Gauge Controls

Gauge controls are data-bound controls that allow you to view quantitative information in a visual format.

Round-faced gauges can be used to simulate odometers, speedometers, water level, or water pressure gauges. Square-faced gauges can be used to simulate voltage or amperage levels. Linear gauges indicate a graduated numerical value in a visual presentation. A typical linear gauge representation is a thermometer, but can also be used to represent the readout on a tire pressure gauge. Gauges typically have a Maximum, Minimum, and default Value property.

Note: In the Silverlight forms designer, the Horizontal and Vertical Linear gauges are located in the Linear Gauges group.

When a gauge control receives a value outside of the specified range (that is , above the Maximum property value or below the Minimum property value) or the value is Null, the control sets its Opacity property to 0.2. The control appears disabled until the value is back within the specified range or is not Null.

The dual gauge also has an InnerValue property. Therefore, when it receives an inner value outside of the specified range (above the InnerMaximum property value or below the InnerMinimum property value) or the value is Null, the control sets its Opacity property to 0.2. The control appears disabled until the value is back within the specified range or is not Null.

Gauge Controls Property Usage

The following table shows the properties used by each control:
PropertyDual GaugeDynamic GaugeHorizontal Linear GaugeParabolic GaugeRacing GaugeRadial GaugeSimple GaugeVariable GaugeVertical Linear Gauge
AllowDropXXXXXXXXX
BackgroundXXXXXXXXX
BorderBrushXXXXXXXXX
BorderThicknessXXXXXXXXX
CaptionXXXXX
CaptionBrushXXXXXXX
CaptionFontFamilyXXXXX
CaptionFontSizeXXXXX
CaptionFontStretchXXXXX
CaptionFontStyleXXXXX
CaptionFontWeightXXXXX
CenterCapBorderBrushXXXXX
CenterCapBrushXXXXX
ClipToBoundsXXXXXXXXX
ColorThreshold1X
ColorThreshold2X
ColorThresholdPercentageX
ColumnXXXXXXXXX
ColumnSpanXXXXXXXXX
CornerRadiusXXXXXXX
EffectXXXXXXXXX
FillDirectionX
FillLevelX
FlowDirectionXXXXXXXXX
FluidBorderBrushXX
FluidBrushXX
FluidCornerRadiusXX
FluidOpacityBrushXX
FocusableXXXXXXXXX
FocusVisualStyleXXXXXXXXX
FontFamilyXXXXXXXXX
FontSizeXXXXXXXXX
FontStretchXXXXXXXXX
FontStyleXXXXXXXXX
FontWeightXXXXXXXXX
ForceCursorXXXXXXXXX
ForegroundXXXXXXXXX
GlareBrushXXXXXXX
HeightXXXXXXXXX
HighColorThreshold1X
HighColorThreshold2X
HighFillXX
HighRangeBrushX
HorizontalAlignmentXXXXXXXX
HorizontalContentAlignmentXXXXXXXX
InnerBackgroundXX
InnerBorderBrushXXXXXXXX
InnerBorderThicknessXXXXXXX
InnerCaptionX
InnerCaptionBrushX
InnerCaptionFontFamilyX
InnerCaptionFontSizeX
InnerCaptionFontStretchX
InnerCaptionFontWeightX
InnerCornerRadiusXXXXXXX
InnerFontFamilyX
InnerFontSizeX
InnerFontStretchX
InnerFontStyleX
InnerFontWeightX
InnerForegroundX
InnerMaximumX
InnerMinimumX
InnerNeedleBrushX
InnerNeedleTlhicknessX
InnerTickBrushX
InnerTicksX
InnerValueX
IsEnabledXXXXXXXXX
IsFillReversedX
IsHitTestVisibleXXXXXXXXX
IsManipulationEnabledXXXXXXXXX
IsNumbersVisibleXX
IsRunningXX
IsSharedSizeScopeXXXXXXXXX
IsTabStopXXXXXXXXX
LocalizationXXXXXXXXX
LowColorThreshold1X
LowColorThreshold2X
LowFillXX
LowRangeBrushX
MarginXXXXXXXXX
MaxHeightXXXXXXXXX
MaximumXXXXXXXXX
MaxWidthXXXXXXXXX
MediumFillXX
MeterBackgroundBrushX
MeterBorderBrushX
MeterFontFamilyX
MeterFontSizeX
MeterFontStretchX
MeterFontStyleX
MeterFontWeightX
MeterForegroundX
MidRangeBrushXX
MinHeightXXXXXXXXX
MinimumXXXXXXXXX
MinWidthXXXXXXXXX
NameXXXXXXXXX
NeedleBrushXXXXXX
NeedleThicknessXXXXX
OpacityXXXXXXXXX
OpacityMaskXXXXXXXXX
OverridesDefaultStyleXXXXXXXXX
PaddingXXXXXXXXX
RenderTransformOriginXXXXXXXXX
RowXXXXXXX
RowSpanXXXXXXX
SnapsToDevicePixelsXXXXXXXXX
StrokeThicknessXXXXXXX
StyleXXXXXXXXX
TabIndexXXXXXXXXX
TagXXXXXXXXX
TemplateXXXXXXXXX
TickBrushXXXXXXX
TickFrequencyX
TickPlacementX
TickRingBrushXXXX
TicksXXXXXXX
TitleFontSizeX
TitleTextX
TitleTextColorX
ToolTipXXXXXXXXX
UidXXXXXXXXX
UnitFontSizeX
UnitTextX
UnitTextColorX
UseLayoutRoundingXXXXXXXXX
ValueXXXXXXXXX
ValueBackgroundColorX
ValueFontSizeX
ValueFormatX
ValueStringFormatX
VerticalAlignmentXXXXXXXXX
VerticalContentAlignmentXXXXXXXXX
VisibilityXXXXXXXXX
WidthXXXXXXXXX

