In the following example, we are trying to connect the Shape BEGIN with the Group using a connector and it cannot find the PORT for the GROUPS.

And unable to figure out how to draw a border around the Groups.

// create the begin shape

NShape begin = factory.CreateShape((int)FlowChartingShapes.Termination);
begin.Bounds = new NRectangleF(100, 100, 100, 100);
begin.Text = "BEGIN";
NDrawingView1.Document.ActiveLayer.AddChild(begin);

// create the step1 shape

NShape step1 = factory.CreateShape((int)FlowChartingShapes.Process);

step1.Bounds = new NRectangleF(100, 400, 100, 100);

step1.Text = "STEP1";

// NDrawingView1.Document.ActiveLayer.AddChild(step1);

// create the step2 shape

NShape step2 = factory.CreateShape((int)FlowChartingShapes.Process);

step2.Bounds = new NRectangleF(400, 400, 100, 100);

step2.Text = "STEP2";

//NDrawingView1.Document.ActiveLayer.AddChild(step2);

NGroup group1 = new NGroup();

NDrawingView1.Document.ActiveLayer.AddChild(group1);

group1.Shapes.AddChild(step1);

group1.Shapes.AddChild(step2);

NStep3Connector connector = null;

connector = CreateConnector(NDrawingView1.Document, begin, "Center", group1, "Center", ConnectorType.TopToBottom, "") as NStep3Connector;

Hi,

There are 2 problems in your code:

1. You should update the model bounds of the group using its UpdateModelBounds() method when you have finished adding shapes to it.

2. You should add a port to the group before trying to attch a connector to it as by default all shapes and groups not created by a shape factory do not have any ports.

You code should look like this:

// Create the group

NGroup group1 = new NGroup();

m_View.Document.ActiveLayer.AddChild(group1);

group1.Shapes.AddChild(step1);

group1.Shapes.AddChild(step2);

group1.UpdateModelBounds();

// Create a "Center" port for the group

group1.CreateShapeElements(ShapeElementsMask.Ports);

NPort port = new NDynamicPort(new NContentAlignment(ContentAlignment.MiddleCenter), DynamicPortGlueMode.GlueToLocation);

port.Name = "Center";

group1.Ports.AddChild(port);

group1.Ports.DefaultInwardPortUniqueId = port.UniqueId;

// Connect the "BEGIN" shape and the group

NStep3Connector connector = new NStep3Connector();

m_View.Document.ActiveLayer.AddChild(connector);

connector.FromShape = begin;

connector.ToShape = group1;