c# - Storyboards can't find ControlTemplate elements

Question

I've created some fairly simple XAML, and it works perfectly (at least in KAXML). The storyboards run perfectly when called from within the XAML, but when I try to access them from outside I get the error:

'buttonGlow' name cannot be found in the name scope of 'System.Windows.Controls.Button'.

I am loading the XAML with a stream reader, like this:

Button x = (Button)XamlReader.Load(stream);

And trying to run the Storyboard with:

Storyboard pressedButtonStoryboard =   
    Storyboard)_xamlButton.Template.Resources["ButtonPressed"];
pressedButtonStoryboard.Begin(_xamlButton);

I think that the problem is that fields I am animating are in the template and that storyboard is accessing the button.

Here is the XAML:

<Button xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:customControls="clr-namespace:pk_rodoment.SkinningEngine;assembly=pk_rodoment" 
    Width="150" Height="55">
    <Button.Resources>
        <Style TargetType="Button">
            <Setter Property="Control.Template">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <ControlTemplate TargetType="Button">
                        <Grid Background="#00FFFFFF">
                            <Grid.BitmapEffect>
                                <BitmapEffectGroup>
                                    <OuterGlowBitmapEffect x:Name="buttonGlow" GlowColor="#A0FEDF00" GlowSize="0"/>
                                </BitmapEffectGroup>
                            </Grid.BitmapEffect>
                            <Border x:Name="background" Margin="1,1,1,1" CornerRadius="15">
                                <Border.Background>
                                    <SolidColorBrush Color="#FF0062B6"/>
                                </Border.Background>                                
                            </Border>                            
                            <ContentPresenter HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                                Margin="{TemplateBinding Control.Padding}"
                                VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                Content="{TemplateBinding ContentControl.Content}"
                                ContentTemplate="{TemplateBinding ContentControl.ContentTemplate}"/>
                        </Grid>
                        <ControlTemplate.Resources>
                            <Storyboard x:Key="ButtonPressed">
                                <Storyboard.Children>
                                    <DoubleAnimation Duration="0:0:0.4"
                                                  FillBehavior="HoldEnd"
                                                  Storyboard.TargetName="buttonGlow"
                                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="GlowSize" To="4"/>
                                    <ColorAnimation Duration="0:0:0.6"
                                                  FillBehavior="HoldEnd"
                                                  Storyboard.TargetName="background"
                                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Panel.Background).(SolidColorBrush.Color)"
                                                  To="#FF844800"/>
                                </Storyboard.Children>
                            </Storyboard>
                            <Storyboard x:Key="ButtonReleased">
                                <Storyboard.Children>
                                    <DoubleAnimation Duration="0:0:0.2"
                                                  FillBehavior="HoldEnd"
                                                  Storyboard.TargetName="buttonGlow"
                                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="GlowSize" To="0"/>
                                    <ColorAnimation Duration="0:0:0.2"
                                                  FillBehavior="Stop"
                                                  Storyboard.TargetName="background"
                                                  Storyboard.TargetProperty="(Panel.Background).(SolidColorBrush.Color)"
                                                  To="#FF0062B6"/>
                                </Storyboard.Children>
                            </Storyboard>
                        </ControlTemplate.Resources>
                        <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                            <Trigger Property="ButtonBase.IsPressed" Value="True">
                                <Trigger.EnterActions>
                                    <BeginStoryboard Storyboard="{StaticResource ButtonPressed}"/>
                                </Trigger.EnterActions>
                                <Trigger.ExitActions>
                                    <BeginStoryboard Storyboard="{StaticResource ButtonReleased}"/>
                                </Trigger.ExitActions>
                            </Trigger>
                        </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                    </ControlTemplate>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Style>
    </Button.Resources>
    <DockPanel>
        <TextBlock x:Name="TextContent" FontSize="28" Foreground="White" >Test</TextBlock>        
    </DockPanel>
</Button>

Any suggestions from anyone who understands WPF and XAML a lot better than me?

