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Sample VB code to use PDFTron SDK's page writing API to generate new pages, embed fonts & images, and copy graphical elements from one page to another. Learn more about our VB PDF Library and PDF Editing & Manipulation Library.
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'
' Copyright (c) 2001-2023 by Apryse Software Inc. All Rights Reserved.
'
Imports System
Imports pdftron
Imports pdftron.Common
Imports pdftron.Filters
Imports pdftron.SDF
Imports pdftron.PDF
Module ElementBuilderTestVB
Dim pdfNetLoader As PDFNetLoader
Sub New()
pdfNetLoader = pdftron.PDFNetLoader.Instance()
End Sub
Sub Main()
PDFNet.Initialize(PDFTronLicense.Key)
' Relative path to the folder containing test files.
Dim input_path As String = "../../../../TestFiles/"
Dim output_path As String = "../../../../TestFiles/Output/"
Try
Using doc As PDFDoc = New PDFDoc
Using eb As ElementBuilder = New ElementBuilder ' ElementBuilder is used to build new Element objects
Using writer As ElementWriter = New ElementWriter ' ElementWriter is used to write Elements to the page
' Start a new page ------------------------------------
' Position an image stream on several places on the page
Dim page As Page = doc.PageCreate(New Rect(0, 0, 612, 794))
writer.Begin(page) ' begin writing to this page
' Create an Image that can be reused multiple times in the document or
' multiple on the same page.
Dim img_file As MappedFile = New MappedFile(input_path + "peppers.jpg")
Dim img_data As FilterReader = New FilterReader(img_file)
Dim img As Image = Image.Create(doc.GetSDFDoc(), _
img_data, 400, 600, 8, ColorSpace.CreateDeviceRGB(), Image.InputFilter.e_jpeg)
Dim element As Element = eb.CreateImage(img, New Matrix2D(200, -145, 20, 300, 200, 150))
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
Dim gstate As GState = element.GetGState() ' use the same image (just change its matrix)
gstate.SetTransform(200, 0, 0, 300, 50, 450)
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
' use the same image again (just change its matrix).
writer.WritePlacedElement(eb.CreateImage(img, 300, 600, 200, -150))
writer.End() ' save changes to the current page
doc.PagePushBack(page)
' Start a new page ------------------------------------
' Construct and draw a path object using different styles
page = doc.PageCreate(New Rect(0, 0, 612, 794))
writer.Begin(page) ' begin writing to this page
eb.Reset() ' Reset GState to default
eb.PathBegin() ' start constructing the path
eb.MoveTo(306, 396)
eb.CurveTo(681, 771, 399.75, 864.75, 306, 771)
eb.CurveTo(212.25, 864.75, -69, 771, 306, 396)
eb.ClosePath()
element = eb.PathEnd() ' the path is now finished
element.SetPathFill(True) ' the path should be filled
' Set the path color space and color
gstate = element.GetGState()
gstate.SetFillColorSpace(ColorSpace.CreateDeviceCMYK())
gstate.SetFillColor(New ColorPt(1, 0, 0, 0)) ' cyan
gstate.SetTransform(0.5, 0, 0, 0.5, -20, 300)
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
' Draw the same path using a different stroke color
element.SetPathStroke(True) ' this path is should be filled and stroked
gstate.SetFillColor(New ColorPt(0, 0, 1, 0)) ' yellow
gstate.SetStrokeColorSpace(ColorSpace.CreateDeviceRGB())
gstate.SetStrokeColor(New ColorPt(1, 0, 0)) ' red
gstate.SetTransform(0.5, 0, 0, 0.5, 280, 300)
gstate.SetLineWidth(20)
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
' Draw the same path with with a given dash pattern
element.SetPathFill(False) ' this path is should be only stroked
gstate.SetStrokeColor(New ColorPt(0, 0, 1)) ' blue
gstate.SetTransform(0.5, 0, 0, 0.5, 280, 0)
Dim dash_pattern(0) As Double
dash_pattern(0) = 30
gstate.SetDashPattern(dash_pattern, 0)
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
' Use the path as a clipping path
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateGroupBegin()) ' Save the graphics state
' Start constructing a new path (the old path was lost when we created
' a new Element using CreateGroupBegin()).
