diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/bkg.png b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/bkg.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fa059ba75
Binary files /dev/null and b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/bkg.png differ
diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/configurable.ts b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/configurable.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1f2aa4d08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/configurable.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+import * as observable from "data/observable";
+import * as pages from "ui/page";
+import * as buttonModule from "ui/button";
+import * as abs from "ui/layouts/absolute-layout";
+import * as animationModule from "ui/animation";
+import * as colorModule from "color";
+import * as model from "./model";
+import * as enums from "ui/enums";
+import * as frame from "ui/frame";
+import * as trace from "trace";
+
+var vm = new model.ViewModel();
+
+var page: pages.Page;
+var panel: abs.AbsoluteLayout;
+var button1: buttonModule.Button;
+var button2: buttonModule.Button;
+var button3: buttonModule.Button;
+var buttonAnimation: animationModule.Animation;
+var panelAnimation: animationModule.Animation;
+
+export function pageLoaded(args: observable.EventData) {
+    page = <pages.Page>args.object;
+    page.bindingContext = vm;
+    panel = page.getViewById<abs.AbsoluteLayout>("panel1");
+    button1 = page.getViewById<buttonModule.Button>("button1");
+    button2 = page.getViewById<buttonModule.Button>("button2");
+    button3 = page.getViewById<buttonModule.Button>("button3");
+
+
+    trace.enable();
+    trace.addCategories(trace.categories.concat(trace.categories.Animation));
+}
+
+export function onSlideOut(args: observable.EventData) {
+    console.log("onSlideOut");
+    var curve = enums.AnimationCurve.easeOut;
+
+    var buttonAnimations = [
+        { target: button1, translate: { x: -240, y: 0 }, scale: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 }, opacity: 0, duration: vm.duration, delay: 0, iterations: vm.iterations, curve: curve },
+        { target: button2, translate: { x: -240, y: 0 }, scale: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 }, opacity: 0, duration: vm.duration, delay: vm.duration, iterations: vm.iterations, curve: curve },
+        { target: button3, translate: { x: -240, y: 0 }, scale: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 }, opacity: 0, duration: vm.duration, delay: vm.duration * 2, iterations: vm.iterations, curve: curve },
+    ]
+    buttonAnimation = new animationModule.Animation(buttonAnimations, vm.playSequentially);
+
+    panelAnimation = panel.createAnimation({ opacity: 0, scale: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 }, rotate: -360, backgroundColor: new colorModule.Color("red"), duration: vm.duration, iterations: vm.iterations, curve: enums.AnimationCurve.easeInOut });
+
+    buttonAnimation.play()
+        .then(() => panelAnimation.play())
+        .catch((e) => console.log(e.message));
+}
+
+export function onSlideIn(args: observable.EventData) {
+    console.log("onSlideIn");
+    var curve = enums.AnimationCurve.easeIn;
+
+    panelAnimation = panel.createAnimation({ opacity: 1, scale: { x: 1, y: 1 }, rotate: 0, backgroundColor: new colorModule.Color("yellow"), duration: vm.duration, iterations: vm.iterations, curve: enums.AnimationCurve.easeInOut });
+
+    var buttonAnimations = [
+        { target: button3, translate: { x: 0, y: 0 }, scale: { x: 1, y: 1 }, opacity: 1, duration: vm.duration, delay: 0, iterations: vm.iterations, curve: curve },
+        { target: button2, translate: { x: 0, y: 0 }, scale: { x: 1, y: 1 }, opacity: 1, duration: vm.duration, delay: vm.duration, iterations: vm.iterations, curve: curve },
+        { target: button1, translate: { x: 0, y: 0 }, scale: { x: 1, y: 1 }, opacity: 1, duration: vm.duration, delay: vm.duration * 2, iterations: vm.iterations, curve: curve },
+    ]
+    buttonAnimation = new animationModule.Animation(buttonAnimations, vm.playSequentially);
+
+    panelAnimation.play()
+        .then(() => buttonAnimation.play())
+        .catch((e) => console.log(e.message));
+}
+
+export function onCancel(args: observable.EventData) {
+    console.log("onCancel");
+    if (panelAnimation && panelAnimation.isPlaying) {
+        panelAnimation.cancel();
+    }
+    if (buttonAnimation && buttonAnimation.isPlaying) {
+        buttonAnimation.cancel();
+    }
+}
+
+export function onTap(args: observable.EventData) {
+    console.log((<any>args.object).text);
+}
+
+export function onSingle(args: observable.EventData) {
+    console.log("onSingle");
+    button1.animate({
+        opacity: 0.75,
+        backgroundColor: new colorModule.Color("Red"),
+        translate: { x: 100, y: 100 },
+        scale: { x: 2, y: 2 },
+        rotate: 180,
+        duration: vm.duration,
