Diagramming for WinForms, V6.3.2

We have released a new version of the popular FlowChart.NET diagramming component. Here is an overview of the newly added features:

Support for Microsoft Visio stencils

You can now display shapes from stencil files in Visio 2003 XML stencil format (.vsx) into your FlowChart.NET diagrams. To load a stencil file, use an instance of the VisioStencil class. The shapes are displayed in the diagram through VisioNode objects. It’s very easy to associate a stencil shape with the node – just create an instance of the VisioContent class and assign it to the node’s Content property.

Note: Standard stencils installed with Visio are copyrighted by Microsoft, and you should not use them in your application. This feature is intended to let you use public domain stencils, or commercial clipart you have purchased a license for.

Diagramming for WinForms Visio import and export classes do not support VisioNodes yet; this will be implemented in future releases.

Visio Stencil Shapes

Visio Stencil Shapes

License keys

MindFusion no longer supports separate trial and licensed builds of the control assemblies. Instead, set the DiagramView.LicenseKey property to disable the component’s evaluation mode and stop displaying trial messages. If your application contains more than one DiagramView instance or other MindFusion components, you could call MindFusion.Licensing.LicenseManager.AddLicense(key) from application start-up code to specify the key once instead of setting it per each control. License key strings are now listed on the Keys & Downloads page at MindFusion’s customer portal.

Miscellaneous

  • You can specify the maximum tab size in TabbedDiagramView with the new MaxTabSize property.
  • The type of LinkLabel.Margin property has been changed from float to Thickness.
  • Initial state of PrintPreviewEx landscape button now corresponds to value of PageSettings.Landscape property.
  • ChangeUnit now also scales child elements of nodes such as TableNode cells and TreeViewNode items.
  • as well other new features and improvements. Read the full list here.

The trial version is available for direct download from the link below:

Diagramming for WinForms, V6.3.2 Trial Version Download

Your comments and feedback about the new version is welcomed. You can use the Diagramming for WinForms forum, the help desk or write us at support@mindfusion.eu. Our support team will be pleased to help you.

About MindFusion.Diagramming for WinForms: A programming component that provides any WinForms application with a full set of features for creating and customizing all types of diagrams, flowcharts, schemes, hierarchies, trees, graphs etc. The control provides numerous ways to save and load a diagram, six auxiliary controls and more than 12 automatic graph layout algorithms. Diagram elements include scrollable tables, container nodes, multi-segment arrows, custom diagram item types and many more. Further details here.

Diagramming for WinForms is a royalty-free component, clients get 12 month upgrade subscription when buying a license. The source code is also available for purchase. Visit the buy page for a list with the current license prices.

Diagramming for Java, V4.1

We have released a new version of Diagramming for Java Swing. Here is an overview of the new features:

Tree map layout
Tree maps represent hierarchies by nesting child nodes within their parents, where the areas of leaf nodes are proportional to their Weight values. Unlike other layout algorithms, TreeMapLayout expects hierarchies to be defined via grouping or containment (see AttachTo method and ContainerNode class), and will ignore any links in the diagram. The diagram area covered by the topmost nodes in a hierarchy is specified via the LayoutArea property. By default, the layout tries to keep the ratio of node sides as close as possible to one.

The tree map layout.

The tree map layout.

Decision flowchart layout
DecisionLayout arranges simple flowcharts consisting of decision boxes with up to three outgoing links per node and activity boxes with a single outgoing link per node. The nodes are arranged in columns and rows, whose distance depends on the HorizontalPadding and VerticalPadding property values. When links share the same row or column, they are placed at a distance specified via LinkPadding. The layout arranges nodes recursively starting from StartNode.

The decision layout.

The decision layout.

Composite nodes
The CompositeNode class implements nodes whose appearance can be defined via composition of components and layout containers. The content of a composite node can be loaded from XML files similar to .NET Xaml templates and Android XML layouts. Read further details about composite nodes in JDiagram here.

Export of Visio 2013 files
You can now export the content of Diagram and DiagramDocument objects to Visio 2013 VSDX files. First, you must import the com.mindfusion.diagramming.export namespace. Currently, the exporter supports shapes from Visio basic stencil. Support for more shapes will be added upon request.

A network diagram build with Diagramming for Java. See the sample online.

A network diagram build with Diagramming for Java. See the sample online.

Miscellaneous

  • Improved PdfExporter performance.
  • VisioImporter now supports Visio group shapes. Child shapes in groups are no longer lost when
    importing, and their corresponding diagram nodes are attached to the corresponding group node.

The trial version is available for download from the following link:

Download MindFusion.Diagramming for Java Swing, V4.1 Trial Version

Technical support
MindFusion puts special effort in providing high quality technical support to all its clients and evaluators. You can post your questions about Diagramming for Java or any other of our components at the forum, help desk or at support@mindfusion.eu. All support inquiries are usually answered within hours of being received.