eb.PathBegin()
eb.MoveTo(306, 396)
eb.CurveTo(681, 771, 399.75, 864.75, 306, 771)
eb.CurveTo(212.25, 864.75, -69, 771, 306, 396)
eb.ClosePath()
element = eb.PathEnd() ' path is now built
element.SetPathClip(True) ' this path is a clipping path
element.SetPathStroke(True) ' this path is should be filled and stroked
gstate = element.GetGState()
gstate.SetTransform(0.5, 0, 0, 0.5, -20, 0)
writer.WriteElement(element)
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateImage(img, 100, 300, 400, 600))
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateGroupEnd()) ' Restore the graphics state
writer.End() ' save changes to the current page
doc.PagePushBack(page)
' Start a new page ------------------------------------
page = doc.PageCreate(New Rect(0, 0, 612, 794))
writer.Begin(page) ' begin writing to this page
eb.Reset() ' Reset GState to default
' Begin writing a block of text
element = eb.CreateTextBegin(PDF.Font.Create(doc, PDF.Font.StandardType1Font.e_times_roman), 12)
writer.WriteElement(element)
Dim data As String = "Hello World!"
element = eb.CreateTextRun(data)
element.SetTextMatrix(10, 0, 0, 10, 0, 600)
element.GetGState().SetLeading(15) ' Set the spacing between lines
writer.WriteElement(element)
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextNewLine()) ' New line
element = eb.CreateTextRun(data)
gstate = element.GetGState()
gstate.SetTextRenderMode(gstate.TextRenderingMode.e_stroke_text)
gstate.SetCharSpacing(-1.25)
gstate.SetWordSpacing(-1.25)
writer.WriteElement(element)
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextNewLine()) ' New line
element = eb.CreateTextRun(data)
gstate = element.GetGState()
gstate.SetCharSpacing(0)
gstate.SetWordSpacing(0)
gstate.SetLineWidth(3)
gstate.SetTextRenderMode(gstate.TextRenderingMode.e_fill_stroke_text)
gstate.SetStrokeColorSpace(ColorSpace.CreateDeviceRGB())
gstate.SetStrokeColor(New ColorPt(1, 0, 0)) ' red
gstate.SetFillColorSpace(ColorSpace.CreateDeviceCMYK())
gstate.SetFillColor(New ColorPt(1, 0, 0, 0)) ' cyan
writer.WriteElement(element)
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextNewLine()) ' New line
' Set text as a clipping path to the image.
element = eb.CreateTextRun(data)
gstate = element.GetGState()
gstate.SetTextRenderMode(gstate.TextRenderingMode.e_clip_text)
writer.WriteElement(element)
' Finish the block of text
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextEnd())
' Draw an image that will be clipped by the above text
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateImage(img, 10, 100, 1300, 720))
writer.End() ' save changes to the current page
doc.PagePushBack(page)
' Start a new page ------------------------------------
'
' The example illustrates how to embed the external font in a PDF document.
' The example also shows how ElementReader can be used to copy and modify
' Elements between pages.
Using reader As ElementReader = New ElementReader
' Start reading Elements from the last page. We will copy all Elements to
' a new page but will modify the font associated with text.
reader.Begin(doc.GetPage(doc.GetPageCount()))
page = doc.PageCreate(New Rect(0, 0, 1300, 794))
writer.Begin(page) ' begin writing to this page
eb.Reset() ' Reset GState to default
' Embed an external font in the document.
Dim font As Font = font.CreateTrueTypeFont(doc, input_path + "font.ttf")
element = reader.Next()
While (Not IsNothing(element)) ' Read page contents
If (element.GetType() = element.Type.e_text) Then
element.GetGState().SetFont(font, 12)
End If
writer.WriteElement(element)
element = reader.Next()
End While
reader.End()
writer.End() ' save changes to the current page
doc.PagePushBack(page)
' Start a new page ------------------------------------
'
' The example illustrates how to embed the external font in a PDF document.
' The example also shows how ElementReader can be used to copy and modify
' Elements between pages.
' Start reading Elements from the last page. We will copy all Elements to
' a new page but will modify the font associated with text.
reader.Begin(doc.GetPage(doc.GetPageCount()))
page = doc.PageCreate(New Rect(0, 0, 1300, 794))
writer.Begin(page) ' begin writing to this page
eb.Reset() ' Reset GState to default
' Embed an external font in the document.
