CustomDrawCrosshairEventArgs.CrosshairElementGroups Property

Provides access to the settings of crosshair elements and crosshair group header elements to customize their appearance.

Namespace: DevExpress.XtraCharts

Assembly: DevExpress.XtraCharts.v24.1.dll

NuGet Package: DevExpress.Charts

Declaration

C#

public IList<CrosshairElementGroup> CrosshairElementGroups { get; }

VB.NET

Public ReadOnly Property CrosshairElementGroups As IList(Of CrosshairElementGroup)

Property Value

Type	Description
IList<CrosshairElementGroup>	An object implementing the System.Collections.IList interface that represents the CrosshairElementGroup collection.

Remarks

Use the CrosshairElementGroups property to get access to the settings of a crosshair element group when handling the ChartControl.CustomDrawCrosshair event. After that, you can access the appearance settings of crosshair elements using the CrosshairElementGroup.CrosshairElements property and crosshair group header elements using the CrosshairElementGroup.HeaderElement property.

Examples

How to Custom Draw a Crosshair Cursor

This example shows how to use the ChartControl.CustomDrawCrosshair event to create a custom appearance for the crosshair cursor. This event is invoked when you select the Custom Draw Crosshair Cursor check box.

If you wish to display crosshair axis lines and labels on a chart before custom drawing the crosshair cursor, set the CrosshairOptions.ShowArgumentLine, CrosshairOptions.ShowArgumentLabels, CrosshairOptions.ShowValueLabels and CrosshairOptions.ShowValueLine properties to true.

Note that the crosshair cursor customization is available for the CrosshairOptions.SnapMode property set to NearestArgument.

View Example

Form1.cs

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using DevExpress.Drawing;
using DevExpress.XtraCharts;

namespace CustomDrawCrosshairCursor {
    public partial class Form1 : Form {
        public Form1() {
            InitializeComponent();
        }
        private void OnCheckEditCheckedChanged(object sender, EventArgs e) {
            if (checkEdit1.Checked)
                chartControl1.CustomDrawCrosshair += OnChartControlCustomDrawCrosshair;
            else 
                chartControl1.CustomDrawCrosshair -= OnChartControlCustomDrawCrosshair;               
        }

        private void OnChartControlCustomDrawCrosshair(object sender, CustomDrawCrosshairEventArgs e) {
            // Specify the crosshair argument line color, dash style and thickness.
            e.CrosshairLineElement.Color = Color.Green;
            e.CrosshairLineElement.LineStyle.DashStyle = DashStyle.DashDot;
            e.CrosshairLineElement.LineStyle.Thickness = 3;

            // Specify the back color for the crosshair argument axis label. 
            foreach (CrosshairAxisLabelElement axisLabelElement in e.CrosshairAxisLabelElements)
                axisLabelElement.BackColor = Color.Blue;

            foreach (CrosshairElementGroup group in e.CrosshairElementGroups) {
                CrosshairGroupHeaderElement groupHeaderElement = group.HeaderElement;

                // Specify the text, text color and font for the crosshair group header element. 
                groupHeaderElement.Text = "Custom draw";
                groupHeaderElement.TextColor = Color.Green;
                groupHeaderElement.DXFont = new DXFont("SegoeUI", 12, DXFontStyle.Bold);

                // Obtain the first series.
                CrosshairElement element = group.CrosshairElements[0];

                // Specify the color, dash style and thickness for the crosshair value lines. 
                element.LineElement.Color = Color.DarkViolet;
                element.LineElement.LineStyle.DashStyle = DashStyle.Dash;
                element.LineElement.LineStyle.Thickness = 2;

                // Specify the text color and back color for the crosshair value labels.
                element.AxisLabelElement.TextColor = Color.Red;
                element.AxisLabelElement.BackColor = Color.Yellow;

                // Format the text shown for the series in the crosshair cursor label. Specify the text color and marker size. 
                element.LabelElement.TextColor = Color.Red;
                element.LabelElement.MarkerSize = new Size(15, 15);
                element.LabelElement.Text = string.Format("{0}: A={1}; V={2}", element.Series.Name, element.SeriesPoint.Argument, element.SeriesPoint.Values[0]);
            }
        }
    }
}

Form1.vb

Imports System
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports DevExpress.Drawing
Imports DevExpress.XtraCharts