About Diagramming for Java Swing: MindFusion.Diagramming for Java Swing provides your Java application with all necessary functionality to create and customize a diagram. The library is very easy to integrate and program. There are numerous utility methods, rich event set, more than 100 predefined shapes. The tool supports a variety of ways to render or export the diagram, advanced node types like TreeView nodes, hierarchical nodes, tables, container nodes and many more. There are 15 automatic layouts, various input / output options and fully customizable appearance. A detailed list with JDiagram’s features is uploaded here. You can check the online demo to see some of the functionality implemented.

Diagramming for Java Swing is royalty free, there are no distribution fees. Licenses depend on the count of developers using the tool – check here the prices.

Diagramming for Wpf, V3.0.5

MindFusion has released Diagramming for WPF, V3.0.5. Here is an overview of the new as well improved features:

Export of Visio 2013 files
You can now export the content of your Diagram and DiagramDocument objects to Visio 2013 VSDX files. In order to use the exporter, you must add a reference to the MindFusion.Diagramming.Wpf.VisioExport.dll assembly. Currently, the exporter supports shapes from the basic Visio stencil. Support for more shapes will be added upon request.

Visio2013Importer improvements

  • The importer now supports Visio group shapes. Child shapes in groups are no longer lost when importing, and their corresponding diagram nodes are attached to the corresponding group node.
  • Visio NURBS curves are now imported as Bezier-style links
  • Shapes with a ‘hidden’ attribute in master definition are now imported as invisible items.
  • The Item argument of ImportItem event handlers is now pre-set to a DiagramItem instance created for the imported Visio shape, letting you avoid parsing some standard data such as Bounds or Text. You can either modify this item’s properties, or replace it with a new instance of a different type.
  • as well a few bug fixes – see the list here.
Labels at diagram links

Labels at diagram links

Miscellaneous

  • the SetSelfLoopShape event is raised when a link becomes a self-loop, giving you a chance to set
    a custom shape for the link.
  • LinkLabels are now copied by DiagramLink copy constructor and clipboard methods.
  • Fixed LinkLabel positioning along Bezier links.
  • as well othrer new features – see further details here.

API changes
We have made a few API changes, please check them at the news page in the Diagramming for WPF discussion board.

You can download the trial version of the software from this link:

Download MindFusion.Diagramming for WPF 3.0.5

The download contains all runtime libraries of the control, various samples for different .NET versions, extensive desktop documentation and step-by-step tutorials.

If you face difficulties installing or using Diagramming for Wpf, please contact MindFusion support team per e-mail or phone. You can also use the forum or help desk. Most support inquiries are answered within hours of receiving them.

About MindFusion.Diagramming for Wpf: Designed and developed to be easy to integrate, use, and customize, this native WPF component places at your disposal every single feature you would ever need to create flowcharts, diagrams, graphs, schemes, DB relationships, trees and many more. Its long list of style options gives you complete control over the appearance of the diagram. With a set of eight automatic layouts you are sure to choose the best arrangement for your items and make the diagram easy to comprehend.

The control boasts a long list of events, properties and methods for user interaction, item creation,
data input and output. You can read the full features list here. The online demo shows samples that demonstrate various capabilities of the control. The licensing scheme and prices are uploaded at the buy page. Source code is also available.

MindFusion.Diagramming for ASP.NET MVC, V2.0

MindFusion has released Diagramming for ASP.NET MVC, V2.0 with an impressive list of new features. Here is an overview of the most important of them:

Undo/redo support
If you set the UndoEnabled property to true, the Diagram control tracks changes done to its items and you can undo and redo them later by calling the undo() and redo() methods respectively. You can record multiple changes as a single undoable operation by enclosing them between startCompositeOperation() and commitCompositeOperation() calls. You can also create custom undoable operations.

Animations
You can animate diagram items with the new Animation class in the MindFusion.Animations namespace. The class implements several built-in animation and easing types, and you can define custom animation functions as well.

Animations

Animations

Clipboard support
A set of new methods – copyToClipboard, cutToClipboard and pasteFromClipboard make it possible to use clipboard operations on a single item or a selection of items.

Swimlanes
The lane grid lets you emphasize the relationship between a group of diagram items by displaying them in a distinct lane or cell within the grid. To display the lane grid set the EnableLanes property of the Diagram class to true. The various attributes exposed by the LaneGrid property let you customize the grid – you can specify the number of rows and columns, add headers, customize the cell appearance, etc.

A diagram with swimlanes.

A diagram with swimlanes.

Resize of multiple nodes
The new AllowMultipleResize property lets you resize multiple selected nodes simultaneously. When the property is enabled, dragging a corner or side adjustment handle of any node resizes all nodes in the selection. You can cancel the operation.