+        delay: 0,
+        iterations: vm.iterations,
+        curve: enums.AnimationCurve.linear,
+    })
+        .then(() => console.log("Animation finished"))
+        .catch((e) => console.log(e.message));
+}
+
+export function onSequence(args: observable.EventData) {
+    console.log("onSequence");
+    
+    button3.animate({
+        translate: { x: 80, y: -40 },
+        scale: { x: 0.9, y: 0.3 },
+        rotate: 25,
+        duration: 1000
+    })
+    .then(() => button3.animate({
+        translate: { x: 0, y: -80 },
+        scale: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 },
+        rotate: -25,
+        duration: 1000
+    }))
+    .then(() => button3.animate({
+        translate: { x: -80, y: -40 },
+        scale: { x: 0.5, y: 0.9 },
+        rotate: 45,
+        duration: 1000
+    }))
+    .then(() => button3.animate({
+        translate: { x: 0, y: 0 },
+        scale: { x: 1, y: 1 },
+        rotate: 0,
+        duration: 1000
+    }))
+    .then(() => console.log("Animation finished"))
+    .catch((e) => console.log(e.message));
+}
+
+export function onInterrupted(args: observable.EventData) {
+    console.log("onInterrupt");
+    
+    setTimeout(() => {
+        button3.animate({
+            translate: { x: 80, y: -40 },
+            scale: { x: 0.9, y: 0.3 },
+            rotate: 25,
+            duration: 1000
+        });    
+    }, 700 * 0);
+    
+    setTimeout(function() {
+        button3.animate({
+            translate: { x: 0, y: -80 },
+            scale: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 },
+            rotate: -25,
+            duration: 1000
+        })
+    }, 700 * 1);
+    
+    setTimeout(function() {
+        button3.animate({
+            translate: { x: -80, y: -40 },
+            scale: { x: 0.5, y: 0.9 },
+            rotate: 45,
+            duration: 1000
+        })
+    }, 700 * 2);
+    
+    setTimeout(function() {
+        button3.animate({
+            translate: { x: 0, y: 0 },
+            scale: { x: 1, y: 1 },
+            rotate: 0,
+            duration: 1000
+        })
+    }, 700 * 3);
+}
+
+export function onOpacity(args: observable.EventData) {
+    frame.topmost().navigate("./opacity");
+}
diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/configurable.xml b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/configurable.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8b939ab70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/configurable.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+<Page xmlns="http://schemas.nativescript.org/tns.xsd" loaded="pageLoaded" id="mainPage">
+  <StackLayout orientation="vertical">
+    <StackLayout orientation="vertical" backgroundColor="LightGray" paddingTop="5" paddingBottom="5">
+      
+      <Label text="{{ duration, 'Duration: ' + duration + ' ms' }}" width="180" />
+      <Slider minValue="0" maxValue="10000" value="{{ duration }}" margin="0 15" />
+
+      <Label text="{{ iterations, 'Iterations: ' + iterations + ' times' }}" width="180" />
+      <Slider minValue="0" maxValue="10" value="{{ iterations }}" margin="0 15" />
+
+      <StackLayout orientation="horizontal" horizontalAlignment="center">
+        <Label text="Play Sequentially?"/>
+        <Switch marginLeft="10" checked="{{ playSequentially }}"/>
+      </StackLayout>
+      
+      <StackLayout orientation="horizontal" marginTop="5" marginBottom="5" horizontalAlignment="center" paddingLeft="5" paddingRight="5">
+        <Button text="Out" tap="onSlideOut" width="40" marginLeft="5" marginRight="5" />
+        <Button text="In" tap="onSlideIn" width="40" marginLeft="5" marginRight="5" />
+        <Button text="Single" tap="onSingle" width="70" marginLeft="5" marginRight="5" />
+        <Button text="Cancel" tap="onCancel" width="70" marginLeft="5" marginRight="5" />
+        <Button text="Opacity" tap="onOpacity" width="70" marginLeft="5" marginRight="5" />
+      </StackLayout>
+      
+      <StackLayout orientation="horizontal" marginTop="5" marginBottom="5" horizontalAlignment="center" paddingLeft="5" paddingRight="5">>
+        <Button text="Sequence" width="80" marginLeft="5" marginRight="5" tap="onSequence" />
+        <Button text="Interrupted" width="80" marginLeft="5" marginRight="5" tap="onInterrupted" />
+      </StackLayout>
+      
+    </StackLayout>
+    <AbsoluteLayout id="panel1" backgroundColor="Yellow" width="300" height="190" clipToBounds="true" marginTop="10">
+      <Button id="button1" text="Button 1" backgroundColor="White" width="180" height="50" left="60" top="10" tap="onTap" borderWidth="1" borderColor="red" />
+      <Button id="button2" text="Button 2" backgroundColor="White" width="180" height="50" left="60" top="70" tap="onTap" borderWidth="1" borderColor="red" />
+      <Button id="button3" text="Button 3" backgroundColor="White" width="180" height="50" left="60" top="130" tap="onTap" borderWidth="1" borderColor="red" />
+    </AbsoluteLayout>
