14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has updated development resources designed to let customers do without Expression Blend in certain scenarios. New releases of the Microsoft Expression Blend 4 Software Development Kit (SDK) for .NET 4 and the Microsoft Expression Blend 4 Software Development Kit (SDK) for Silverlight are now available for download from the Redmond company. The two SDKs are designed to offer developers redistributable components that can be leveraged in projects set up to build Expression Blend 4 applications.
Devs can turn to the free Expression Blend 4 SDK in order to edit Expression Blend 4 projects without actually having Expression Blend 4 installed. Microsoft has packaged a range of components in the SDK, including SketchFlow Player, custom VSM for Fluid Layout, Font Embedding enhancements, effects and transition effects and shapes, all normally found in Expression Blend 4.
“Microsoft Expression Blend 4 includes new built-in behaviors, which are reusable pieces of packaged code that can be dragged onto any object, and then fine-tuned by changing their properties. Behaviors allow you to add interactivity to your applications without having to write any code. The Behavior API consists of three core classes: Trigger, Action and Behavior. This SDK explores how to write each of these components, and contains a few code samples to help you get started. Programming reference topics are provided for Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) [and Silerlight],” Microsoft stated.
Expression Blend 4 was released to manufacturing at the start of this week. And, even though developers still have to wait until they are actually able to buy the latest version of Blend, the free trial of Expression Studio 4 Ultimate is already available for download. According to Microsoft, the Ultimate SKU of the suite includes Expression Web + SuperPreview, Expression Blend, SketchFlow, Expression Encoder Pro and Expression Design.
Microsoft Expression Blend 4 Software Development Kit (SDK) for .NET 4 is available for download here.
Microsoft Expression Blend 4 Software Development Kit (SDK) for Silverlight is available for download here.
Microsoft Expression Studio Web Professional 4.0.20525.0 is available for download here.
Microsoft Expression Studio Ultimate 4.0.20525.0 is available for download here.