Magnifier
The new magnifier tool lets users zoom in or out portions of the diagram by holding down a modifier key or pressing a mouse button. The magnifier’s appearance – its zoom factor, shape, size, frame color – can be customized with properties.

The Magnifier Tool

The Magnifier Tool

Intellisense support
The package includes a MindFusion.Diagramming-vsdoc.js file that provides code completion information. To load it in Visual Studio, add e /// tag to the top of your script files. Use the static Diagram.create and Diagram.find methods instead of $create and $find to let Visual Studio infer the type of returned Diagram objects correctly.

Export of Visio 2013 files
You can export the content of Diagram and DiagramDocument objects to Visio 2013 VSDX files. In order to use the exporter, add a reference to the MindFusion.Diagramming.Export.Visio.dll assembly. Currently, the exporter supports shapes from Visio basic stencil. Support for more shapes will be added upon request.

Improvements in the Visio2013Importer

  • The importer now supports Visio group shapes. Child shapes in groups are no longer lost when importing, and their corresponding diagram nodes are attached to the corresponding group node.
  • Visio NURBS curves are now imported as Bezier-style links.
  • Fix for importing connectors with applied rotation transform.
  • Shapes with a ‘hidden’ attribute in master definition are now imported as invisible items.

Headers and footers in PDF
The PdfExporter can add headers and footers to the exported pages. Use the HeaderFormat, HeaderFont, FooterFormat and FooterFont properties to customize the header and the footer.

Miscellaneous
Set the ModificationStart property to AutoHandles to let users start moving or resizing an item without selecting it first.

  • The diagram area can be resized automatically to fit the current diagram items as set through the AutoResize property.
  • The AutoScroll property enables automatic scrolling when the mouse is dragged near the diagram edges.
  • enterInplaceEditMode and leaveInplaceEditMode events raised when the control shows or hides the in-place edit box.
  • as well other new properties and features.

You can find further details about the release here. The trial version is available for download from the link below:

Download MindFusion.Diagramming for ASP.NET MVC, V2.0

MindFusion support team is happy to assist you with any questions you might have about Diagramming for ASP.NET MVC or any other of our products. You can leave a message at the discussion board, use the help desk or e-mail support@mindfusion.eu.. We strive to provide competent and detailed answers to your questions within hours of receiving them.

About Diagramming for ASP.NET MVC Control: It is a multi-purpose diagramming tool that consists of two parts: a .NET class library running on the server and a client side control implemented in JavaScript. The server side .NET library implements a flow-diagramming object model that lets you define structures such as trees, flowcharts and graphs. Every element in the diagram is easily accessible and the whole diagram is rendered as part of an HTML page by just calling the DiagramView extension method.

On the client the diagram is rendered by a DiagramView JavaScript control that draws its content on an HTML Canvas. The user is able to add nodes and links simply by drawing them with the mouse. There is also a NodeListView control, which lets users create new nodes via drag and drop.

MvcDiagram also supports various automatic layout algorithms that will make every diagram easy to understand and nice to look at. The diagram can also be easily serialized in binary or XML format. Exporting is done in a variety of formats including Pdf, Svg, Visio and more. You can read details about the components at the MvcDiagram features page.

MindFusion.Spreadsheet: Convert XLSX to PDF

In this blog we will discuss how to convert an existing XSLX file to PDF using MindFusion.Spreadsheet for WinForms.

Introduction

As with all previous blogs we start off by creating a new Windows Forms Application in Visual Studio and adding a WorkbookView control to the main form. The WorkbookView displays a Workbook with a single worksheet.

Importing the XLSX file

In MindFusion.Spreadsheet XLSX files are imported using instances of the ExcelImporter class. For the purposes of this blog we will import an existing report.xlsx file, contained in the zip of the sample. To import this file, use the following code:

var importer = new ExcelImporter();
importer.Import(Path.Combine(path, "report.xlsx"), workbook1);

Creating the PDF

To create a PDF file from the imported worksheet, create an instance of the PdfExprter class and call its Export method:

var exporter = new PdfExporter();
exporter.EnableGridLines = true;
exporter.Export(workbook1.Worksheets[0], Path.Combine(path, "report.pdf"));

The following image illustrates the result of the conversion:

spreadsheet-pdfexport

The source code of the sample is available for download from here:

https://mindfusion.eu/_samples/SpreadsheetConvertPdf.zip

The trial version of MindFusion.Spreadsheet for WinForms can be downloaded from here:

Download MindFusion.Spreadsheet for WinForms Trial Version

About MindFusion.Spreadsheet for WinForms: A powerful .NET spreadsheet component with great capabilities for editing, styling and formatting large amounts of data.