Here is the error stacktrace:

at System.Windows.Media.Animation.Storyboard.ResolveTargetName(String targetName, INameScope nameScope, DependencyObject element)
at System.Windows.Media.Animation.Storyboard.ClockTreeWalkRecursive(Clock currentClock, DependencyObject containingObject, INameScope nameScope, DependencyObject parentObject, String parentObjectName, PropertyPath parentPropertyPath, HandoffBehavior handoffBehavior, HybridDictionary clockMappings, Int64 layer)
at System.Windows.Media.Animation.Storyboard.ClockTreeWalkRecursive(Clock currentClock, DependencyObject containingObject, INameScope nameScope, DependencyObject parentObject, String parentObjectName, PropertyPath parentPropertyPath, HandoffBehavior handoffBehavior, HybridDictionary clockMappings, Int64 layer)
at System.Windows.Media.Animation.Storyboard.BeginCommon(DependencyObject containingObject, INameScope nameScope, HandoffBehavior handoffBehavior, Boolean isControllable, Int64 layer)
at System.Windows.Media.Animation.Storyboard.Begin(FrameworkElement containingObject)
at pk_rodoment.SkinningEngine.ButtonControlWPF._button_MouseDown(Object sender, MouseButtonEventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Input.MouseButtonEventArgs.InvokeEventHandler(Delegate genericHandler, Object genericTarget)
at System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs.InvokeHandler(Delegate handler, Object target)
at System.Windows.RoutedEventHandlerInfo.InvokeHandler(Object target, RoutedEventArgs routedEventArgs)
at System.Windows.EventRoute.InvokeHandlersImpl(Object source, RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean reRaised)
at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEventImpl(DependencyObject sender, RoutedEventArgs args)
at System.Windows.UIElement.RaiseEvent(RoutedEventArgs args, Boolean trusted)
at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessStagingArea()
at System.Windows.Input.InputManager.ProcessInput(InputEventArgs input)
at System.Windows.Input.InputProviderSite.ReportInput(InputReport inputReport)
at System.Windows.Interop.HwndMouseInputProvider.ReportInput(IntPtr hwnd, InputMode mode, Int32 timestamp, RawMouseActions actions, Int32 x, Int32 y, Int32 wheel)
at System.Windows.Interop.HwndMouseInputProvider.FilterMessage(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
at System.Windows.Interop.HwndSource.InputFilterMessage(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
at MS.Win32.HwndWrapper.WndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, Boolean& handled)
at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.DispatcherCallbackOperation(Object o)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.InternalRealCall(Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter)
at System.Windows.Threading.ExceptionWrapper.TryCatchWhen(Object source, Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter, Delegate catchHandler)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WrappedInvoke(Delegate callback, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter, Delegate catchHandler)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.InvokeImpl(DispatcherPriority priority, TimeSpan timeout, Delegate method, Object args, Boolean isSingleParameter)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.Invoke(DispatcherPriority priority, Delegate method, Object arg)
at MS.Win32.HwndSubclass.SubclassWndProc(IntPtr hwnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam)
at MS.Win32.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessage(MSG& msg)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrameImpl(DispatcherFrame frame)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.PushFrame(DispatcherFrame frame)
at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.Run()
at System.Windows.Application.RunDispatcher(Object ignore)
at System.Windows.Application.RunInternal(Window window)
at System.Windows.Application.Run(Window window)
at System.Windows.Application.Run()
at ControlTestbed.App.Main() in C:svnprojects
odomontControlsTestbedobjDebugApp.g.cs:line 0
at System.AppDomain._nExecuteAssembly(Assembly assembly, String[] args)
at System.AppDomain.ExecuteAssembly(String assemblyFile, Evidence assemblySecurity, String[] args)
at Microsoft.VisualStudio.HostingProcess.HostProc.RunUsersAssembly()
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()

Answer 1

Finally found it. When you call Begin on storyboards that reference elements in the ControlTemplate, you must pass in the control template as well.

Changing:

pressedButtonStoryboard.Begin(_xamlButton);

To:

pressedButtonStoryboard.Begin(_xamlButton, _xamlButton.Template);

Fixed everything.