How To Manage Groups:

 

 

1.Creation of simple groups

Select a set of objects (i.e. a Circle and a Line); then select Obj-->Group . Now yuo can manage the group like any other object.

In the image above you can see the handles used to manage grouped objs: North(Y),East(X1),S(Y1) and W(X) resize handles; Rotation handle; and the red Zoom handle. If you try to use the South resize handle you will obtain a result like this:

this may not be what you want. Infact the resize of the "height" is "forwarded" to both the objects that compose the group. If you want to use the South (or Y1) resize handle to to resize only the line than we must specify some objects properties. Let's try. First of all "deGroup" the object

 

then set the following properties of the Line obj

I.E.: OnGrpXResize is the object behaviour when the Group that contains it is Resized in the X (or West) resize handle. In this case we tell to ignore the X and X1 resize handles, and to resize the line in the Y and Y1 resize of the line.

Let's see the properties of the Circle :

In the resize of Y we move the object , in the others resize we do nothing.

Now I you reselct the line and the circle and group them , you will obtain an object that manages Y and Y1 resize in a better way.

 

2. You can make Group of other Groups... and so on!

 

3. Use of double click over Obj.

The Porperty OnGrpDClick tells if the double click over a group is "forwarded" to sub objects.

If we have a group like this:

if we double click over the object we can open the RichTextBox editor if we have set the TextBox property OnGrpDClick to true. The same for group tha contains images. A group can contain more text objects that manage double click, in that case the editor is recalled for each object.

 

4. Use of Graphic Path

You can specify a graphic Path setting the group graphPath proprty to true .

Graphic paths links a set of simple objects like Lines and arcs. In the following examples we create a set of lines and a arc (the creation order is relevant!!). To have a closed path we must link the last object to the first.

Now select all the objects and click Obj-->Group. Then set the graphPath Property to true.

Here we have the result.

Now we can Rotate/Zoom/Fill and so on the GraphPath Group Object.

 

5. Use Gradient Line Fill color

For filled Objects we can set the UseGradientLine Property and "play" with the others properties:

End color , End Alpha(end color trasparency) , End Color Position(from 0 to 1) .. 

 

6. Use Group Dysplay Property

Let's draw 2 ellipsesses. First the yellow then the black. Than move the black over the yellow one.

Then Let's try the GroupDisplay property: Default, Intersect, Xor, Exclude

 

7. XMIrror/YMirror

With xMirror/yMirror we can flip grouped images over X o Y axe.

 

 

Here you can download a set of group objects created: (use File-->Load)

 GroupedObjExamples.zip, bycicle.zip

 

 

** Please, take few seconds to rate this project at  CodeProject