Spread Windows Forms 18 Product Documentation

Working with Shapes in Code

There are several built-in shapes for you to use on a sheet. Each shape can be rotated and resized, and their ability to be rotated and resized by the end user can be constrained. When selected, the shape has resize handles with which you can adjust the size and a rotate handle with which you can rotate the shape.

Colors, shadows, and transparency can be adjusted. Most users find it easy to create and place the shapes using Spread Designer.

You may also create and place shapes using code. Besides working with shapes from Spread Designer, you can also add and remove shapes programmatically. You can perform the following work with shapes using the corresponding methods in the SheetView class:

Add a shape in code using the AddShape method
Remove a shape using the RemoveShape method
Remove all the shapes using the ClearShapes method
Get a shape using the GetShape method

To add a shape using code, refer to the DrawingSpace namespace and select the particular shape and define its properties using code. While there is much flexibility in setting up shapes, there are some limitations. These are listed in the Assembly Reference in the topics for the shape methods and classes. For example, for the LineShape class, the maximum thickness for a line is 64 pixels.

Example

This example constructs a basic rectangle shape with default properties and adds the shape the active sheet.

fpSpread1.ActiveSheet.AddShape(new FarPoint.Win.Spread.DrawingSpace.RectangleShape());

FpSpread1.ActiveSheet.AddShape(New FarPoint.Win.Spread.DrawingSpace.RectangleShape())

Example

The following example creates a shape with custom settings.

// Create a new shape.
FarPoint.Win.Spread.DrawingSpace.RectangleShape rShape = new FarPoint.Win.Spread.DrawingSpace.RectangleShape();
// Assign a name, overriding the unique default assigned name.
// All shape names within a sheet must be unique.
rShape.Name = "rShape1";
// Assign a location at which to start the display of the shape.
rShape.Top = 20;
rShape.Left = 60;
// Alternatively, you could set the Location property
// with a Point object as in:
// rShape.Location = new Point(20, 60);

// Assign a custom fill color to the shape.
rShape.BackColor = Color.Blue;
// Assign a size to the shape.
rShape.Width = 100;
rShape.Height = 100;
// Alternatively, you could set the Size property
// with a Size object as in:
// rShape.Size = new Size(100, 100);
// Add the shape to the sheet so that it appears on that sheet.
fpSpread1.ActiveSheet.AddShape(rShape);

' Create a shape.
Dim rShape As New FarPoint.Win.Spread.DrawingSpace.RectangleShape()
' Assign a name, overriding the unique default assigned name.
' All shape names within a sheet must be unique.
rShape.Name = "rShape1"
' Assign a location at which to start the display of the shape.
rShape.Top = 20
rShape.Left = 60
' Alternatively, you could set the Location property
' with a Point object as in:
' rShape.Location = New Point(20, 60)

' Assign a custom fill color to the shape.
rShape.BackColor = Color.Blue
' Assign a size to the shape.
rShape.Width = 100
rShape.Height = 100
' Alternatively, you could set the Size property
' with a Size object as in:
' rShape.Size = New Size(100, 100)
' Add the shape to the sheet so that it appears on that sheet.
FpSpread1.ActiveSheet.AddShape(rShape)

Working with Shapes in Code

See Also