTrigger>
          </Viewport3D.Triggers>
        </Viewport3D>
      </Canvas>

    </Viewbox>
  </DockPanel>
</Page>

See also