Container in WPF Diagram (SfDiagram)

21 Jun 202414 minutes to read

Containers are collections of logically grouped shapes surrounded by a visible border, which the shapes can be dragged in and out of during runtime. Every change made to the Container has no effect on its children. Child elements can be edited individually.

Create a Container

Add a Container

The following code illustrates how to create a Container Node.

XAML
C#
<syncfusion:SfDiagram x:Name="diagram">
    <syncfusion:SfDiagram.Nodes>
        <!--Initialize the NodeCollection-->
        <syncfusion:NodeCollection>
        </syncfusion:NodeCollection>
    </syncfusion:SfDiagram.Nodes>
    <syncfusion:SfDiagram.Groups>
        <syncfusion:GroupCollection>
            <syncfusion:ContainerViewModel>
                <syncfusion:ContainerViewModel.Nodes>
                    <syncfusion:NodeCollection>
                        <syncfusion:NodeViewModel OffsetX="100" OffsetY="100" 
                                                  Shape="{StaticResource Rectangle}" 
                                                  ShapeStyle="{StaticResource shapestyle}" 
                                                  UnitHeight="100" UnitWidth="100"/>
                        <syncfusion:NodeViewModel OffsetX="200" OffsetY="200" 
                                                  Shape="{StaticResource Rectangle}" 
                                                  ShapeStyle="{StaticResource shapestyle}" 
                                                  UnitHeight="100" UnitWidth="100"/>
                    </syncfusion:NodeCollection>
                </syncfusion:ContainerViewModel.Nodes>
            </syncfusion:ContainerViewModel>
        </syncfusion:GroupCollection>
    </syncfusion:SfDiagram.Groups>
</syncfusion:SfDiagram>
ObservableCollection<NodeViewModel> nodes = new ObservableCollection<NodeViewModel>();
NodeViewModel node = new NodeViewModel()
{
	UnitWidth = 100,
	UnitHeight = 100,
	OffsetX = 100,
	OffsetY = 100,
	Shape = new RectangleGeometry() { Rect = new Rect(0, 0, 10, 10) },
	ShapeStyle = App.Current.Resources["shapestyle"] as Style
};
NodeViewModel node1 = new NodeViewModel()
{
	UnitWidth = 100,
	UnitHeight = 100,
	OffsetX = 200,
	OffsetY = 200,
	Shape = new RectangleGeometry() { Rect = new Rect(0, 0, 10, 10) },
	ShapeStyle = App.Current.Resources["shapestyle"] as Style
};

ObservableCollection<GroupViewModel> groups = new ObservableCollection<GroupViewModel>();
ContainerViewModel container = new ContainerViewModel()
{
	Nodes = new ObservableCollection<NodeViewModel>()
	{
		node,
		node1
	},
};

groups.Add(container);
diagram.Groups = groups;

View sample in GitHub

Setting a Header

You can textually describe a container by using its Header property. Also, users can customize the header’s appearance using the header’s ShapeStyle property.

The following code example explains how to define a container header and its customization:

XAML
C#
<Style TargetType="syncfusion:ContainerHeader">
    <Setter Property="ShapeStyle">
        <Setter.Value>
            <Style TargetType="Path">
                <Setter Property="Fill" Value="CornflowerBlue"/>
                <Setter Property="Stretch" Value="Fill"/>
                <Setter Property="Data">
                    <Setter.Value>
                        <RectangleGeometry Rect="10,10,10,10"/>
                    </Setter.Value>
                </Setter>
            </Style>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>

