How to limit orientation in metro apps?

Question

In my app, all of the stuff is only in Landscape mode. I don't want the app to be functional in Portrait mode. How do I limit the orientation?

Thanks.

Armistead

By not doing subscribing for the orientation changed event (not doing anything when the orientation changes). – Shebat

In your appmanifest file, you can limit the supported orientations. – Jewel

Thanks for the reply, I have tried using limiting stuff in Appmanifest. But when I rotate my screen and see them, they become a bit weird in Portrait mode. – Armistead

This link has some great stuff on managing orientation (though not limiting it): markermetro.com/2011/11/technical/… – Claar

Answer 1

As explained in this link the orientation limitation preference setting of the app is only enforced on a Windows 8 system with a supported HARDWARE ACCELEROMETER. This means that unless Windows knows how the system is orientated through the means of a supported sensor, it will not attempt to switch to the app's preferred orientation.

So it will all depend on the user's hardware.

Claar

Answer 2

I had this problem as well as I wanted to constrain my game to only landscape mode. I put this in my OnLaunched handler for App.xaml:

        Windows.Graphics.Display.DisplayProperties.AutoRotationPreferences =
            Windows.Graphics.Display.DisplayOrientations.Landscape;

However I noted that in the simulator it seemed to ignore this whereas on the hardware tablet I tested on it seemed to behave appropriately. The AutoRotationPreferences are bit flags so you can or together all the orientations you want to allow.

Selway

simulator tip off saved me time – Monafo

Answer 3

For people looking to answer this question who aren't writing a Metro app (where you can set preferred orientations in the manifest or have access to Windows.Graphics.Display.DisplayProperties.AutoRotationPreferences)...

There is no real way to NOT let the Orientation change, however if you are interested in only allowing Landscape you could do something like this:

View Model:

Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents.DisplaySettingsChanged += new           
    EventHandler(SystemEvents_DisplaySettingsChanged);
}

public bool IsLandscape { get; set; }

void SystemEvents_DisplaySettingsChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  if (SystemParameters.PrimaryScreenWidth > SystemParameters.PrimaryScreenHeight)
  {
      IsLandscape = true;
  }
  else
  {
      IsLandscape = false;
  }

  RaisePropertyChanged( "IsLandscape" );
}

In you Main Window.xaml:

<Border >
    <Border.Style>
        <Style TargetType="{x:Type Border}">
            <Style.Triggers>
                <DataTrigger Binding="{Binding IsLandscape}" Value="False">
                    <Setter Property="LayoutTransform">
                        <Setter.Value>
                            <RotateTransform Angle="90"/>
                        </Setter.Value>
                    </Setter>
                </DataTrigger>
            </Style.Triggers>
         </Style>
    </Border.Style>

///The rest of your controls and UI

</Border>

So we really aren't limiting the Orientation, we are just noticing when it happens, and re rotating our UI so it still looks like it is in Portrait mode :) Again this is mostly for non Metro Win 8 applications and or applications that also run on Win 7 tablets.

Koons