Namespace CustomDrawCrosshairCursor

    Public Partial Class Form1
        Inherits Form

        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
        End Sub

        Private Sub OnCheckEditCheckedChanged(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
            If checkEdit1.Checked Then
                AddHandler chartControl1.CustomDrawCrosshair, AddressOf OnChartControlCustomDrawCrosshair
            Else
                RemoveHandler chartControl1.CustomDrawCrosshair, AddressOf OnChartControlCustomDrawCrosshair
            End If
        End Sub

        Private Sub OnChartControlCustomDrawCrosshair(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As CustomDrawCrosshairEventArgs)
            ' Specify the crosshair argument line color, dash style and thickness.
            e.CrosshairLineElement.Color = Color.Green
            e.CrosshairLineElement.LineStyle.DashStyle = DashStyle.DashDot
            e.CrosshairLineElement.LineStyle.Thickness = 3
            ' Specify the back color for the crosshair argument axis label. 
            For Each axisLabelElement As CrosshairAxisLabelElement In e.CrosshairAxisLabelElements
                axisLabelElement.BackColor = Color.Blue
            Next

            For Each group As CrosshairElementGroup In e.CrosshairElementGroups
                Dim groupHeaderElement As CrosshairGroupHeaderElement = group.HeaderElement
                ' Specify the text, text color and font for the crosshair group header element. 
                groupHeaderElement.Text = "Custom draw"
                groupHeaderElement.TextColor = Color.Green
                groupHeaderElement.DXFont = New DXFont("SegoeUI", 12, DXFontStyle.Bold)
                ' Obtain the first series.
                Dim element As CrosshairElement = group.CrosshairElements(0)
                ' Specify the color, dash style and thickness for the crosshair value lines. 
                element.LineElement.Color = Color.DarkViolet
                element.LineElement.LineStyle.DashStyle = DashStyle.Dash
                element.LineElement.LineStyle.Thickness = 2
                ' Specify the text color and back color for the crosshair value labels.
                element.AxisLabelElement.TextColor = Color.Red
                element.AxisLabelElement.BackColor = Color.Yellow
                ' Format the text shown for the series in the crosshair cursor label. Specify the text color and marker size. 
                element.LabelElement.TextColor = Color.Red
                element.LabelElement.MarkerSize = New Size(15, 15)
                element.LabelElement.Text = String.Format("{0}: A={1}; V={2}", element.Series.Name, element.SeriesPoint.Argument, element.SeriesPoint.Values(0))
            Next
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

Draw a Custom Series Marker in the Crosshair

This example demonstrates how to use the ChartControl.CustomDrawCrosshair event to modify the legend markers of bar series.

View Example

To access crosshair element groups, use the CustomDrawCrosshairEventArgs.CrosshairElementGroups property. Elements are separated into several groups when crosshair labels are displayed for each pane.

Use the following properties to access crosshair elements and customize them:

CrosshairElementGroup.HeaderElement

Gets the settings of crosshair group header elements to customize their appearance.

CrosshairElementGroup.CrosshairElements

Gets the settings of crosshair elements (crosshair value lines, crosshair value labels, crosshair labels) to customize their appearance.

CrosshairElementBase.LabelElement

Returns the Crosshair Cursor‘s label element to change its settings when using the ChartControl.CustomDrawCrosshair event to modify the Crosshair’s appearance.

CrosshairElementBase.AxisLabelElement

Returns the Crosshair Cursor‘s axis label element to change its settings when using the ChartControl.CustomDrawCrosshair event to modify the Crosshair’s appearance.

CrosshairLabelElement.DXMarkerImage

Specifies the marker image of a crosshair cursor label when implementing custom draw in the crosshair cursor.

