Add Shapes to Word Documents in C# and VB.NET

Word documents can contain various Drawing elements. One particular kind of drawing is a Shape.

Shape elements are drawings composed of geometric objects such as lines, curves, rectangles, and triangles. You can fill shapes by using the Shape.Fill property and outline them using the Shape.Outline property.

The ShapeType enumeration contains a list of built-in shape types that are directly supported through GemBox.Document's API. Types that are not directly supported use ShapeType.Custom enum and are supported through preservation.

The example below shows how you can create and customize shapes of different types and layouts using C# and VB.NET.

Word document with Shape elements — Screenshot of Word file with shapes

C#
VB.NET

View on GitHub

using GemBox.Document;
using GemBox.Document.Drawing;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        var document = new DocumentModel();

        var section = new Section(document);
        document.Sections.Add(section);

        var pageSetup = section.PageSetup;
        pageSetup.PageColor = Color.LightGray;

        var paragraph = new Paragraph(document);
        section.Blocks.Add(paragraph);

        // Add yellow rounded rectangle with 35% rounded corners.
        var roundedRectangle = new Shape(document, ShapeType.RoundedRectangle, Layout.Inline(
            new Size(4, 2, LengthUnit.Centimeter)));
        roundedRectangle.AdjustValues["adj"] = 35000;
        roundedRectangle.Outline.Width = 10;
        roundedRectangle.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.Yellow);
        roundedRectangle.Fill.SetEmpty();
        paragraph.Inlines.Add(roundedRectangle);

        // Add red horizontal line.
        var width = pageSetup.PageWidth - pageSetup.PageMargins.Left - pageSetup.PageMargins.Right;
        var horizontalLine = new Shape(document, ShapeType.Line, Layout.Floating(
            new HorizontalPosition(HorizontalPositionType.Left, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Margin),
            new VerticalPosition(6, LengthUnit.Centimeter, VerticalPositionAnchor.InsideMargin),
            new Size(width, 0)));
        horizontalLine.Outline.Width = 4;
        horizontalLine.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.Red);
        paragraph.Inlines.Add(horizontalLine);

        // Add green vertical line.
        var height = pageSetup.PageHeight - pageSetup.PageMargins.Top - pageSetup.PageMargins.Bottom;
        var verticalLine = new Shape(document, ShapeType.Line, Layout.Floating(
            new HorizontalPosition(16, LengthUnit.Centimeter, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Page),
            new VerticalPosition(VerticalPositionType.Top, VerticalPositionAnchor.Margin),
            new Size(85, height)));
        verticalLine.Outline.Width = 8;
        verticalLine.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.DarkGreen);
        paragraph.Inlines.Add(verticalLine);

        // Add blue down arrow with 15% rotation.
        var downArrowLayout = Layout.Floating(
            new HorizontalPosition(HorizontalPositionType.Center, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Margin),
            new VerticalPosition(VerticalPositionType.Center, VerticalPositionAnchor.Margin),
            new Size(8, 12, LengthUnit.Centimeter));
        downArrowLayout.Transform.Rotation = 15;

        var downArrow = new Shape(document, ShapeType.DownArrow, downArrowLayout);
        downArrow.Outline.Width = 3;
        downArrow.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.White);
        downArrow.Fill.SetSolid(new Color(91, 155, 213));
        paragraph.Inlines.Add(downArrow);

        document.Save("Shapes.%OutputFileType%");
    }
}

Imports GemBox.Document
Imports GemBox.Document.Drawing

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Dim document As New DocumentModel()

        Dim section As New Section(document)
        document.Sections.Add(section)

        Dim pageSetup = section.PageSetup
        pageSetup.PageColor = Color.LightGray

        Dim paragraph As New Paragraph(document)
        section.Blocks.Add(paragraph)

        ' Add yellow rounded rectangle with 35% rounded corners.
        Dim roundedRectangle As New Shape(document, ShapeType.RoundedRectangle, Layout.Inline(
            New Size(4, 2, LengthUnit.Centimeter)))
        roundedRectangle.AdjustValues("adj") = 35000
        roundedRectangle.Outline.Width = 10
        roundedRectangle.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.Yellow)
        roundedRectangle.Fill.SetEmpty()
        paragraph.Inlines.Add(roundedRectangle)

        ' Add red horizontal line.
        Dim width = pageSetup.PageWidth - pageSetup.PageMargins.Left - pageSetup.PageMargins.Right
        Dim horizontalLine As New Shape(document, ShapeType.Line, Layout.Floating(
            New HorizontalPosition(HorizontalPositionType.Left, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Margin),
            New VerticalPosition(6, LengthUnit.Centimeter, VerticalPositionAnchor.InsideMargin),
            New Size(width, 0)))
        horizontalLine.Outline.Width = 4
        horizontalLine.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.Red)
        paragraph.Inlines.Add(horizontalLine)

        ' Add green vertical line.
        Dim height = pageSetup.PageHeight - pageSetup.PageMargins.Top - pageSetup.PageMargins.Bottom
        Dim verticalLine As New Shape(document, ShapeType.Line, Layout.Floating(
            New HorizontalPosition(16, LengthUnit.Centimeter, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Page),
            New VerticalPosition(VerticalPositionType.Top, VerticalPositionAnchor.Margin),
            New Size(85, height)))
        verticalLine.Outline.Width = 8
        verticalLine.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.DarkGreen)
        paragraph.Inlines.Add(verticalLine)

