Metro-style Appbar in fullscreen WPF program

Question

I am currently working on a desktop C# WPF application where the goal is to make it look and feel like a "real" Windows Store App.

I want to add an appbar that should be shown when the user swipes up from the bottom. To do this in a normal app you just position your finger outside the screen area, and swipe up. But if I do that in a fullscreen WPF program I don't receive any TouchDown or TouchMove events - probably because the finger is already down when entering the actual screen area. I have tried with the Manipulation framework also, but same result here. Even when I hook directly into the message queue using WndProc or other hooks I get no events at all.

The funny thing is that I can see the "touch cursor" move around the screen, so at least something in the underlying framework is notified.

Does anyone have an idea how to do this?

p.s. It is not an option for me just to use a windows store app instead, because of hardware connectivity issues ;-)

Selfassurance

Your unlikely going to be able to duplicate the behavior of a Windows Store application within a desktop WPF application. What are hardware connectvity issues exactly? – Microlith

I assume he's referring to the installation issue created by having to get window store apps from some sort of centralized app store. Eventually business will be able to sideload with Win 8 Enterprise, but I don't think that feature is available yet. – Badoglio

@RitchMelton That was true to awhile. I think you can now. howtogeek.com/129535/how-to-sideload-modern-apps-on-windows-8 – Ruination

@mydogisbox - That's a developer side-load. Different thing than installing for users. – Badoglio

@RitchMelton You didn't scroll down far enough. There is a section titled "On a Domain" which details how to side-load applications for "line-of-business" apps. – Ruination

We are building software which are using firewire cameras and other hadrware attached to the USB port. Hardware controls are typically using 3rd party control libraies (c++). Should it be possible to control these from a Windows Store App? – Selfassurance

Probably not possible. Using Windows Store App conventions in a desktop app is still pretty dubious. You should probably just make a standard desktop app with a standard desktop interface. – Ruination

Answer 1

You will need to keep track of the cursor location coordinates, and see when the cursor (swipe) starts at the edge of the screen and moves in. When that triggers (with whatever trigger you want, distance covered most likely) you can fire up your Appbar.

There was a similar question asked on MSDN: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/vstudio/en-US/d85dcde7-839a-44d3-9f2a-8b47b947576c/swipe-gesture-and-page-change?forum=wpf

Longplaying