UWP: Trigger toggle button click animation in code-behind - xaml

Question

I'm making an audio toy that works like an Akai MPC. I've got toggle buttons to simulate the tap pads. I've also mapped audio triggering to keyboard keys and would like to run the button click animation when a key is pressed to give visual feedback.
Is there a way to do this UWP?
In WPF I could use this:
ToggleButtonAutomationPeer peer =
new ToggleButtonAutomationPeer(Button0);
IInvokeProvider invokeProv =
peer.GetPattern(PatternInterface.Invoke)
as IInvokeProvider;
invokeProv.Invoke();
but now invokeProv is null.

Answer 1

The animation that happens when you click a Button in UWP is actually a VisualState changing the layout. This is part of the Button's default style (see below). ToggleButton has the same states (and some more), but I've pasted the regular Button's style below as a simpler reference.
For demo purposes, I've placed 3 buttons in XAML (one to trigger the event, and 2 to animate).
<Grid Width="130">
<StackPanel>
<Button Click="ButtonBase_OnClick">Animate</Button>
<Button x:Name="RegularButton">Regular</Button>
<ToggleButton x:Name="ToggleButton">Toggle</ToggleButton>
</StackPanel>
</Grid>
You go to another VisualState through the VisualStateManager. Don't forget to reset to the Normal state, or it will look like someone keeps pushing the button.
private async void ButtonBase_OnClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
VisualStateManager.GoToState(RegularButton, "Pressed", true);
VisualStateManager.GoToState(ToggleButton, "Pressed", true);
await Task.Delay(300); // give the eye some time to see the press
VisualStateManager.GoToState(RegularButton, "Normal", true);
VisualStateManager.GoToState(ToggleButton, "Normal", true);
ToggleButton.IsChecked = true;
}
Default Button style:
<Style TargetType="Button">
<Setter Property="Background" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonBackground}" />
<Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonForeground}" />
<Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonBorderBrush}" />
<Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonBorderThemeThickness}" />
<Setter Property="Padding" Value="8,4,8,4" />
<Setter Property="HorizontalAlignment" Value="Left" />
<Setter Property="VerticalAlignment" Value="Center" />
<Setter Property="FontFamily" Value="{ThemeResource ContentControlThemeFontFamily}" />
<Setter Property="FontWeight" Value="Normal" />
<Setter Property="FontSize" Value="{ThemeResource ControlContentThemeFontSize}" />
<Setter Property="UseSystemFocusVisuals" Value="True" />
<Setter Property="FocusVisualMargin" Value="-3" />
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="Button">
<Grid x:Name="RootGrid" Background="{TemplateBinding Background}">
<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
<VisualState x:Name="Normal">
<Storyboard>
<PointerUpThemeAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="RootGrid" />
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="PointerOver">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="RootGrid" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Background">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonBackgroundPointerOver}" />
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="ContentPresenter" Storyboard.TargetProperty="BorderBrush">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonBorderBrushPointerOver}" />
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="ContentPresenter" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Foreground">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonForegroundPointerOver}" />
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<PointerUpThemeAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="RootGrid" />
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="Pressed">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="RootGrid" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Background">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonBackgroundPressed}" />
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="ContentPresenter" Storyboard.TargetProperty="BorderBrush">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonBorderBrushPressed}" />
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="ContentPresenter" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Foreground">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonForegroundPressed}" />
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<PointerDownThemeAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="RootGrid" />
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="Disabled">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="RootGrid" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Background">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonBackgroundDisabled}" />
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="ContentPresenter" Storyboard.TargetProperty="BorderBrush">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonBorderBrushDisabled}" />
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetName="ContentPresenter" Storyboard.TargetProperty="Foreground">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{ThemeResource ButtonForegroundDisabled}" />
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
</VisualStateGroup>
</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<ContentPresenter x:Name="ContentPresenter"
BorderBrush="{TemplateBinding BorderBrush}"
BorderThickness="{TemplateBinding BorderThickness}"
Content="{TemplateBinding Content}"
ContentTransitions="{TemplateBinding ContentTransitions}"
ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding ContentTemplate}"
Padding="{TemplateBinding Padding}"
HorizontalContentAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}"
VerticalContentAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"
AutomationProperties.AccessibilityView="Raw" />
</Grid>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>