How to: Custom Paint Hints

• Nov 13, 2018
• 2 minutes to read

The sample code below handles the NavBarControl.CustomDrawHint event to custom paint hints in the VSToolBoxView style. The NavBarControl.CalcHintSize event is handled to adjust the size of the hints in order to draw their outer borders.

The image below shows the result.

C#

using System.Drawing.Drawing2D;

private void navBarControl1_CalcHintSize(object sender, NavBarCalcHintSizeEventArgs e)
{
    // Enlarge the size of the hint to create space for drawing borders
    Size NewSize = e.Size;
    NewSize.Width += 18;
    NewSize.Height += 8;
    e.Size = new Size(NewSize.Width, NewSize.Height);
}

private void navBarControl1_CustomDrawHint(object sender, NavBarCustomDrawHintEventArgs e)
{
    // Obtain the object used to paint.
    Graphics gr = e.PaintArgs.Graphics;

    // Paint borders.
    LinearGradientBrush outerBrush = new LinearGradientBrush(e.Bounds, 
        Color.LightSkyBlue, Color.Blue, LinearGradientMode.Vertical);
    gr.FillRectangle(outerBrush, e.Bounds);
    outerBrush.Dispose();

    // Paint the background.
    // The background rectangle is reduced to make the borders visible.
    Rectangle innerRect = Rectangle.Inflate(e.Bounds, -3, -3);
    LinearGradientBrush innerBrush = new LinearGradientBrush(e.Bounds, 
        Color.Blue, Color.LightSkyBlue, LinearGradientMode.Vertical);
    gr.FillRectangle(innerBrush, innerRect);
    innerBrush.Dispose();

    // Format the output string.
    RectangleF textRect = new RectangleF(innerRect.Left, innerRect.Top, 
        innerRect.Width, innerRect.Height);
    StringFormat outStringFormat = new StringFormat();
    outStringFormat.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center;
    outStringFormat.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center;

    // Paint text.
    SolidBrush textBrush = new SolidBrush(Color.White);
    gr.DrawString(e.Hint, e.Appearance.Font, textBrush, textRect, outStringFormat);
    textBrush.Dispose();

    // Prohibit default hint painting         
    e.Handled = true;
}

VB.NET

Imports DevExpress.XtraNavBar
Imports System.Drawing.Drawing2D

Private Sub NavBarControl1_CalcHintSize(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As NavBarCalcHintSizeEventArgs) Handles NavBarControl1.CalcHintSize
    ' Enlarge the size of the hint to create space for drawing borders
    Dim NewSize As Size = e.Size
    NewSize.Width += 18
    NewSize.Height += 8
    e.Size = New Size(NewSize.Width, NewSize.Height)
End Sub

Private Sub NavBarControl1_CustomDrawHint(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
ByVal e As NavBarCustomDrawHintEventArgs) Handles NavBarControl1.CustomDrawHint
    ' Obtain the object used to paint.
    Dim gr As Graphics = e.PaintArgs.Graphics

    ' Paint borders.
    Dim outerBrush As LinearGradientBrush = New LinearGradientBrush(e.Bounds, _
        Color.LightSkyBlue, Color.Blue, LinearGradientMode.Vertical)
    gr.FillRectangle(outerBrush, e.Bounds)
    outerBrush.Dispose()

    ' Paint the background.
    ' The background rectangle is reduced to make the borders visible.
    Dim innerRect As Rectangle = Rectangle.Inflate(e.Bounds, -3, -3)
    Dim innerBrush As LinearGradientBrush = New LinearGradientBrush(e.Bounds, _
        Color.Blue, Color.LightSkyBlue, LinearGradientMode.Vertical)
    gr.FillRectangle(innerBrush, innerRect)
    innerBrush.Dispose()

    ' Format the output string.
    Dim textRect As RectangleF = New RectangleF(innerRect.Left, innerRect.Top, _
        innerRect.Width, innerRect.Height)
    Dim outStringFormat As StringFormat = New StringFormat()
    outStringFormat.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center
    outStringFormat.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center

    ' Paint text.
    Dim textBrush As SolidBrush = New SolidBrush(Color.White)
    gr.DrawString(e.Hint, e.Appearance.Font, textBrush, textRect, outStringFormat)
    textBrush.Dispose()

    ' Prohibit default hint painting         
    e.Handled = True
End Sub