ActiveReports.NET v20 Has Released

February 23 2026

Hello developers! We're excited to announce that ActiveReports.NET v20 has been released! This update brings exciting new features, including some highly requested ones.

Want to Try Out the Latest Release? Download ActiveReports.NET Today!

Smart Data Regions

AI Data Regions

Smart Data Regions helps you get from “I have the data” to “I have a solid first draft” without spending a bunch of time dragging fields around and trying different layouts. It lets both developers and end-users generate common data regions such as Tables, Tablix, and Charts using AI.

The workflow is simple:

Pick your fields (dimensions, measures, categories, whatever makes sense for your dataset).
Generate suggestions. ActiveReports analyzes the selected fields and produces multiple reasonable region options, based on common patterns for grouping, aggregation, and visualization.
Choose and insert. Each suggestion includes a short description so you can quickly compare options, then add the one you want directly to the report and refine it as needed.

The result is a set of ready-to-use configurations, not just a single guess. You’ll see a variety of region types and layouts (different groupings, table vs chart options, alternative category/series combinations), so you can pick the approach that matches what you’re trying to communicate.

Check out the Smart Data Regions in ActiveReports.NET blog for a deeper walkthrough.

Opt-in by design: All AI features in ActiveReports are completely optional. Nothing is enabled by default, and no AI functionality is included in your project unless you explicitly add and configure it.

AI Image to Report

AI Picture to Report

AI Image to Report lets you jump from a static image to an editable ActiveReports report layout in minutes. Drop in an image of an existing report, either a screenshot or even a photo of a printed page, and ActiveReports uses Azure Document Intelligence to interpret what’s on the page and generate a report layout that closely matches the original.

It’s a practical shortcut when you’re starting from something that already exists:

Mock-ups and design comps: turn a Figma export, PDF screenshot, or stakeholder mock-up into a real report you can iterate on.
Legacy or “found” reports: recreate older internal reports without starting from a blank canvas.
Platform migrations: use a screenshot of a report from another reporting tool as a fast starting point, then refine styling, data bindings, and layout details in ActiveReports.

You’ll still have full control after the import, so you can tweak spacing, fonts, groupings, and data regions to match your standards and data model.

Reworked Code-Based Section Report Designer

Yes, you heard it right! Changes in the WinForms SDK from .NET Framework to .NET Core rendered the Code-Based Section Report Designer inoperable without an annoying rework for quite some time. We expected changes for a long time that would make it operable again, but those changes kept getting pushed off, so this year we finally decided to stop holding our breath and rework the designer from the ground up.

Reworked Code-Based Section Report Designer

The result: the new Code-Based Section Report Designer fully supports .NET Core and the latest .NET releases, with no special workarounds required.

Report Snapshots (.rdlx-snap)

ActiveReports.NET v20 adds Report Snapshots with the new .rdlx-snap format. A snapshot is a pre-rendered report that captures the layout and the data exactly as they were at generation time. Because it’s already rendered, you can open it later without reconnecting to your database, which makes it a solid fit for archiving, compliance/audit trails, and offline distribution.

Snapshots work with the same tools you already use: you can view, export, and print them through the standard ActiveReports APIs. For the step-by-step setup and code details, see the Working with Snapshots documentation.

This unlocks some nice “generate once, consume many times” workflows. For example, you can render a batch of large reports on a schedule, store the snapshots, and let stakeholders open them instantly in the viewer on demand, without putting extra load on your data source. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

.NET 10 and Visual Studio 2026 Support

.NET 10 Support

This update brings support for Microsoft’s latest releases, .NET 10 and Visual Studio 2026. We'd also like to announce that going forward, we will be providing an update for the latest .NET and Visual Studio versions every November or early December in the form of a Service Pack or Hotfix, so our users don’t need to wait for our next major release to stay up-to-date with the latest from Microsoft.

Visual Studio Integrated Designer Icon Refresh

The Visual Studio integrated designer has received a visual overhaul to match the aesthetics of modern development environments. We have redesigned the Toolbox and Toolbar icons with a cleaner, high-contrast style. This refresh improves icon legibility and visual clarity, making it easier to identify controls and tools while designing reports within Visual Studio.

Marquee Zoom Tool

Navigating large or complex report layouts is now faster and more precise. ActiveReports.NET v20 introduces the Marquee Zoom mode for all report types. Similar to the experience in Adobe Acrobat, this tool lets you click and drag a rectangular selection on the design surface to instantly zoom into that specific area for detailed editing.

High-Performance Direct2D Printing

ActiveReports.NET v20 upgrades desktop printing with a new Direct2D rendering pipeline, delivering faster processing and sharper output for RDLX and CrossPlatform Section Reports. See the Print Reports page for more information.

Automatic Image Orientation

The new ApplyExifOrientation property simplifies image handling by automatically respecting EXIF orientation metadata. This ensures that photos captured on mobile devices or digital cameras display with the correct rotation, eliminating the need for manual pre-processing. The new property is available on the RDLX Image Item and the Section Report Picture Control.

PDF Custom Properties

PDF export capabilities have been expanded to include user-defined Custom Properties. For the API details, refer to the RDLX Reports PDF Export and Section Reports PDF Export documentation.

Conclusion

ActiveReports.NET v20 is a release that focuses on real-world developer workflows: accelerating layout creation with AI-assisted data regions, jumpstarting designs from existing artifacts with Image to Report, restoring full support for code-based section reports on modern .NET, and improving performance and compatibility across the board.

From report snapshots and Direct2D printing to .NET 10 support and quality-of-life enhancements in the designer, this version is built to reduce friction in your day-to-day development while giving you more control over how reports are generated, stored, rendered, and distributed. If you’re building reporting into serious .NET applications, v20 is designed to help you ship faster, modernize confidently, and maintain long-term stability without sacrificing flexibility.

Want to Try Out the Latest Release? Download ActiveReports.NET Today!