Form1.cs

using CustomDrawCrosshairSample.Model;
using DevExpress.Drawing;
using DevExpress.XtraCharts;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Drawing;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;

namespace CustomDrawCrosshairSample {
    public partial class Form1 : DevExpress.XtraEditors.XtraForm {
        Dictionary<string, DXImage> photoCache = new Dictionary<string, DXImage>();
        Dictionary<string, DXBitmap> bitmapCache = new Dictionary<string, DXBitmap>();
        #region #Constants
        const int borderSize = 2;
        const int scaledPhotoWidth = 32;
        const int scaledPhotoHeight = 34;
        // Width and height of scaled photo with border.
        const int totalWidth = 36;
        const int totalHeight = 38;

        // Rects required to create a custom legend series marker.
        static readonly Rectangle photoRect = new Rectangle(
                borderSize, borderSize,
                scaledPhotoWidth, scaledPhotoHeight);
        static readonly Rectangle totalRect = new Rectangle(
                0, 0,
                totalWidth, totalHeight);
        #endregion

        public Form1() {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) {
            using (var context = new NwindDbContext()) {
                InitPhotoCache(context.Employees);
                chart.DataSource = context.Orders.ToList();
            }

            chart.SeriesDataMember = "Employee.FullName";
            chart.SeriesTemplate.ArgumentDataMember = "OrderDate";
            chart.SeriesTemplate.ValueDataMembers.AddRange("Freight");

            XYDiagram diagram = chart.Diagram as XYDiagram;
            if (diagram != null) {
                diagram.AxisX.DateTimeScaleOptions.AggregateFunction = AggregateFunction.Sum;
                diagram.AxisX.DateTimeScaleOptions.MeasureUnit = DateTimeMeasureUnit.Year;
            }

            chart.CustomDrawCrosshair += OnCustomDrawCrosshair;
        }

        void InitPhotoCache(IEnumerable<Employee> employees) {
            photoCache.Clear();
            foreach (var employee in employees) {
                using (MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream(employee.Photo)) {
                    if (!photoCache.ContainsKey(employee.FullName))
                        photoCache.Add(employee.FullName, DXImage.FromStream(stream));
                }
            }
        }

        #region #CustomDrawCrosshairHandler
        private void OnCustomDrawCrosshair(object sender, CustomDrawCrosshairEventArgs e) {
            foreach (CrosshairElementGroup group in e.CrosshairElementGroups) {
                if (group.CrosshairElements[0] != null)
                    group.HeaderElement.Text = String.Format("Sales in {0:yyyy}", group.CrosshairElements[0].SeriesPoint.DateTimeArgument);
                foreach (CrosshairElement element in group.CrosshairElements) {
                    DXBitmap image;
                    if (!bitmapCache.TryGetValue(element.Series.Name, out image)) {
                        image = new DXBitmap(totalWidth, totalHeight);
                        using (DXGraphics graphics = DXGraphics.FromImage(image)) {
                            using (DXSolidBrush brush = new DXSolidBrush(element.LabelElement.MarkerColor)) {
                                graphics.FillRectangle(brush, totalRect);
                            }
                            DXImage photo;
                            if (photoCache.TryGetValue(element.Series.Name, out photo))
                                graphics.DrawImage(photo, photoRect);
                        }
                        bitmapCache.Add(element.Series.Name, image);
                    }
                    element.LabelElement.DXMarkerImage = image;
                    element.LabelElement.MarkerSize = new Size(totalWidth, totalHeight);
                }
            }
        }
        #endregion 
    }
}

Form1.vb

Imports CustomDrawCrosshairSample.Model
Imports DevExpress.Drawing
Imports DevExpress.XtraCharts
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Linq

Namespace CustomDrawCrosshairSample

    Public Partial Class Form1
        Inherits DevExpress.XtraEditors.XtraForm

        Private photoCache As Dictionary(Of String, DXImage) = New Dictionary(Of String, DXImage)()

        Private bitmapCache As Dictionary(Of String, DXBitmap) = New Dictionary(Of String, DXBitmap)()

#Region "#Constants"
        Const borderSize As Integer = 2

        Const scaledPhotoWidth As Integer = 32

        Const scaledPhotoHeight As Integer = 34

        ' Width and height of scaled photo with border.
        Const totalWidth As Integer = 36

        Const totalHeight As Integer = 38

        ' Rects required to create a custom legend series marker.
        Private Shared ReadOnly photoRect As Rectangle = New Rectangle(borderSize, borderSize, scaledPhotoWidth, scaledPhotoHeight)

        Private Shared ReadOnly totalRect As Rectangle = New Rectangle(0, 0, totalWidth, totalHeight)

#End Region
        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
        End Sub

        Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
            Using context = New NwindDbContext()
                InitPhotoCache(context.Employees)
                chart.DataSource = context.Orders.ToList()
            End Using

            chart.SeriesDataMember = "Employee.FullName"
            chart.SeriesTemplate.ArgumentDataMember = "OrderDate"
            chart.SeriesTemplate.ValueDataMembers.AddRange("Freight")
            Dim diagram As XYDiagram = TryCast(chart.Diagram, XYDiagram)
            If diagram IsNot Nothing Then
                diagram.AxisX.DateTimeScaleOptions.AggregateFunction = AggregateFunction.Sum
                diagram.AxisX.DateTimeScaleOptions.MeasureUnit = DateTimeMeasureUnit.Year
            End If

            AddHandler chart.CustomDrawCrosshair, AddressOf OnCustomDrawCrosshair
        End Sub

        Private Sub InitPhotoCache(ByVal employees As IEnumerable(Of Employee))
            photoCache.Clear()
            For Each employee In employees
                Using stream As MemoryStream = New MemoryStream(employee.Photo)
                    If Not photoCache.ContainsKey(employee.FullName) Then photoCache.Add(employee.FullName, DXImage.FromStream(stream))
                End Using
            Next
        End Sub

#Region "#CustomDrawCrosshairHandler"
        Private Sub OnCustomDrawCrosshair(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As CustomDrawCrosshairEventArgs)
            For Each group As CrosshairElementGroup In e.CrosshairElementGroups
                If group.CrosshairElements(0) IsNot Nothing Then group.HeaderElement.Text = String.Format("Sales in {0:yyyy}", group.CrosshairElements(0).SeriesPoint.DateTimeArgument)
                For Each element As CrosshairElement In group.CrosshairElements
                    Dim image As DXBitmap
                    If Not bitmapCache.TryGetValue(element.Series.Name, image) Then
                        image = New DXBitmap(totalWidth, totalHeight)
                        Using graphics As DXGraphics = DXGraphics.FromImage(image)
                            Using brush As DXSolidBrush = New DXSolidBrush(element.LabelElement.MarkerColor)
                                graphics.FillRectangle(brush, totalRect)
                            End Using

                            Dim photo As DXImage
                            If photoCache.TryGetValue(element.Series.Name, photo) Then graphics.DrawImage(photo, photoRect)
                        End Using

                        bitmapCache.Add(element.Series.Name, image)
                    End If

                    element.LabelElement.DXMarkerImage = image
                    element.LabelElement.MarkerSize = New Size(totalWidth, totalHeight)
                Next
            Next
        End Sub
#End Region
    End Class
End Namespace

Related GitHub Examples

The following code snippets (auto-collected from DevExpress Examples) contain references to the CrosshairElementGroups property.

Note

The algorithm used to collect these code examples remains a work in progress. Accordingly, the links and snippets below may produce inaccurate results. If you encounter an issue with code examples below, please use the feedback form on this page to report the issue.

C#

winforms-chart-draw-a-crosshair-cursor/CS/CustomDrawCrosshairCursor/Form1.cs#L29

foreach (CrosshairElementGroup group in e.CrosshairElementGroups) {
    CrosshairGroupHeaderElement groupHeaderElement = group.HeaderElement;

winforms-chart-draw-a-custom-series-marker-in-the-crosshair/CS/CustomDrawCrosshairSample/Form1.cs#L66

private void OnCustomDrawCrosshair(object sender, CustomDrawCrosshairEventArgs e) {
    foreach (CrosshairElementGroup group in e.CrosshairElementGroups) {
        if (group.CrosshairElements[0] != null)

VB.NET

winforms-chart-draw-a-crosshair-cursor/VB/CustomDrawCrosshairCursor/Form1.vb#L34

For Each group As CrosshairElementGroup In e.CrosshairElementGroups
    Dim groupHeaderElement As CrosshairGroupHeaderElement = group.HeaderElement

winforms-chart-draw-a-custom-series-marker-in-the-crosshair/VB/CustomDrawCrosshairSample/Form1.vb#L70

Private Sub OnCustomDrawCrosshair(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As CustomDrawCrosshairEventArgs)
    For Each group As CrosshairElementGroup In e.CrosshairElementGroups
        If group.CrosshairElements(0) IsNot Nothing Then group.HeaderElement.Text = String.Format("Sales in {0:yyyy}", group.CrosshairElements(0).SeriesPoint.DateTimeArgument)