Removing shadow from ScatterViewItem isn't working

Question

I always used this code to remove the shadow from a ScatterViewItem:

 ScatterViewItem svi = new ScatterViewItem();
 svi.ApplyTemplate();
 svi.Background = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Transparent);
 svi.ShowsActivationEffects = false;
 svi.BorderBrush = System.Windows.Media.Brushes.Transparent;
 Microsoft.Surface.Presentation.Generic.SurfaceShadowChrome ssc;
 ssc = svi.Template.FindName("shadow", svi) as Microsoft.Surface.Presentation.Generic.SurfaceShadowChrome;
 ssc.Visibility = Visibility.Hidden;

But recently this isn't working anymore. I always get this exception:

System.NullReferenceException was unhandled
  Message=Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
  Source=Prototype_Concept_2
  StackTrace:
       at Prototype_Concept_2.PackageView.expand(Package pck) in C:\Users\Roflcoptr\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Prototype_Concept_2\Prototype_Concept_2\PackageView.xaml.cs:line 45
       at Prototype_Concept_2.PackageView..ctor(SourceFile focus) in C:\Users\Roflcoptr\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Prototype_Concept_2\Prototype_Concept_2\PackageView.xaml.cs:line 31
       at Prototype_Concept_2.DetailChooser.ShowPackage_PreviewContactDown(Object sender, ContactEventArgs e) in C:\Users\Roflcoptr\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Prototype_Concept_2\Prototype_Concept_2\DetailChooser.xaml.cs:line 213
       at Microsoft.Surface.Presentation.ContactEventArgs.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 Microsoft.Surface.Presentation.InputSurfaceProviderBase.DoProcessInput(Object obj)
       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.DispatcherOperation.InvokeImpl()
       at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.InvokeInSecurityContext(Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
       at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
       at System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherOperation.Invoke()
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.ProcessQueue()
       at System.Windows.Threading.Dispatcher.WndProcHook(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 Prototype_Concept_2.App.Main() in C:\Users\Roflcoptr\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Prototype_Concept_2\Prototype_Concept_2\obj\Debug\App.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()
  InnerException: 

This means that in the line ssc = svi.Template.FindName("shadow", svi) as Microsoft.Surface.Presentation.Generic.SurfaceShadowChrome; there must be a NullReference, but I don't know why.

Answer 1

The problem is that ApplyTemplate returns false, so the Template isn't applied, meaning it's null. This explains the NullReferenceException. What you can do is to attach an eventhandler which subsribes to the Loaded event of the ScatterViewItem and in the handler you do the same thing. In WPF, the template has always been applied when the Loaded event occurs

ScatterViewItem svi = new ScatterViewItem();
svi.Background = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Transparent);
svi.ShowsActivationEffects = false;
svi.BorderBrush = System.Windows.Media.Brushes.Transparent;

RoutedEventHandler loadedEventHandler = null;
loadedEventHandler = new RoutedEventHandler(delegate
{
    svi.Loaded -= loadedEventHandler;
    Microsoft.Surface.Presentation.Generic.SurfaceShadowChrome ssc;
    ssc = svi.Template.FindName("shadow", svi) as Microsoft.Surface.Presentation.Generic.SurfaceShadowChrome;
    ssc.Visibility = Visibility.Hidden;
});
svi.Loaded += loadedEventHandler;