How to combine Storyboards in XAML? - xaml

Question

I'm looking for some way to combine storyboards into other storyboards in XAML.
In the following example, Thing1 and Thing2 are two TextBlocks that slide onto a Canvas from the top and bottom, respectively. I intend that only one, the other, or neither is visible at any time, so I set up three states in the VisualStateManager, inside a single VisualStateGroup, with Transitions among the various states.
I'd like to be able to write the Storyboards for Thing1ToThing2 and Thing2ToThing1 in the context of the other, simpler Storyboards. For instance, is there any way to have the storyboard Thing1ToThing2 call/invoke/reference/be composed of Thing1Out and Thing2In? The code can be duplicated, of course, but can we do any better than that? Or, is there a way to have the VisualTransitions do more?
I'd prefer to keep this in XAML, if possible, and in a way that scales for larger numbers of things.
Thanks!
-David
<UserControl x:Class="WpfApplication1.UserControl1"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
Width="500" Height="500" Background="PaleTurquoise" >
<UserControl.Resources>
<Storyboard x:Key="Thing1In">
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="Thing1" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Canvas.Top)" Duration="0:0:2" To="100" />
</Storyboard>
<Storyboard x:Key="Thing1Out">
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="Thing1" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Canvas.Top)" Duration="0:0:2" To="-100" />
</Storyboard>
<Storyboard x:Key="Thing2In">
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="Thing2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Canvas.Bottom)" Duration="0:0:2" To="100" />
</Storyboard>
<Storyboard x:Key="Thing2Out">
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="Thing2" Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Canvas.Bottom)" Duration="0:0:2" To="-100" />
</Storyboard>
<Storyboard x:Key="Thing1ToThing2">
<!--do Thing1Out then (or at the same time as) Thing2In-->
</Storyboard>
<Storyboard x:Key="Thing2ToThing1">
<!--do Thing2Out then (or at the same time as) Thing1In-->
</Storyboard>
</UserControl.Resources>
<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<VisualStateGroup x:Name="ThingStates">
<VisualState x:Name="NothingInState" />
<VisualState x:Name="Thing1InState" Storyboard="{StaticResource Thing1In}" />
<VisualState x:Name="Thing2InState" Storyboard="{StaticResource Thing2In}" />
<VisualStateGroup.Transitions>
<VisualTransition From="Thing1InState" To="Thing2InState" Storyboard="{StaticResource Thing1ToThing2}" />
<VisualTransition From="Thing2InState" To="Thing1InState" Storyboard="{StaticResource Thing2ToThing1}" />
<VisualTransition From="Thing1InState" To="NothingInState" Storyboard="{StaticResource Thing1Out}" />
<VisualTransition From="Thing2InState" To="NothingInState" Storyboard="{StaticResource Thing2Out}" />
</VisualStateGroup.Transitions>
</VisualStateGroup>
</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<Canvas ClipToBounds="True">
<TextBlock x:Name="Thing1" Text="Thing1" FontSize="60" Canvas.Top="-100" Canvas.Left="100" />
<TextBlock x:Name="Thing2" Text="Thing2" FontSize="60" Canvas.Bottom="-100" Canvas.Left="100" />
</Canvas>
</UserControl>