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I have a solution that I use but that one is not really giving me all the abilities that I need.

Right now, I'm setting the background of my Grid control to a VisualBrush that contains an ellipse on its Visual container. This makes it impossible for me to set a background color(or at least with my knowledge until now) BEHIND the drawn squares.

I am using these squares as markers for my snap to position functionality. See pic.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/J9CZf.jpg

Is there a possible way for me to keep my background pattern and also be able to set a background color? Another approach are also welcome as I feel like I have snowed in on this one because it works(partially).

Due to demand: 

  brush = new VisualBrush();
  brush.Stretch = Stretch.Fill;
  brush.TileMode = TileMode.Tile;
  brush.Viewport = new Rect(0, 0, SnapDistance, SnapDistance);
  brush.ViewportUnits = BrushMappingMode.Absolute;
  brush.Viewbox = new Rect(0, 0, SnapDistance, SnapDistance);
  brush.ViewboxUnits = BrushMappingMode.Absolute;
  ellipse = new Ellipse() { Fill = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Blue), Width = 2, Height = 2 };
  brush.Visual = ellipse;

This is what I set to the grid.Background. What I want to do is to draw the pattern I show in the link and also be able to set a color to the background with the dot pattern on that.

H.B.
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Gabriel
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1 Answers1

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You can overlay the grid with Canvas with the snap points or you can create an adorner layer with the snap points.

Cite from MSDN page

Adorners are a special type of FrameworkElement, used to provide visual cues to a user. Among other uses, Adorners can be used to add functional handles to elements or provide state information about a control.

So the controls layout (in Z-order) will be:

  • the grid
  • the overlay with the snap points (don't know how the events will be handled then)
  • your elements

or

  • the grid
    • the adorner layer
  • your elements
Karel Frajták
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  • Karel, first, thanks for your reply. I will investigate and vote up your answer if I make it work. – Gabriel Oct 26 '11 at 07:39
  • thanks, hope it will help you (an example to enable drag&resize for UI element: http://denisvuyka.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/wpf-simple-adorner-usage-with-drag-and-resize-operations/) – Karel Frajták Oct 26 '11 at 08:28
  • Is the Adorner not working with Grid component? When I try to fetch the AdornerLayer.GetAdornerLayer(grid); it returns null! Any suggestions? – Gabriel Oct 26 '11 at 08:39
  • Do you really need grid? You're not placing your elements in rows and column, right? – Karel Frajták Oct 26 '11 at 08:40
  • Yes, this is by requirement of other components in our project. Does it come with a problem? Grid and adorner? – Gabriel Oct 26 '11 at 08:51
  • Sorry, I don't know, maybe you can get AdornerLayer for grid parent. – Karel Frajták Oct 26 '11 at 09:03
  • No worries, I fetched it! I will just grab something to eat and continue with it. – Gabriel Oct 26 '11 at 09:06
  • Works to print out the dotted pattern that I wanted, I just dont get how to ZIndex those now. That is another question and this is marked as solved. :) – Gabriel Oct 26 '11 at 10:41