Gauge Controls Property Descriptions

The following table shows the properties descriptions used by all control:
PropertyDescription
AllowDropSelect this check box to indicate that the control can accept data that is dragged onto it.
BackgroundExpand this field to select the background color of the selected control.
BorderBrushExpand this field to select the border color of the selected control.
BorderThicknessSpecifies the border thickness of a control, in pixels.
CaptionSpecifies the caption for the main control.
CaptionBrushExpand this field to select the color for the main gauge caption.
CaptionFontFamilySpecifies the font family for the control's caption.
CaptionFontSizeSpecifies the font size for the control's caption.
CaptionFontStretchSpecifies the degree to which a caption's font is condensed or expanded on the screen.
CaptionFontStyleSpecifies the font style for the control's caption.
CaptionFontWeightSpecifies the font weight for the control's caption.
CenterCapBorderBrushExpand this field to select a color for the outside edge of the center cap.
CenterCapBrushExpand this field to select a color for the center cap.
ClipToBoundsSelect this check box to clip the content of this control (or content coming from the child elements of this control) to fit into the size of the containing control.
ColorThreshold1Specifies the percentage between the minimum and maximum where the control will change to the medium fill.
ColorThreshold2Specifies the percentage between the minimum and maximum were the control will change o the high fill.
ColorThresholdPercentageSpecifies the percentage between the minimum and maximum where the control will change to the medium fill.
ColumnSpecifies the column within the grid where the control is located.
ColumnSpanSpecifies the total number of columns that child content spans within a grid.
CornerRadiusSpecifies the degree to which the corners of a control are rounded.
EffectClick the arrow to expand the property, select the effect you want to apply to the control, and then configure the specific values for the effect. Valid values to select are:
  • Blur
    • Kernel Type
    • Radius
  • Drop Shadow
    • Color
    • Direction
    • Opactiy
    • Shadow Depth
FillDirectionSpecifies the direction of the fill. Selections are:
  • From Left
  • From Right
  • From Center
FillLevelSpecifies the level of fill based on the values of the Maximum, MidValue, and Minimum properties.
FlowDirectionSpecifies the direction that text and other user interface (UI) elements flow within any parent control. Selections are:
  • Left to Right
  • Right to Left
FluidBorderBrushExpand this field to select the border color for the fluid content of the selected control.
FluidBrushExpand this field to select the color for the fluid portion of the selected control.
FluidCornerRadiusSpecifies the degree to which the corners of the fluid content a control are rounded.
FluidOpacityBrushExpand this field to select the color for the opacity level of the fluid.
FocusableSelect this check box to indicate that the control can receive focus.
FocusVisualStyleSpecifies a property that enables customization of appearance, effects, or other style characteristics that apply to this control when it has focus.
FontFamilySpecifies the font family for the control.
FontSizeSpecifies the font size for the control.
FontStretchSpecifies the degree to which a font is condensed or expanded on the screen.
FontStyleSpecifies the font style for the control.
FontWeightSpecifies the weight or thickness of the specified font.
ForceCursorSelect this check box to indicate that the user interface (UI) renders the cursor as declared by the Cursor property.
ForegroundExpand this field to select the foreground color.
GlareBrushExpand this field to specify the glare effect for the control.
HeightSpecifies the height of the control, in pixels.
HighColorThreshold1Specifies the percentage of the maximum where the control will change to the medium fill.
HighColorThreshold2Specifies the percentage of the maximum where the control will chane to the high fill.
HighFillSpecifies the brush that describes the high fill of the control.
HighRangeBrushExpand this field to select the color for the high range display.
HorizontalAlignmentSpecifies the horizontal alignment characteristics applied to this control. Selections are:
  • Left
  • Center
  • Right
  • Stretch