Dim font2 As Font = font.CreateType1Font(doc, input_path + "Misc-Fixed.pfa")
element = reader.Next()
While (Not IsNothing(element)) ' Read page contents
If (element.GetType() = element.Type.e_text) Then
element.GetGState().SetFont(font2, 12)
End If
writer.WriteElement(element)
element = reader.Next()
End While
reader.End()
writer.End() ' save changes to the current page
doc.PagePushBack(page)
' Start a new page ------------------------------------
page = doc.PageCreate()
writer.Begin(page) ' begin writing to this page
eb.Reset() ' Reset GState to default
' Begin writing a block of text
Dim sys_font As Font = Font.Create(doc, Font.StandardType1Font.e_times_roman)
element = eb.CreateTextBegin(sys_font, 12)
element.SetTextMatrix(1.5, 0, 0, 1.5, 50, 600)
element.GetGState().SetLeading(15) ' Set the spacing between lines
writer.WriteElement(element)
Dim para As String = "A PDF text object consists of operators that can show " + _
"text strings, move the text position, and set text state and certain " + _
"other parameters. In addition, there are three parameters that are " + _
"defined only within a text object and do not persist from one text " + _
"object to the next: Tm, the text matrix, Tlm, the text line matrix, " + _
"Trm, the text rendering matrix, actually just an intermediate result " + _
"that combines the effects of text state parameters, the text matrix " + _
"(Tm), and the current transformation matrix"
Dim para_end As Integer = para.Length
Dim text_run As Integer = 0
Dim text_run_end As Integer
Dim para_width As Double = 300 ' paragraph width is 300 units
Dim cur_width As Double = 0
While (text_run < para_end)
text_run_end = para.IndexOf(" ", text_run)
If (text_run_end < 0) Then
text_run_end = para_end - 1
End If
Dim text As String = para.Substring(text_run, text_run_end - text_run + 1)
element = eb.CreateTextRun(text)
If (cur_width + element.GetTextLength() < para_width) Then
writer.WriteElement(element)
cur_width += element.GetTextLength()
Else
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextNewLine()) ' New line
text = para.Substring(text_run, text_run_end - text_run + 1)
element = eb.CreateTextRun(text)
cur_width = element.GetTextLength()
writer.WriteElement(element)
End If
text_run = text_run_end + 1
End While
' -----------------------------------------------------------------------
' The following code snippet illustrates how to adjust spacing between
' characters (text runs).
element = eb.CreateTextNewLine()
writer.WriteElement(element) ' Skip 2 lines
writer.WriteElement(element)
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextRun("An example of space adjustments between inter-characters:"))
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextNewLine())
' Write string "AWAY" without space adjustments between characters.
element = eb.CreateTextRun("AWAY")
writer.WriteElement(element)
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextNewLine())
' Write string "AWAY" with space adjustments between characters.
element = eb.CreateTextRun("A")
writer.WriteElement(element)
element = eb.CreateTextRun("W")
element.SetPosAdjustment(140)
writer.WriteElement(element)
element = eb.CreateTextRun("A")
element.SetPosAdjustment(140)
writer.WriteElement(element)
element = eb.CreateTextRun("Y again")
element.SetPosAdjustment(115)
writer.WriteElement(element)
' Draw the same strings using direct content output...
writer.Flush() ' flush pending Element writing operations.
' You can also write page content directly to the content stream using
' ElementWriter.WriteString(...) and ElementWriter.WriteBuffer(...) methods.
' Note that if you are planning to use these functions you need to be familiar
' with PDF page content operators (see Appendix A in PDF Reference Manual).
' Because it is easy to make mistakes during direct output we recommend that
' you use ElementBuilder and Element interface instead.
writer.WriteString("T* T* ")
' writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextNewLine())
writer.WriteString("(Direct output to PDF page content stream:) Tj T* ")
writer.WriteString("(AWAY) Tj T* ")
writer.WriteString("[(A)140(W)140(A)115(Y again)] TJ ")
' Finish the block of text
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextEnd())
writer.End() ' save changes to the current page
doc.PagePushBack(page)
' Start a new page ------------------------------------
' Image Masks
'
' In the opaque imaging model, images mark all areas they occupy on the page as
' if with opaque paint. All portions of the image, whether black, white, gray,
' or color, completely obscure any marks that may previously have existed in the
' same place on the page.
' In the graphic arts industry and page layout applications, however, it is common
' to crop or 'mask out' the background of an image and then place the masked image
' on a different background, allowing the existing background to show through the
' masked areas. This sample illustrates how to use image masks.
