How to: Create a Custom Brick Implementing the IBrick Interface

• Nov 13, 2018
• 4 minutes to read

The XtraPrinting Library enables you to create your own custom bricks and use them in your document. In this topic we introduce one of the approaches to accomplishing this task, which requires implementing the IBrick interface. For more information on creating custom bricks by inheriting from any standard brick, refer to the How to: Create a Custom Brick Inherited from a Standard Brick tutorial.

Implementing the IBrick Interface

This example demonstrates how to create a custom brick class, which implements the IBrick interface and draws an elliptical figure. Its inner region is filled with a linear color gradient.

Note

A complete sample project is available at https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/how-to-create-a-custom-brick-e91

MyBrick.cs

[BrickExporter(typeof(EllipseBrickExporter))]
public class EllipseBrick : IBrick {

    // Set gradient colors for inner and outer ellipse regions.
    public Color InnerColor = Color.Transparent;
    public Color OuterColor = Color.Peru;

    // Set gradient direction.
    public LinearGradientMode GradientDirection = LinearGradientMode.Vertical;

    // Default constructor.
    public EllipseBrick() {
    }

    // Constructor, initializing gradient colors and direction.
    public EllipseBrick(Color InnerColor, Color OuterColor, LinearGradientMode GradientDirection) {
        this.InnerColor = InnerColor;
        this.OuterColor = OuterColor;
        this.GradientDirection = GradientDirection;
    }


    // This method is required by the IBrick interface.
    public Hashtable GetProperties() {
        return null;
    }

    // This method is required by the IBrick interface.
    public void SetProperties(object[,] properties) {
    }

    // This method is required by the IBrick interface.
    public void SetProperties(Hashtable properties) {
    }
}

public class EllipseBrickExporter : BrickExporter {
    EllipseBrick EllipseBrick { get { return Brick as EllipseBrick; } }
    // Fills an ellipse with a linear color gradient.

    public override void Draw(Graphics gr, RectangleF rect) {
        LinearGradientBrush brush = new LinearGradientBrush(rect, EllipseBrick.OuterColor,
            EllipseBrick.InnerColor, EllipseBrick.GradientDirection);
        ColorBlend colorBlend = new ColorBlend();
        colorBlend.Positions = new float[] { 0.0f, 0.5f, 1.0f };
        colorBlend.Colors = new Color[] { EllipseBrick.OuterColor, EllipseBrick.InnerColor, EllipseBrick.OuterColor };
        brush.InterpolationColors = colorBlend;
        gr.FillEllipse(brush, rect);
    }
}

MyBrick.vb

<BrickExporter(GetType(EllipseBrickExporter))> _
Public Class EllipseBrick
    Implements IBrick

    ' Set gradient colors for inner and outer ellipse regions.
    Public InnerColor As Color = Color.Transparent
    Public OuterColor As Color = Color.Peru

    ' Set gradient direction.
    Public GradientDirection As LinearGradientMode = LinearGradientMode.Vertical

    ' Default constructor.
    Public Sub New()
    End Sub

    ' Constructor, initializing gradient colors and direction.
    Public Sub New(ByVal InnerColor As Color, ByVal OuterColor As Color, _
    ByVal GradientDirection As LinearGradientMode)
        Me.InnerColor = InnerColor
        Me.OuterColor = OuterColor
        Me.GradientDirection = GradientDirection
    End Sub


    ' This method is required by the IBrick interface.
    Public Function GetProperties() As Hashtable Implements IBrick.GetProperties
        Return Nothing
    End Function

    ' This method is required by the IBrick interface.
    Public Sub SetProperties(ByVal properties(,) As Object) Implements IBrick.SetProperties
    End Sub

    ' This method is required by the IBrick interface.
    Public Sub SetProperties(ByVal properties As Hashtable) Implements IBrick.SetProperties
    End Sub
End Class

Public Class EllipseBrickExporter
    Inherits BrickExporter
    Private ReadOnly Property EllipseBrick() As EllipseBrick
        Get
            Return TryCast(Brick, EllipseBrick)
        End Get
    End Property
    ' Fills an ellipse with a linear color gradient.

    Public Overloads Overrides Sub Draw(ByVal gr As Graphics, ByVal rect As RectangleF)
        Dim brush As New LinearGradientBrush(rect, EllipseBrick.OuterColor, _
            EllipseBrick.InnerColor, EllipseBrick.GradientDirection)
        Dim colorBlend As New ColorBlend()
        colorBlend.Positions = New Single() {0.0F, 0.5F, 1.0F}
        colorBlend.Colors = New Color() {EllipseBrick.OuterColor, EllipseBrick.InnerColor, _
            EllipseBrick.OuterColor}
        brush.InterpolationColors = colorBlend
        gr.FillEllipse(brush, rect)
    End Sub
End Class

Using the EllipseBrick

When a class is implemented, you can use it in your code. The code below demonstrates the EllipseBrick drawn within a specified rectangle.

Note

A complete sample project is available at https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/how-to-create-a-custom-brick-e91

Form1.cs

private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
    // Create a brick.
    IBrick brick = new EllipseBrick(Color.LightGreen, Color.Blue,
        LinearGradientMode.ForwardDiagonal);

    // Start the report generation.
    printingSystem1.Begin();
    IBrickGraphics graph = printingSystem1.Graph;

    // Specify the page area to draw a brick.
    printingSystem1.Graph.Modifier = BrickModifier.Detail;

    // Add the brick with specified dimensions to the document.
    graph.DrawBrick(brick, new RectangleF(0, 0, 150, 100));

    // Finish the report generation.
    printingSystem1.End();

    // Preview the result.
    printingSystem1.PreviewFormEx.Show();
}

Form1.vb

Private Sub button2_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) _
    Handles button2.Click

    ' Create a brick.
    Dim brick As IBrick = New EllipseBrick(Color.LightGreen, Color.Blue, _
                                           LinearGradientMode.ForwardDiagonal)

    ' Start the report generation.
    printingSystem1.Begin()
    Dim graph As IBrickGraphics = printingSystem1.Graph

    ' Specify the page area to draw a brick.
    printingSystem1.Graph.Modifier = BrickModifier.Detail

    ' Add the brick with specified dimensions to the document.
    graph.DrawBrick(brick, New RectangleF(0, 0, 150, 100))

    ' Finish the report generation.
    printingSystem1.End()

    ' Preview the result.
    printingSystem1.PreviewFormEx.Show()
End Sub

The EllipseBrick is displayed in the image below: