Effects framework for GUI components

A method for enabling integration of effects graphics when rendering graphical displays associated with components of a transition panel, comprising:

• identifying effects code segments, each effects code segment defining a predefined graphical transition effect that can be applied to components of the transition panel;
• selecting a graphical component of the transition panel, the graphical component having a start state within the transition panel and an end state, the selected graphical component being assigned an effects code segment, wherein the graphical component is a widget in a graphical user interface;
• receiving one or more timed triggers to render state changes between the start state and the end state of the selected graphical component, the rendering of state changes being performed in accordance with the assigned effects code segment during each timed trigger, such that the assigned effects code segment is determined by the selected graphical component and the start state and the end state of the selected component;
• and
• assigning the rendering of the state changes to an animation layer, the animation layer holding the state changes for display on the transition panel;
• and
• assigning data associated with the end state to a container layer, wherein the state changes in the animation layer proceed until the state changes in the animation layer match the end state in the container layer, and wherein the animation layer and the container layer are separate buffers.

A method for rendering effects of graphical components of a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

• defining a screen display having one or more graphical components, wherein the graphical components are widgets in a graphical user interface;
• defining a start state for at least one of the one or more graphical components;
• defining an end state for at least one of the one or more graphical components;
• determining if a graphical component identified for transition includes a defined start state and a defined end state;
• determining a transition type for the graphical component that has the defined start state and the defined end state, the transition type defined by the graphical component and the start state and the end state of the graphical component;
• identifying an effect type based on the determined transition type;
• rendering the transition into an animation layer that stores the transition, the rendering including:
• (a) altering a graphics state at a time interval;
• (b) painting the identified graphical component for the identified graphics state at the time interval;
• (c) repeating (a)-(b) one or more times until the graphics state of the identified graphical component matches the defined end state in a container layer;
• and
• rendering the identified graphical component at the defined end state from the container layer, wherein the animation layer and the container layer are separate buffers.