<syncfusion:SfDiagram x:Name="diagram">
    <syncfusion:SfDiagram.Nodes>
        <!--Initialize the NodeCollection-->
        <syncfusion:NodeCollection>
        </syncfusion:NodeCollection>
    </syncfusion:SfDiagram.Nodes>
    <syncfusion:SfDiagram.Groups>
        <syncfusion:GroupCollection>
            <syncfusion:ContainerViewModel>
                <syncfusion:ContainerViewModel.Nodes>
                    <syncfusion:NodeCollection>
                        <syncfusion:NodeViewModel OffsetX="100" OffsetY="100" 
                                                  Shape="{StaticResource Rectangle}" 
                                                  ShapeStyle="{StaticResource shapestyle}" 
                                                  UnitHeight="100" UnitWidth="100"/>
                        <syncfusion:NodeViewModel OffsetX="200" OffsetY="200" 
                                                  Shape="{StaticResource Rectangle}" 
                                                  ShapeStyle="{StaticResource shapestyle}" 
                                                  UnitHeight="100" UnitWidth="100"/>
                    </syncfusion:NodeCollection>
                </syncfusion:ContainerViewModel.Nodes>
                <syncfusion:ContainerViewModel.Header>
                    <syncfusion:ContainerHeaderViewModel UnitHeight="40">
                        <syncfusion:ContainerHeaderViewModel.Annotation>
                            <syncfusion:AnnotationEditorViewModel Content="Title" UnitHeight="30" Shape="{StaticResource Rectangle}"/>
                        </syncfusion:ContainerHeaderViewModel.Annotation>
                    </syncfusion:ContainerHeaderViewModel>
                </syncfusion:ContainerViewModel.Header>
            </syncfusion:ContainerViewModel>
        </syncfusion:GroupCollection>
    </syncfusion:SfDiagram.Groups>
</syncfusion:SfDiagram>
ObservableCollection<NodeViewModel> nodes = new ObservableCollection<NodeViewModel>();
NodeViewModel node = new NodeViewModel()
{
	UnitWidth = 100,
	UnitHeight = 100,
	OffsetX = 100,
	OffsetY = 100,
	Shape = new RectangleGeometry() { Rect = new Rect(0, 0, 10, 10) },
	ShapeStyle = App.Current.Resources["shapestyle"] as Style
};
NodeViewModel node1 = new NodeViewModel()
{
	UnitWidth = 100,
	UnitHeight = 100,
	OffsetX = 200,
	OffsetY = 200,
	Shape = new RectangleGeometry() { Rect = new Rect(0, 0, 10, 10) },
	ShapeStyle = App.Current.Resources["shapestyle"] as Style
};

ObservableCollection<GroupViewModel> groups = new ObservableCollection<GroupViewModel>();
ContainerViewModel container = new ContainerViewModel()
{
	Nodes = new ObservableCollection<NodeViewModel>()
	{
		node,
		node1
	},
};

container.Header = new ContainerHeaderViewModel()
{
    UnitHeight = 40,
    Annotation = new AnnotationEditorViewModel()
    {
        Content = "Container Title",
        FontSize = 18,
        FontWeight = FontWeights.Bold,
        Foreground = new SolidColorBrush((Color)ColorConverter.ConvertFromString("#343434"))
    },
};

groups.Add(container);
diagram.Groups = groups;

NOTE

You can edit the header by double-clicking the region of the container’s header, or by pressing F2.

WPF Diagram Container Header

Container from Stencil

Container Nodes can be predefined and added to the stencil. You can drop those Containers into Diagram when required.

To explore how to add Containers from stencil, refer to Stencil.

Interactively add or remove diagram elements into Container

You can interactively add or remove diagram elements from the Container in the runtime. Container will adjust its size when you drop diagram element into its edges.

WPF Diagram Container Interaction

Interaction

Diagram provides support to drag or resize the container interactively.

Select

Container can be selected by clicking (tap) it.

The IsSelected Property is used to select or unselect the node at runtime.
ItemSelectingEvent and ItemSelectedEvent for selecting an element, will notify you the item and its original source. To explore about arguments, refer to the DiagramPreviewEventArgs and ItemSelectedEventArgs.
ItemUnselectingEvent and ItemUnselectedEvent for unselecting an element, will notify you the item and its original source. To explore about arguments, refer to the DiagramPreviewEventArgs and DiagramEventArgs.

WPF Diagram Container Selection

To explore about selection and selection related events, refer to the Selection.

Drag

Selected object can be dragged by clicking and dragging it. When multiple elements are selected, dragging any one of the selected elements will move all of the selected elements.
Instead of dragging original object, preview of the container alone can be dragged. For preview dragging, refer to the PreviewSettings.
While dragging, the objects are snapped towards the nearest objects to make better alignments. For better alignments, refer to the Snapping.
The NodeChangedEvent will notify the OffsetX and OffsetY changes with their old and new values. Along with that, this event will give information about interaction state. To explore about arguments, refer to the NodeChangedEventArgs.

WPF Diagram Drag Container

Resize

The selector is surrounded by eight thumbs. By dragging these thumbs, selected items can be resized smaller or larger.
When one corner of the selector is dragged, opposite corner is in a static position.
Enable AspectRatio NodeConstraints to maintain the aspect ratio of the container when its being resized.
While resizing, the objects are snapped towards the nearest objects to make better alignments. For better alignments, refer to the Snapping.
The NodeChangedEvent will notify the UnitHeight and UnitWidth changes with their old and new values. Along with that, this event will give information about interaction state. To explore about arguments, refer to the NodeChangedEventArgs.

WPF Diagram Resize Container

Events

The ItemTappedEvent is invoked on clicking the container. To explore about arguments, refer to the ItemTappedEventArgs.
The ItemDoubleTappedEvent is invoked on double-clicking the container. To explore about arguments, refer to the ItemDoubleTappedEventArgs.
The MouseDown and MouseUp are invoked as similar to framework element that is raised together with either MouseLeftButtonUp or MouseRightButtonUp. To explore about arguments, refer to the MouseDownEventArgs and
MouseUpEventArgs.