The team blog of the Expression Blend and Design products.
In his blog post [1], Tim Sneath answers the following questions about considering when and where to use the most appropriate presentation layer technology:
[1] http://blogs.msdn.com/tims/archive/2006/02/23/538189.aspx
After overcoming some obstacles with our publishing tools these past few days, we finally are able to share with you the June 2006 CTPs for both Expression Graphic Designer and Expression Interactive Designer. Our latest CTPs target the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 June 2006 CTP (formerly known as WinFX). For more information about the name change of WinFX to .NET Framework 3.0, please read this.
.NET Framework 3.0 June 2006 CTP can be installed on any of the following systems:
Those who are using Windows Vista Beta 2—the current public pre-release version of Windows Vista—are strongly encouraged to use our May CTPs to avoid compatibility issues. If you are only installing Expression Graphic Designer on Windows Vista Beta 2 and do not plan to use the XAML Export feature, then you will not encounter any compatibility issues.
Install on Windows Vista Beta 2
Install on Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista June 2006 CTP (build 5456 - limited release)
For more late-breaking changes and information in Expression Interactive Designer, please see the Readme.
Found a bug? Report it to us.
Have something to say about the CTPs? Join a discussion group.
The July CTPs of Expression Graphic Designer and Expression Interactive Designer are now available. Both of these CTPs target the July CTP of .NET Framework 3.0 (formerly known as WinFX).
Download Expression Graphic Designer July 2006 CTPDownload Expression Interactive Designer July 2006 CTP
For more late-breaking changes in Expression Interactive Designer, please see the Readme.
Missed the action at MIX06? Check out Virtual MIX to catch up on the keynote speeches, video recaps, streamed sessions (forthcoming), and more from this year's conference.
http://blog.mix06.com/virtualmix
Test Lead Jen Rowe shows you how you can theme your applications using Resource Dictionaries in Expression Interactive Designer. The application can switch the theme at run time by loading and unloading respective resource dictionaries. This allows you to give your apps custom looks or to simply enable users to select their own themes while using your apps.
ZAM 3D ™ from Electric Rain is a new 3D XAML Tool for Microsoft Windows Vista application development, and the March CTP is available for download [1].
ZAM 3D fits into the designer-side workflow by complementing Microsoft Expression Interactive Designer. The idea is that a designer uses ZAM 3D to easily create 3D interface elements, models, controls, styles or layouts. Then the designer exports the 3D assets to XAML markup with a single click without any need to write, or even understand, the complex markup that goes into building a WPF 3D scene. Now the 3D assets are easily added to an Expression Interactive Designer project using the Project > Add Item... command.
[1] http://erain.com/Products/ZAM3D/DefaultPDC.asp
Based on your feedback, we have published a new build of Expression Blend 2 August Preview that addresses two issues:
a) Expression Blend 2 August Preview will not require a license key to work. The software is designed to stop working on January 1st, 2008, no matter when you install it. If you had issues with the trial licenses expiring, you should un-install the previous August Preview build and install our refreshed bits.
b) You can create Silverlight 1.1 projects inside Expression Blend 2 August Preview again. This functionality was broken with the update to the Silverlight 1.1 Alpha Refresh bits.
You should un-install the previous August Preview build, before installing the refreshed bits. Instructions for downloading and installing the refreshed Expression Blend 2 August Preview build can be found here.
Thanks,The Expression Blend team
That’s right, we're very pleased to announce that version 1 of our team's suite of end-to-end tools for creative designers is done! The process is now underway to manufacture and distribute the product. For more details on the suite and how you will be able to purchase it, see the Expression Web Site [1].
The Expression Studio suite consists of four products – Expression Web, Expression Blend, Expression Design and Expression Media.
There’s yet more exciting news today regarding Silverlight [2], Microsoft’s cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. Silverlight was announced recently at the at the 2007 National Association of Broadcasters conference (NAB2007). Today, at the MIX07 [3] conference, Ray Ozzie and Scott Guthrie placed Silverlight in its longer-term context as part of the .NET platform and tools story. And Blend fits into the Silverlight tools story, too – today we have made available the Expression Blend 2 May Preview [4] which allows you to create Silverlight-based applications (either JavaScript or .NET).
[1] http://www.microsoft.com/expression
[2] http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/
[3] http://visitmix.com/
[4] http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/download.aspx?key=blend2maypreview