Introduction
With Expression Blend 3, you can create websites and applications based on Silverlight 3, and desktop applications based on Windows Presentation Foundation 3.5 with Service Pack 1 (SP1).
Expression Blend 3 provides new support for prototyping, interactivity through behaviors, special Silverlight 3 functionality, and on-the-fly sample data generation. Using Expression Blend 3, designers can make applications that are easy and fun to use.
Prototyping
Introducing SketchFlow
With SketchFlow, Expression Blend 3 introduces a new set of features designed to make it easier for you to experiment with dynamic user experiences and to create compelling prototypes.
SketchFlow helps you communicate design ideas to stakeholders, and makes it easier to collect feedback by using annotations. You can import Microsoft Office PowerPoint files into screens in your project. You can also export Microsoft Office Word documents that contain screenshots of all your screens. New categories in the Assets panel organize SketchFlow styles and other assets.
Designers can use SketchFlow to model the navigation and composition of an application in a very visual manner. SketchFlow prototypes can be as simple as a series of sketches, but can evolve to be as real as you need them to be to communicate your design intent. SketchFlow uses the existing features of Expression Blend 3. Other new Expression Blend 3 features, such as Photoshop import, visual states, behaviors, and sample data, can also be used in prototyping projects.
Design
Importing Photoshop and Illustrator files
You can use Expression Blend 3 to import both Adobe Photoshop (.psd) files and Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files directly into your projects, while retaining layers, shapes, text elements, and more for easy editing inside Expression Blend 3 itself.
Note: Adobe live effects, blend modes, and the symbol sprayer are not supported. When you import an Adobe file, Expression Blend 3 will display a message to let you know if any features of the imported file are not supported, and what actions you can take.
Effects
Expression Blend 3 introduces support for WPF and Silverlight graphic effects. Open the Assets panel, click the Effects tab, and drag an effect onto an object. You can modify the properties of the effect in the Properties panel.
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