Configure View Settings

• Jul 21, 2025
• 4 minutes to read

Important

The DevExpress Presentation API Library is currently available as a Community Technology Preview (CTP). Note that we do not recommend that you integrate pre-release libraries into mission-critical software applications. You can try the library and share your feedback so that we can make necessary adjustments before the official release. To start a conversation, submit a ticket via the DevExpress Support Center — we’d love to hear from you.

This article describes how to configure various view settings in the DevExpress Presentation API. It also includes links to the relevant API members that you can use to customize the presentation’s appearance and behavior.

Set the Active View

Use the Presentation.ViewProperties.ActiveViewType property to specify the default view used when an application displays the presentation. You can choose from the following views:

• NormalSlideView

  

• SlideThumbnailView

  In most presentation software, this view is generally the same as NormalSlideView.

• SlideSorterView

  

• SlideMasterView

  

• NotesView

  

• NotesMasterView

  

• HandoutView

  

• OutlineView

  

Example

The following code snippet defines the view an application displays when a user opens the presentation:

C#

using (Presentation presentation = new Presentation("document.pptx")) {
    presentation.ViewProperties.ActiveViewType = ViewType.HandoutView;
}

VB.NET

Using presentation As New Presentation("document.pptx")
    presentation.ViewProperties.ActiveViewType = ViewType.HandoutView
End Using

Adjust Grid Spacing

DevExpress Presentation API includes the GridSpacing property that allows you to adjust grid spacing settings for a view.

This property applies to all views mentioned above, except for SlideSorterView.

Example

The following code sample sets the Presentation.ViewProperties.GridSpacing property value to 50:

C#

using (Presentation presentation = new Presentation("document.pptx")) {
    presentation.ViewProperties.GridSpacing = 500;
}

VB.NET

Using presentation As New Presentation("document.pptx")
    presentation.ViewProperties.GridSpacing = 500
End Using

Customize the Normal View

The normal view consists of three content regions: the slide view, the thumbnails pane, and the notes pane.

DevExpress Presentation API includes the NormalViewProperties class that allows you to customize the following settings of the normal view:

Presentation.NormalViewProperties.RestoredLeft

Gets or sets the size of the thumbnails pane in the normal view (when the pane is not minimized or maximized).

Presentation.NormalViewProperties.RestoredTop

Gets or sets the height of the slide area in the normal view (when the slide area is not minimized or maximized).

Presentation.NormalViewProperties.ShowOutlineIcons

Gets ot sets whether the application should show icons if it displays outline content in any content region in normal view mode. Applications may ignore this setting.

Presentation.NormalViewProperties.HorizontalBarState

Gets or sets the state of the horizontal splitter bar (separates the slide area from the notes pane).

Presentation.NormalViewProperties.VerticalBarState

Gets or sets the state of the vertical splitter bar (separates the slide area from the thumbnails pane).

Presentation.NormalViewProperties.SnapVerticalSplitter

Gets or sets whether the vertical splitter should be minimized if the side region has an insufficient size. Applications may ignore this setting.

Presentation.NormalViewProperties.UseSingleView

Gets or sets whether to display slide area only (hide thumbnails and notes).

Tip

Refer to property descriptions above for code samples.

Examples

Collapse the Thumbnails Pane

The following code snippet collapses the thumbnails pane (sets Size to 0.0) and disables automatic size adjustment:

C#

using (Presentation presentation = new Presentation("document.pptx")) {
    NormalViewRestoredProperties viewProps = new NormalViewRestoredProperties(0.0, false);
    presentation.ViewProperties.NormalViewProperties.RestoredLeft = viewProps;
}

VB.NET

Using presentation As New Presentation("document.pptx")
    Dim viewProps As New NormalViewRestoredProperties(0.0, False)
    presentation.ViewProperties.NormalViewProperties.RestoredLeft = viewProps
End Using

Display a Single Slide View

The following code snippet displays a single slide view:

C#

using (Presentation presentation = new Presentation("document.pptx")) {
    presentation.ViewProperties.NormalViewProperties.UseSingleView = true;
}

VB.NET

Using presentation As New Presentation("document.pptx")
    presentation.ViewProperties.NormalViewProperties.UseSingleView = True
End Using

Customize Slide and Notes Regions

DevExpress Presentation API includes the CommonSlideViewProperties class. Use its members to customize Slide or Notes regions. Any changes you make apply to all views that contain these regions. The following settings are available:

Presentation.CommonSlideViewProperties.DrawingGuides

Gets the drawing guide collection.

Presentation.CommonSlideViewProperties.Scale

Gets or sets the view scaling ratio as a percentage. Applications may ignore this setting.

Presentation.CommonSlideViewProperties.VariableScale

Gets or sets whether the view content should automatically scale to fit the current window. Applications may ignore this setting.

Example

The following code snippet creates a vertical drawing guide and adds it to the DrawingGuides collection:

C#

using (Presentation presentation = new Presentation("document.pptx")) {
    DrawingGuide guide1 = new DrawingGuide(Direction.Vertical, 150);
    presentation.ViewProperties.SlideViewProperties.DrawingGuides.Add(guide1);
}

VB.NET

Using presentation As New Presentation("document.pptx")
    Dim guide1 As New DrawingGuide(Direction.Vertical, 150)
    presentation.ViewProperties.SlideViewProperties.DrawingGuides.Add(guide1)
End Using