page = doc.PageCreate()
writer.Begin(page) ' begin writing to the page
' Create the Image Mask
Dim imgf As MappedFile = New MappedFile(input_path + "imagemask.dat")
Dim mask_read As FilterReader = New FilterReader(imgf)
Dim device_gray As ColorSpace = ColorSpace.CreateDeviceGray()
Dim mask As Image = Image.Create(doc, mask_read, 64, 64, 1, device_gray, Image.InputFilter.e_ascii_hex)
mask.GetSDFObj().PutBool("ImageMask", True)
element = eb.CreateRect(0, 0, 612, 794)
element.SetPathStroke(False)
element.SetPathFill(True)
element.GetGState().SetFillColorSpace(device_gray)
element.GetGState().SetFillColor(New ColorPt(0.8))
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
element = eb.CreateImage(mask, New Matrix2D(200, 0, 0, -200, 40, 680))
element.GetGState().SetFillColor(New ColorPt(0.1))
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
element.GetGState().SetFillColorSpace(ColorSpace.CreateDeviceRGB())
element.GetGState().SetFillColor(New ColorPt(1, 0, 0))
element = eb.CreateImage(mask, New Matrix2D(200, 0, 0, -200, 320, 680))
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
element.GetGState().SetFillColor(New ColorPt(0, 1, 0))
element = eb.CreateImage(mask, New Matrix2D(200, 0, 0, -200, 40, 380))
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
' This sample illustrates Explicit Masking.
img = Image.Create(doc, input_path + "peppers.jpg")
' mask is the explicit mask for the primary (base) image
img.SetMask(mask)
element = eb.CreateImage(img, New Matrix2D(200, 0, 0, -200, 320, 380))
writer.WritePlacedElement(element)
writer.End() ' save changes to the current page
doc.PagePushBack(page)
' Transparency sample ----------------------------------
' Start a new page -------------------------------------
page = doc.PageCreate()
writer.Begin(page) ' begin writing to this page
eb.Reset() ' Reset the GState to default
' Write some transparent text at the bottom of the page.
element = eb.CreateTextBegin(Font.Create(doc, Font.StandardType1Font.e_times_roman), 100)
' Set the text knockout attribute. Text knockout must be set outside of
' the text group.
gstate = element.GetGState()
gstate.SetTextKnockout(False)
gstate.SetBlendMode(gstate.BlendMode.e_bl_difference)
writer.WriteElement(element)
element = eb.CreateTextRun("Transparency")
element.SetTextMatrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 30, 30)
gstate = element.GetGState()
gstate.SetFillColorSpace(ColorSpace.CreateDeviceCMYK())
gstate.SetFillColor(New ColorPt(1, 0, 0, 0))
gstate.SetFillOpacity(0.5)
writer.WriteElement(element)
' Write the same text on top the old; shifted by 3 points
element.SetTextMatrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 33, 33)
gstate.SetFillColor(New ColorPt(0, 1, 0, 0))
gstate.SetFillOpacity(0.5)
writer.WriteElement(element)
writer.WriteElement(eb.CreateTextEnd())
' Draw three overlapping transparent circles.
eb.PathBegin() ' start constrcting the path
eb.MoveTo(459.223, 505.646)
eb.CurveTo(459.223, 415.841, 389.85, 343.04, 304.273, 343.04)
eb.CurveTo(218.697, 343.04, 149.324, 415.841, 149.324, 505.646)
eb.CurveTo(149.324, 595.45, 218.697, 668.25, 304.273, 668.25)
eb.CurveTo(389.85, 668.25, 459.223, 595.45, 459.223, 505.646)
element = eb.PathEnd()
element.SetPathFill(True)
gstate = element.GetGState()
gstate.SetFillColorSpace(ColorSpace.CreateDeviceRGB())
gstate.SetFillColor(New ColorPt(0, 0, 1)) ' Blue Circle
gstate.SetBlendMode(gstate.BlendMode.e_bl_normal)
gstate.SetFillOpacity(0.5)
writer.WriteElement(element)
' Translate relative to the Blue Circle
gstate.SetTransform(1, 0, 0, 1, 113, -185)
gstate.SetFillColor(New ColorPt(0, 1, 0)) ' Green Circle
gstate.SetFillOpacity(0.5)
writer.WriteElement(element)
' Translate relative to the Green Circle
gstate.SetTransform(1, 0, 0, 1, -220, 0)
gstate.SetFillColor(New ColorPt(1, 0, 0)) ' Red Circle
gstate.SetFillOpacity(0.5)
writer.WriteElement(element)
writer.End() ' save changes to the current page
doc.PagePushBack(page)
' End page ------------------------------------
doc.Save(output_path + "element_builder.pdf", SDF.SDFDoc.SaveOptions.e_remove_unused)
End Using
End Using
End Using
End Using
Console.WriteLine("Done. Result saved in element_builder.pdf...")
Catch ex As PDFNetException
Console.WriteLine(ex.Message)
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try
PDFNet.Terminate()
End Sub
End Module