+  </StackLayout>
+</Page> 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/model.ts b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/model.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8123a1c26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/model.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import observable = require("data/observable");
+
+export class ViewModel extends observable.Observable {
+    constructor() {
+        super();
+
+        this._duration = 3000;
+        this._iterations = 1;
+    }
+
+    private _playSequentially: boolean;
+    get playSequentially(): boolean {
+        return this._playSequentially;
+    }
+    set playSequentially(value: boolean) {
+        this._playSequentially = value;
+        this.notify({ object: this, eventName: observable.Observable.propertyChangeEvent, propertyName: "playSequentially", value: value });
+    }
+
+    private _duration: number;
+    get duration(): number {
+        return this._duration;
+    }
+    set duration(value: number) {
+        this._duration = value;
+        this.notify({ object: this, eventName: observable.Observable.propertyChangeEvent, propertyName: "duration", value: value });
+    }
+
+    private _iterations: number;
+    get iterations(): number {
+        return this._iterations;
+    }
+    set iterations(value: number) {
+        this._iterations = value;
+        this.notify({ object: this, eventName: observable.Observable.propertyChangeEvent, propertyName: "iterations", value: value });
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/opacity.css b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/opacity.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cc08e1485
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/opacity.css
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+.complex {
+    width: 45;
+    height: 45;
+    margin: 1;
+    background-image: url('~/gallery-app/animations/bkg.png'); 
+    background-repeat:repeat-x; 
+    background-position: 20% 80%; 
+    background-color: lightyellow; 
+    background-size: 25% 50%; 
+    border-radius: 20; 
+    border-width: 4; 
+    border-color: red;
+}
+
+.simple {
+    width: 45;
+    height: 45;
+    margin: 1;
+    border-radius: 20;
+    background-color: lightgreen; 
+}
+
+.none {
+    width: 45;
+    height: 45;
+    margin: 1;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/opacity.ts b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/opacity.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b9e6d8de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/opacity.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import observable = require("data/observable");
+import pages = require("ui/page");
+import view = require("ui/core/view");
+import animationModule = require("ui/animation");
+import slider = require("ui/slider");
+import wrapLayout = require("ui/layouts/wrap-layout");
+
+var page: pages.Page;
+var opacitySlider: slider.Slider;
+var container: wrapLayout.WrapLayout; 
+
+export function pageLoaded(args: observable.EventData) {
+    page = <pages.Page>args.object;
+    opacitySlider = page.getViewById<slider.Slider>("opacitySlider");
+    container = page.getViewById<wrapLayout.WrapLayout>("container");
+}
+
+export function onSetOpacity(args: observable.EventData) {
+    var newOpacity = opacitySlider.value / 100;
+    container.eachChildView((view: view.View) => {
+        view.opacity = newOpacity;
+        return true;
+    });
+}
+
+var animationSet: animationModule.Animation;
+export function onAnimateOpacity(args: observable.EventData) {
+    var newOpacity = opacitySlider.value / 100;
+    var animationDefinitions = new Array<animationModule.AnimationDefinition>();
+    container.eachChildView((view: view.View) => {
+        animationDefinitions.push({
+            target: view,
+            opacity: newOpacity,
+            duration: 5000
+        });
+        return true;
+    });
+
+    animationSet = new animationModule.Animation(animationDefinitions);
+    animationSet.play();
+}
+
+export function onReset(args: observable.EventData) {
+    if (animationSet.isPlaying) {
+        animationSet.cancel();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/opacity.xml b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/opacity.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a7dd16d3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/opacity.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+<Page xmlns="http://schemas.nativescript.org/tns.xsd" loaded="pageLoaded" id="opacityPage">
+  <StackLayout orientation="vertical">
+    <StackLayout orientation="vertical">
+      <Label text="opacity" width="180" />
+      <Slider id="opacitySlider" minValue="0" maxValue="100" width="180" />
+      <Button text="Set" tap="onSetOpacity"/>
+      <Button text="Animate" tap="onAnimateOpacity"/>
+      <Button text="Reset" tap="onReset"/>
+    </StackLayout>