        ' Add blue down arrow with 15% rotation.
        Dim downArrowLayout = Layout.Floating(
            New HorizontalPosition(HorizontalPositionType.Center, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Margin),
            New VerticalPosition(VerticalPositionType.Center, VerticalPositionAnchor.Margin),
            New Size(8, 12, LengthUnit.Centimeter))
        downArrowLayout.Transform.Rotation = 15

        Dim downArrow As New Shape(document, ShapeType.DownArrow, downArrowLayout)
        downArrow.Outline.Width = 3
        downArrow.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.White)
        downArrow.Fill.SetSolid(New Color(91, 155, 213))
        paragraph.Inlines.Add(downArrow)

        document.Save("Shapes.%OutputFileType%")

    End Sub
End Module

Besides basic shapes like rectangles, lines, and circles, GemBox.Document also supports TextBox and Picture shapes. The difference between them and the basic shapes is that TextBox shapes contain text content and Picture shapes contain an image.

Shapes can be inline (of InlineLayout type), in which case the position of a shape is constrained to the lines of text on the page. Alternatively, they can be floating (FloatingLayout type), in which case they can be positioned anywhere on the page.

You can read more about this on the Shapes and Layout help page.

Shape groups

You can organize shapes and other drawings into Groups. Each group has its own layout that affects all its child drawings.

The following example shows how you can create a group and add various drawings to it.

Word document with Group elements — Screenshot of Word file with grouped shapes

C#
VB.NET

View on GitHub

using GemBox.Document;
using GemBox.Document.Drawing;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        var document = new DocumentModel();

        var section = new Section(document);
        document.Sections.Add(section);

        var paragraph = new Paragraph(document);
        section.Blocks.Add(paragraph);

        var shapes = new Group(document, new FloatingLayout(
            new HorizontalPosition(100, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Page),
            new VerticalPosition(50, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.Page),
            new Size(200, 250, LengthUnit.Point)));
        shapes.Layout.Transform.Rotation = 30;

        paragraph.Inlines.Add(shapes);

        // Add rounded rectangle.
        var roundedRectangle = new Shape(document, ShapeType.RoundedRectangle, Layout.Floating(
            new HorizontalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            new VerticalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            new Size(50, 50, LengthUnit.Point)));

        shapes.Add(roundedRectangle);

        // Add down arrow.
        var downArrowLayout = new Shape(document, ShapeType.DownArrow, Layout.Floating(
            new HorizontalPosition(60, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            new VerticalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            new Size(50, 100, LengthUnit.Point)));

        shapes.Add(downArrowLayout);

        // Add picture.
        var picture = new Picture(document, "%#Dices.png%");
        picture.Layout = Layout.Floating(
            new HorizontalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            new VerticalPosition(100, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            new Size(200, 150, LengthUnit.Point));

        shapes.Add(picture);

        document.Save("GroupShapes.%OutputFileType%");
    }
}

Imports GemBox.Document
Imports GemBox.Document.Drawing

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Dim document As New DocumentModel()

        Dim section As New Section(document)
        document.Sections.Add(section)

        Dim paragraph As New Paragraph(document)
        section.Blocks.Add(paragraph)

        Dim shapes As New Group(document, New FloatingLayout(
            New HorizontalPosition(100, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Page),
            New VerticalPosition(50, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.Page),
            New Size(200, 250, LengthUnit.Point)))
        shapes.Layout.Transform.Rotation = 30

        paragraph.Inlines.Add(shapes)

        ' Add rounded rectangle.
        Dim roundedRectangle As New Shape(document, ShapeType.RoundedRectangle, Layout.Floating(
            New HorizontalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            New VerticalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            New Size(50, 50, LengthUnit.Point)))

        shapes.Add(roundedRectangle)

        ' Add down arrow.
        Dim downArrowLayout = New Shape(document, ShapeType.DownArrow, Layout.Floating(
            New HorizontalPosition(60, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            New VerticalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            New Size(50, 100, LengthUnit.Point)))

        shapes.Add(downArrowLayout)

        ' Add picture.
        Dim picture As New Picture(document, "%#Dices.png%")
        picture.Layout = Layout.Floating(
            New HorizontalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            New VerticalPosition(100, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
            New Size(200, 150, LengthUnit.Point))

        shapes.Add(picture)

        document.Save("GroupShapes.%OutputFileType%")

    End Sub
End Module

Shapes with rendering support

Note that not all types of ShapeType are supported by GemBox.Document's rendering engine.

Here is a list of shape types that are currently supported when saving to PDF, XPS, or image formats:

Diamond
DownArrow
FlowchartDecision
FlowchartManualInput
FlowchartProcess
Hexagon
IsoscelesTriangle
LeftArrow
LeftRightArrow
Line
Octagon
Oval
OvalCallout
Parallelogram
Pentagon
PentagonArrow
Rectangle
RectangularCallout
RightArrow
RightTriangle
RoundDiagonalCornerRectangle
RoundedRectangle
RoundedRectangularCallout
RoundSameSideCornerRectangle
RoundSingleCornerRectangle
SnipDiagonalCornerRectangle
SnipSameSideCornerRectangle
SnipSingleCornerRectangle
TextPath
Trapezoid
UpArrow
UpDownArrow

Next steps

GemBox.Document is a .NET component that enables you to read, write, edit, convert, and print document files from your .NET applications using one simple API. How about testing it today?

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Published: December 13, 2018 | Modified: December 19, 2022 | Author: Marek Turis

Add Shapes to Word Documents in C# and VB.NET

Shape groups

Shapes with rendering support

See also

Next steps