Creating custom symbols in Expression Blend

[DenisT]

I want to learn how to create custom symbols in Expression Blend.
Are there any articles or video demonstrating a symbol creation from scratch using Blend?
Or the only way is to type XAML in VS?

Thanks in advance.

[JenniferNery]

There are many video tutorials here: http://expression.microsoft.com/en-us/cc197141.

[DenisT]

Thank you.

In that tutorials they create a custom/templated or user control in Blend and then apply some properties or edit templates.
But a symbol is not a framework element. You can't just add a marker/line/fill symbol to a canvas or a grid and edit it, right?
So, are there any best practices or something?

[JenniferNery]

You can look at the XAML-code for the custom symbols here: http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/silverlight/samples/start.htm#CustomSymbols or here: http://help.arcgis.com/en/webapi/silverlight/samples/SymbolGalleryWeb/start.htm. You will find that the Symbol.ControlTemplate includes FrameworkElements (Rectangle, Ellipse, etc.). You can control their properties using VisualState to provide animation. ExpressionBlend makes this part easy. Once you find the template you think works for you, you can update your Symbol.ControlTemplate section.

[DenisT]

So, I have to create a temporary UserControl, configure it in Blend, then copy a result (UserControl's content) to the symbol's ControlTemplate.
And if I want to modify an existing symbol, I have to copy a symbol's ControlTemplate to the temporary UserControl.
Right?