HorizontalContentAlignmentSpecifies the horizontal alignment of the control's content. Selections are:
  • Left
  • Center
  • Right
  • Stretch
ImageStretchSpecifies how the image should be stretched to fill the destination rectangle. Selections are:
  • Fill
  • None
  • Uniform
  • UniformToFill
InnerBackgroundExpand this field to select the background color for the fluid indicator; that is, the non-fluid portion of the control.
InnerBorderBrushExpand this field to select the color for the inner border.
InnerBorderThicknessExpand this field to select the color for the inner border.
InnerCaptionSpecifies the caption for the inner gauge.
InnerCaptionBrushExpand this field to select the color for the caption for the inner gauge.
InnerCaptionFontFamilySpecifies the font family for the caption for the inner gauge.
InnerCaptionFontSizeSpecifies the font size for the caption for the inner gauge.
InnerCaptionFontStretchSpecifies the degree to which the font for caption for the inner gauge is condensed or expanded on the screen.
InnerCaptionFontWeightSpecifies the font weight or thickness for the caption for the inner gauge.
InnerCornerRadiusSpecifies the degree to which the corners of the inner border are rounded.
InnerFontFamilySpecifies the font family for the inner gauge.
InnerFontSizeSpecifies the font size for the inner gauge.
InnerFontStretchSpecifies the degree to which the font for the inner gauge is condensed or expanded on the screen.
InnerFontStyleSpecifies the font style for the inner gauge.
InnerFontWeightSpecifies the weight or thickness of the font for the inner gauge.
InnerForegroundExpand this field to select the foreground color for the inner gauge.
InnerMaximumSpecifies the maximum value of the range for the inner gauge.
InnerMinimumSpecifies the minimum value of the range for the inner gauge.
InnerNeedleBrushExpand this field to select the color for the needle on the inner gauge.
InnerNeedleThicknessSpecifies the thickness of the outside edge of the needle on the inner gauge.
InnerTickBrushExpand this field to select the color for the tick marks on the inner gauge.
InnerTickRingBrushExpand this field to select the color for the tick ring of the inner gauge.
InnerTicksSpecifies the values to display.
InnerValueSpecifies the current magnitude of the range control for the inner gauge.
IsEnabledSelect this check box to indicate that this control is enabled in the user interface (UI).
IsFillReversedSpecifies whether the gauge fills from left or right. Select this check box to indicate that the gauge will fill from right to left. Clear this check box to indicate that the gauge will fill from let to right.
IsHitTestVisibleSelect this check box to indicate that the control can possibly be returned as a hit test result from some portion of its rendered content.
IsManipulationEnabledSelect this check box to indicate that the manipulation events for the control are enabled.
IsNumbersVisibleSelect this check box to indicate that the numbers corresponding to the tick marks are visible.
IsRunningSpecifies whether the stopwatch timer is running on the control.
IsSharedSizeScopeSelect this check box to indicate that controls are sharing size information.
IsTabStopSelect this check box to indicate that a control is included in tab navigation.
LocalizationClick the ellipsis button to open the Localization Configuration dialog box where you can configure the property to localize, the language to use for localization, and the text to localize.
LowColorThreshold1Specifies the percentage of the minimum where the control will change to the medium fill.
LowColorThreshold2Specifies the percentage of the minimum where the control will chane to the low fill.
LowFillSpecifies the brush that describes the low fill of the control.
LowRangeBrushExpand this field to select the color for the low range display.
MarginSpecifies the outer margin of a control.
MaxHeightSpecifies the maximum height of a control.
MaximumSpecifies the maximum value of the range of the control.
MaxWidthSpecifies the maximum width of a control.
MediumFillSpecifies the brush that describes the medium fill of the control.
MeterBackgroundBrushExpand this field to select a color for the meter background.
MeterBorderBrushExpand this field to select a color for the meter border.
MeterFontFamilySpecifies the font family for the meter value.
MeterFontSizeSpecifies the font size for the meter value.
