XAML tutorial for Manufaktura Controls API

Introduction

In this tutorial we will discuss the music notation library Manufaktura Controls (http://kolberg.cloudapp.net/Manufaktura/En).  We will focus on the score object model, data import from MusicXML and visualisation of score with XAML-based technologies (WPF, Silverlight, Silverlight for Windows Phone, Windows Runtime). 

Using the code

Create a new WPF project in Visual Studio. Then add these four libraries as references: Manufaktura.Controls, Manufaktura.Controls.WPF, Manufaktura.Music i Manufaktura.Model. The first library contains the score object model,MusicXml parser and multi-platform score drawing engine.The second library contains a WPF implementation of score rendering engine. Last two are base class libraries. In the next step we will create a test data model. Let us create a class named TestDataViewModel:

public class TestDataViewModel : ViewModel
    {
        private Score data;

        public Score Data
        {
            get { return data;  }
            set { data = value; OnPropertyChanged(() => Data); }
        }

        public void LoadTestData()
        {

        }
    }

Base class ViewModel comes from namespace Manufaktura.Model.MVVM and contains a default implementation of OnPropertyChanged method, which informs the view about changes in model. Data property stores the score model. In LoadTestData method we are going to create a sample model:

public void LoadTestData()
        {
            var score = Score.CreateOneStaffScore(Clef.Treble, new MajorScale(Step.C, false));
            score.FirstStaff.Elements.Add(new Note(Pitch.C5, RhythmicDuration.Quarter));
            score.FirstStaff.Elements.Add(new Note(Pitch.B4, RhythmicDuration.Quarter));
            score.FirstStaff.Elements.Add(new Note(Pitch.C5, RhythmicDuration.Half));
            score.FirstStaff.Elements.Add(new Barline());            
Data = score;
  
      }

Now edit MainWindow.xaml file.In order to add a score viewer control we have to add the following line:

<ManufakturaControls:NoteViewer ScoreSource="{Binding Data}" />

ScoreSource property is bound to viewmodel’s Data property. We also have to register the proper namespace . Add the following attribute to Window tag:

xmlns:ManufakturaControls="clr-namespace:Manufaktura.Controls.WPF;assembly=Manufaktura.Controls.WPF"

The resulting file might look like that:

<Window x:Class="Manufaktura.WPFControlsExample.MainWindow"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        xmlns:ManufakturaControls="clr-namespace:Manufaktura.Controls.WPF;assembly=Manufaktura.Controls.WPF"
        Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
    <Grid>
        <StackPanel>
            <ManufakturaControls:NoteViewer x:Name="noteViewer1" HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" Margin="10,10,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" ScoreSource="{Binding Data}"/>
        </StackPanel>
    </Grid>
</Window>

We also have to set the viewmodel as form’s data context. Add this in the constructor of MainWIndow class:

public MainWindow()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
            var viewModel = new TestDataViewModel();
            DataContext = viewModel;
            viewModel.LoadTestData();

        }

Now we can run our application and see the result. We’ve just create our first score. ;) Now we are going to add a few staves to our score. Add this in LoadTestData method:

var secondStaff = new Staff();
            secondStaff.Elements.Add(Clef.Treble);
            secondStaff.Elements.Add(new Key(0));
            secondStaff.Elements.Add(new Note(Pitch.G4, RhythmicDuration.Whole));
            secondStaff.Elements.Add(new Barline());
            score.Staves.Add(secondStaff);

            score.Staves.Add(new Staff());
            score.ThirdStaff.Elements.Add(Clef.Tenor);
            score.ThirdStaff.Elements.Add(new Key(0));
            score.ThirdStaff.Elements.Add(new Note(Pitch.D4, RhythmicDuration.Half));
            score.ThirdStaff.Elements.Add(new Note(Pitch.E4, RhythmicDuration.Half));
            score.ThirdStaff.Elements.Add(new Barline());

            score.Staves.Add(new Staff());
            score.Staves[3].Elements.Add(Clef.Bass);    //0-based index
            score.Staves[3].Elements.Add(new Key(0));
            score.Staves[3].Elements.Add(new Note(Pitch.G3, RhythmicDuration.Half));
            score.Staves[3].Elements.Add(new Note(Pitch.C3, RhythmicDuration.Half));
            score.Staves[3].Elements.Add(new Barline());

Note that there are many different ways of adding symbols to staves. Our next step will be MusicXml import:

var parser = new MusicXmlParser();
            score = parser.Parse(XDocument.Load(@"D:\Dokumenty\Manufaktura programów\Dane do bazy\2014-08-01 DWOK tom 1 numery 1 i 5\DWOK tom 1, s. 3, nr 1 a.xml"));
Data = score;

Let's add another parameter to our control: IsPanoramaMode="False". This parameter causes control to include system breaks. Effect will look like that:

In the next tutorial we will learn how to use Manufaktura Controls in ASP.NET MVC.