+    <WrapLayout orientation="horizontal" id="container">
+      
+      <StackLayout class="complex"/>
+      <Button text="Button" class="complex"/>
+      <Label text="Label" class="complex"/>
+      <Image src="~/test-icon.png" class="complex"/>
+      <TextField text="TextField" class="complex"/>
+      <TextView text="TextView" class="complex"/>
+
+      <StackLayout class="simple"/>
+      <Button text="Button" class="simple"/>
+      <Label text="Label" class="simple"/>
+      <Image src="~/test-icon.png" class="simple"/>
+      <TextField text="TextField" class="simple"/>
+      <TextView text="TextView" class="simple"/>
+
+      <StackLayout class="none"/>
+      <Button text="Button" class="none"/>
+      <Label text="Label" class="none"/>
+      <Image src="~/test-icon.png" class="none"/>
+      <TextField text="TextField" class="none"/>
+      <TextView text="TextView" class="none"/>
+
+    </WrapLayout>
+  </StackLayout>
+</Page> 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/package.json b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..be8391bcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+{ "name" : "animations",
+  "main" : "app.js" }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/test-icon.png b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/test-icon.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bf42af4ae
Binary files /dev/null and b/apps/app/gallery-app/animations/test-icon.png differ
diff --git a/apps/app/gallery-app/main-page.xml b/apps/app/gallery-app/main-page.xml
index 5262bcabb..312610b4a 100644
--- a/apps/app/gallery-app/main-page.xml
+++ b/apps/app/gallery-app/main-page.xml
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@
         <Button tag="views/list-picker" text="ListPicker" tap="itemTap" />
         <Button tag="views/segmented-bar" text="SegmentedBar" tap="itemTap" />
       </StackLayout>
+
+      <Label class="title" text="Animations" />
+      <StackLayout>
+        <Button tag="animations/configurable" text="configurable" tap="itemTap" />
+        <Button tag="animations/opacity" text="opacity" tap="itemTap" />
+      </StackLayout>
     </StackLayout>
   </ScrollView>
 </Page>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/data/observable/observable.d.ts b/tns-core-modules/data/observable/observable.d.ts
index 30a12e9d4..c26c62bd0 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/data/observable/observable.d.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/data/observable/observable.d.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@ declare module "data/observable" {
      * Observable is used when you want to be notified when a change occurs. Use on/off methods to add/remove listener.
      */
     class Observable {
+
+        /**
+         * Please note that should you be using the `new Observable({})` constructor, it is **obsolete** since v3.0,
+         * and you have to migrate to the "data/observable" `fromObject({})` or the `fromObjectRecursive({})` functions.
+         */
+        constructor();
+
         /**
          * String value used when hooking to propertyChange event.
          */
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/ui/core/view-common.ts b/tns-core-modules/ui/core/view-common.ts
index f0e55d371..c0f3453e7 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/ui/core/view-common.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/ui/core/view-common.ts
@@ -1250,16 +1250,8 @@ export namespace VerticalAlignment {
     export const BOTTOM: "bottom" = "bottom";
     export const STRETCH: "stretch" = "stretch";
     export const isValid = makeValidator<VerticalAlignment>(TOP, MIDDLE, BOTTOM, STRETCH);
-    export const parse = value => {
-        const lower = value && value.toLowerCase();
-        if (lower === "canter") {
-            return MIDDLE;
-        } else if (isValid(lower)) {
-            return lower;
-        } else {
-            throw new Error("Invalid value: " + value);
-        }
-    }
+    export const parse = (value: string) => value.toLowerCase() === "center" ? MIDDLE : parseStrict(value);
+    const parseStrict = makeParser<VerticalAlignment>(isValid);
 }
 
 export const verticalAlignmentProperty = new CssProperty<Style, VerticalAlignment>({ name: "verticalAlignment", cssName: "vertical-align", defaultValue: VerticalAlignment.STRETCH, affectsLayout: isIOS, valueConverter: VerticalAlignment.parse });
@@ -2025,7 +2017,8 @@ export namespace Visibility {
     export const HIDDEN: "hidden" = "hidden";
     export const COLLAPSE: "collapse" = "collapse";
     export const isValid = makeValidator<Visibility>(VISIBLE, HIDDEN, COLLAPSE);
-    export const parse = makeParser<Visibility>(isValid);
+    export const parse = (value: string) => value.toLowerCase() === "collapsed" ? COLLAPSE : parseStrict(value);
+    const parseStrict = makeParser<Visibility>(isValid);
 }
 
 export const visibilityProperty = new CssProperty<Style, Visibility>({