XAF - WinForms SVG Images Support (v18.1.4)

XAF Team Blog
13 June 2018

One of our primary objectives in 2018 is to improve the appearance of XAF desktop apps on high resolution displays. To achieve this aim, we hope to redraw and replace all default XAF PNG icons with their SVG equivalents by the end of 2018. First however, we need to ensure that all XAF visual elements support SVG images themselves: menus and navigation elements, the DetailView layout groups and tabs, built-in property editors, form templates, etc.

To check our progress in this regard and to help us improve our implementation, please follow this knowledge base article.

New visual elements covered

With XAF v18.1.4, you can specify SVG images for the following visual elements:

  • SingleChoiceAction and its items displayed in ButtonsContainer within a detail view. 


  • Validation errors in GridListEditor, DetailView property editors and their tooltips.


  • PivotGridListEditor's context menus for the pivot grid and chart controls.

How to test this feature

To test this feature with your v18.1 project, find and register the appropriate SVG image (described in the Add and Override Images topic). Note that we support SVG images only when WinApplication.UseOldTemplates=False. We also recommend that you set WinApplication.UseLightStyle=True for the best appearance.

To simplify your tests, download and run our customized MainDemo.Win app. It already includes several SVG icons from the XAF and DevExpress Image libraries. Alternatively, click the images below to view these icons prior to usage.


Like it?

We'd love to hear your feedback about this feature. Drop us a line below, thanks.



  Yekaterina K.
  Technical writer
  XAF team

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Aldo G.
Aldo G.

Hi Yekaterina,

I have a question: even when you have finished the implementation of this feature, we'll need to manually change each image in existing projects?

I have developing a project now (very beginning of it, nothing in production yet) and I don't now if I change manually each image to look like your demo project, or is better if I wait for the final release by the end of the year.

13 June 2018
Dennis (DevExpress)
Dennis Garavsky (DevExpress)

Right away, you need to replace all images manually. When we are done with this feature, the customer will not need to do much. Our current vision is that newly created XAF projects will use SVG images by default.

Existing projects can enable SVG images with a feature toggle.

13 June 2018
Aldo G.
Aldo G.

Thanks Denis,

Having the toggle function to enable SVG images would be great!

13 June 2018
Dennis (DevExpress)
Dennis Garavsky (DevExpress)

Thank you for the validation, Aldo!

13 June 2018
Mohamed Al Zayani
Mohamed Al Zayani

if I want to change all images with SVG ones, how would I know the name of the image? e.g. Default interface icons (next, prev, ...etc)

14 June 2018
Marina B (DevExpress)
Marina B (DevExpress)

Hello Mohamed,

Please refer to the How to replace all images in an XAF application ticket where a similar question was previously discussed. Feel free to contact our Support Team in case of any difficulties.

14 June 2018
Miro Mz
Miro Mz

This is great, along with the Bezier theme this will provide a refresh for the look and feel of XAF apps! Looking forward to the full release!

2 July 2018
Joche Ojeda
Jose Javier Columbie

Hi is there a way to include your own SGV images?

19 March 2019
Dennis (DevExpress)
Dennis Garavsky (DevExpress)

@Joche Ojeda: Sure. The documentation.devexpress.com/.../How-To-Draw-and-Use-SVG-Images article should help you choose third-party icon packs or paint your own icons to fit our skins best.

19 March 2019

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