{"id":1504,"date":"2016-05-20T14:08:08","date_gmt":"2016-05-20T14:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mindfusion.eu\/blog\/?p=1504"},"modified":"2021-01-20T17:31:29","modified_gmt":"2021-01-20T17:31:29","slug":"mindfusion-winforms-pack-2016-r2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindfusion.dev\/blog\/mindfusion-winforms-pack-2016-r2\/","title":{"rendered":"MindFusion.WinForms Pack, 2016.R2"},"content":{"rendered":"

MindFusion suite of WinForms controls has just been released and boasts a variety of new features to make you build WinForms applications faster and easier. Here is a review of the new version:<\/p>\n

\"MindFusion MindFusion.Charting<\/strong><\/p>\n

New data model<\/strong><\/p>\n

Data that should be drawn in charts is read through an interface called Series<\/a>, whose instances can be assigned to the Series<\/a> properties of Chart<\/a> and SeriesRenderer<\/a> classes. You can implement this interface in your own model classes to avoid duplicating data. The library includes several pre-defined series classes that let you specify data via IList or array objects.<\/p>\n

\"Different

The new data model allows adding different series types to a single plot<\/p><\/div>\n

New rendering model<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chart graphics are drawn inside Plot<\/a> components by SeriesRenderer<\/a>-derived objects. Each plot can contain multiple series renderers from same or different types. For example, you can draw area, line and bar graphics in same plot by adding AreaRenderer<\/a>, LineRenderer<\/a> and BarRenderer<\/a> objects to its SeriesRenderers<\/a> collection. Chart controls automatically generate a series renderer of appropriate type for their Series<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dashboard<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dashboard<\/a> control can contain multiple plots, axes, legends, images, gauges and text blocks arranged in dynamic layout. Individual components can be added to dashboard’s default RootPanel<\/a> or LayoutPanel<\/a> containers, or for more complex layouts add intermediary panels such as GridPanel<\/a> and StackPanel<\/a> to the default ones. To show different types of chart graphics, add Plot2D<\/a> to draw in 2D Cartesian coordinate system, Plot3D<\/a> for 3D Cartesian system, and PolarPlot<\/a> for polar coordinate system. To draw horizontal or vertical axes, add respectively XAxisRenderer<\/a> and YAxisRenderer<\/a> objects. To show gauges, add LinearGaugeRenderer<\/a> or OvalGaugeRenderer<\/a>, whose Gauge<\/a> property contains the gauge model definition.<\/p>\n

\"The

The new WinForms Chart has a built-in dashboard control.<\/p><\/div>\n

Print and export<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Dashboard<\/a> control and Chart<\/a> controls that derive from it expose Print<\/a> and PrintPreview<\/a> methods for printing on paper. Call the ExportImage<\/a> and CreateImage<\/a> methods to generate bitmap image of the dashboard. The ExportPdf<\/a> method exports the chart to a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. The ExportSvg<\/a> method exports the chart to an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) file.<\/p>\n

Styling<\/strong><\/p>\n

Values of appearance properties can come from several places in the component hierarchy. SeriesRenderer<\/a>-derived objects can use attributes from their local SeriesStyle<\/a>, from plot’s SeriesStyle<\/a>, or from the *Series properties in current Theme<\/a>. Component<\/a> classes use either their local properties or ones defined in the theme. By default, appearance properties in SeriesRenderer > and Component > classes have null values, which makes the drawing code use values from the theme.<\/p>\n

\"A

A rich choice of styling options are available<\/p><\/div>\n

\"MindFusion MindFusion.Diagramming<\/strong><\/p>\n

Free-form nodes<\/strong><\/p>\n

A FreeFormNode<\/a> collects all points from users’ mouse or touch input and displays them as node’s outline. To let users draw free-form nodes interactively, set Behavior<\/a> to DrawFreeForms<\/a> or LinkFreeForms. Use the Points<\/a> property of FreeFormNode to get or set outline points programmatically. If the Closed<\/a> property is set, the node is drawn as a closed shape and its interior filled, or otherwise the node is drawn as a poly-line. If the distance between first and last points drawn by user is shorter than AutoCloseDistance<\/a>, the node’s Closed property is automatically set to true.<\/p>\n

\"Free

Free form nodes: just draw the node with the mouse and the control understands the shape you want<\/p><\/div>\n

LinkLabel edit events<\/strong><\/p>\n

LinkTextEditing<\/a> and LinkTextEdited<\/a> events are now raised also when the user edits a LinkLabel<\/a>. The Label<\/a> property of the respective event-arguments class identifies the LinkLabel that is being edited. Label<\/a> is a null reference if the user is editing link’s Text<\/a> value.<\/p>\n

\"keyboard16x16\"MindFusion Virtual Keyboard<\/strong><\/p>\n

MindFusion Virtual Keyboard has been initially added to MindFusion Pack for WinForms.<\/p>\n

\"The

The WinForms virtual keyboard control: extended layout<\/p><\/div>\n

\"WPFMindFusion.Reporting<\/strong><\/p>\n

Improved charts<\/strong>
\nMindFusion.Reporting now uses the new MindFusion charting engine to display charts in reports. The presentation of the charts has been greatly improved (particularly when resizing the charts).<\/p>\n

\"Pie

Pie charts in a WinForms report<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Spreadsheet-16x16\"MindFusion.Spreadsheet<\/strong><\/p>\n

New and improved charts<\/strong>
\nMindFusion.Spreadsheet now uses the new MindFusion charting engine to display charts in worksheets. Along with the improved appearance (particularly when resizing the charts), the following new features have been added:<\/p>\n