MeterFontStretchSpecifies the degree to which the meter value font is condensed or expanded on the screen.
MeterFontStyleSpecifies the font style for the meter value.
MeterFontWeightSpecifies the weight or thickness of the specified font for the meter value.
MeterForegroundExpand this field to select the color for the value that appears in the meter area.
MidRangeBrushExpand this field to select the color for the mid range display.
MinHeightSpecifies the minimum height of a control.
MinimumSpecifies the minimum value of the range of the control.
MinWidthSpecifies the minimum width of a control.
NameSpecifies the identifying name of the control. The name provides a reference so that code behind, such as event handler code, can refer to a markup element during processing by a XAML processor.
NeedleBrushExpand this field to select the color for the needle on the outer gauge.
NeedleThicknessSpecifies the thickness of the outside edge of the needle on the outer gauge.
OpacitySpecifies the opacity factor applied to the entire control. Valid values are 0 through 1, with up to 15 decimal places.
OpacityMaskExpand this field to select a color for the opacity mask, which is applied to any alpha-channel masking for the rendered content of this control.
OverridesDefaultStyleSelect this check box to indicate that this control incorporates style properties from theme styles.
PaddingSpecifies the amount of padding to apply to the inside edge of each side of a control.
RenderTransformOriginSpecifies the center point of any possible render transform, relative to the bounds of the element.
  • X is the horizontal origin factor, given as a value between 0 and 1.
  • Y is the vertical origin factor, given as a value between 0 and 1.
RowRowBackground
RowSpanSpecifies the total number of rows that child content spans within a grid.
SnapsToDevicePixelsSelect this check box to indicate that rendering for this control uses device-specific pixel settings.
StrokeThicknessSpecifies the width of the control's outline.
StyleSpecifies the style used by this control when it is rendered.
TabIndexSpecifies the order in which controls receive focus when the Tab key is pressed.
TagSpecifies an arbitrary object value that can be used to store custom information about this control.
TemplateClick the ellipsis button to open the Open dialog box to select a template to use.
TickBrushExpand this field to select the color for the incremental tick marks.
TickFrequencySpecifies the interval between tick marks.
TickPlacementSpecifies the position of tick marks with respect to the track of the Slider. Selections are:
  • None
  • Both
  • TopLeft
  • BottomRight
TickRingBrushExpand this field to select the color for the tick ring of the outer gauge.
TicksFor linear gauges and sliders, click the ellipsis button to open the Tick Property Editor dialog box to enter the marks to display for a Slider.
TitleFontSizeSpecifies the font size for the title.
TitleTextSpecifies the title of the control.
TitleTextColorSpecifies the brush that colors the title of the control.
ToolTipSpecifies the tool-tip that displays for this control in the user interface (UI).
UidSpecifies the unique identifier (for localization) for this control.
UnitFontSizeSpecifies the font size for the units display values.
UnitTextSpecifies the unit text for the control.
UnitTextColorSpecifies the brush that colors the unit text of the control.
UseLayoutRoundingSpecifies a value that determines whether rendering for the object and its visual subtree should use rounding behavior that aligns rendering to whole pixels.
ValueSpecifies the current magnitude of the range control.
ValueBackgroundColorExpand this field to select the background color of the values for the selected control.
ValueFontSizeSpecifies the font size of the value for the control.
ValueFormatSpecifies the format the value displays in.
ValueStringFormatSpecifies the format string to use when converting the Value property to a string.
VerticalAlignmentSpecifies the vertical alignment characteristics applied to this control. Selections are:
  • Bottom
  • Center
  • Top
  • Stretch
VerticalContentAlignmentSpecifies the vertical alignment of the control's content. Selections are:
  • Bottom
  • Center
  • Top
  • Stretch
VisiblilitySpecifies the visibility of this control. Selections are:
  • Collapsed
  • Hidden
  • Visible
WidthSpecifies the width of the control, in pixels.