This tutorial shows how to convert annotations embedded in a PDF to LEADTOOLS Annotation objects in a WinForms C# .NET 6 application using the LEADTOOLS SDK.
Note: This conversion is done implicitly when using a Document Viewer control that is configured to use automated annotations and load embedded PDF annotations. For more details, see the Draw and Edit Annotations on Documents tutorial.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Summary | This tutorial shows how to convert PDF annotations to LEAD annotations in a C# WinForms Application. |
| Completion Time | 30 minutes |
| Visual Studio Project | Download tutorial project (78 KB) |
| Platform | WinForms C# Application |
| IDE | Visual Studio 2022 |
| Development License | Download LEADTOOLS |
Get familiar with the basic steps of creating a project by reviewing the Add References and Set a License and the Draw and Edit Annotations on Images tutorials, before working on the Convert PDF Annotations to LEADTOOLS Annotations - WinForms C# tutorial.
Start with a copy of the project created in the Draw and Edit Annotations on Images tutorial. If that project is unavailable, follow the steps in that tutorial to create it.
The references needed depend upon the purpose of the project. References can be added by one or the other of the following two methods (but not both).
If using NuGet references, this tutorial requires the following NuGet package:
Leadtools.Annotations.WinFormsLeadtools.PdfLeadtools.Viewer.Controls.WinFormsIf using local DLL references, the following DLLs are needed.
The DLLs are located at <INSTALL_DIR>\LEADTOOLS23\Bin\net:
Leadtools.dllLeadtools.Annotations.Automation.dllLeadtools.Annotations.Engine.dllLeadtools.Annotations.WinForms.dllLeadtools.Codecs.dllLeadtools.Controls.WinForms.dllLeadtools.Core.dllLeadtools.Pdf.dllLeadtools.Pdf.Annotations.dllFor a complete list of which DLL files are required for your application, refer to Files to be Included With Your Application.
The License unlocks the features needed for the project. It must be set before any toolkit function is called. For details, including tutorials for different platforms, refer to Setting a Runtime License.
There are two types of runtime licenses:
Note: Adding LEADTOOLS NuGet and local references and setting a license are covered in more detail in the Add References and Set a License tutorial.
With the project created, the references added, the license set, and the automated annotations code added, coding can begin.
In the Solution Explorer, double-click Form1.cs to display the Designer. Right-click on the Designer and select View Code, or press F7, to bring up the code behind the form. Add the using statements below to the top of the Form1 class.
using Leadtools;using Leadtools.Controls;using Leadtools.Codecs;using Leadtools.Annotations.Automation;using Leadtools.Annotations.WinForms;using Leadtools.Pdf;using Leadtools.Pdf.Annotations;
Add the below code to the Form1_Load method:
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e){// Initialize Image Viewer object_viewer = new();_viewer.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;// Initialize Automation Control for Image Viewer_automationControl = new();_automationControl.ImageViewer = _viewer;// Initialize a new RasterCodecs objectRasterCodecs codecs = new();codecs.Options.Pdf.Load.HideAnnotations = true;// Change file reference to PDF with annotationsstring pdfFilename = @"C:\DevopsMaps\v23\tutorials\Dotnet-WinForms-Convert-PDF-Annotations-to-LEADTOOLS-Annotations\Annotated.pdf";// Load the main image into the viewer//Comment out if handling files with MemoryStream_viewer.Image = codecs.Load(pdfFilename);//Uncomment if handling files with MemoryStream//byte[] pdfData = File.ReadAllBytes(pdfFilename);//MemoryStream pdfStream = new MemoryStream(pdfData);//viewer.Image = codecs.Load(pdfStream);// Initialize the Interactive Mode for the Image ViewerAutomationInteractiveMode automationInteractiveMode = new();automationInteractiveMode.AutomationControl = _automationControl;// Add the Interactive Mode to the Image Viewer_viewer.InteractiveModes.BeginUpdate();_viewer.InteractiveModes.Add(automationInteractiveMode);_viewer.InteractiveModes.EndUpdate();if (_viewer.Image != null){// Create and set up the Automation Manager_annAutomationManager = new();_annAutomationManager.RestrictDesigners = true;// Instruct the Manager to create all the default Automation objects._annAutomationManager.CreateDefaultObjects();// Initialize the Manager Helper and create the Toolbar// Add the Toolbar and the Image Viewer to the ControlsAutomationManagerHelper managerHelper = new(_annAutomationManager);managerHelper.CreateToolBar();Controls.Add(managerHelper.ToolBar);Controls.Add(_viewer);// Set up the Automation (it will create the Container as well)_automation = new(_annAutomationManager, _automationControl);// Set this Automation as the active one_automation.Active = true;// Set the size of the Container to the size of the Image Viewer_automation.Container.Size = _automation.Container.Mapper.SizeToContainerCoordinates(LeadSizeD.Create(_viewer.Image.ImageWidth, _viewer.Image.ImageHeight));// Parse PDF annotationsPDFDocument pdfDoc = new(pdfFilename);//Use if handling files with MemoryStream//PDFDocument pdfDoc = new PDFDocument(pdfStream);pdfDoc.ParsePages(PDFParsePagesOptions.Annotations, 1, -1);// Make sure mapping resolution is correct_automation.Container.Mapper.MapResolutions(_viewer.Image.XResolution, _viewer.Image.YResolution, _viewer.Image.XResolution, _viewer.Image.YResolution);// Convert annotationsAnnPDFConvertor.ConvertFromPDF(pdfDoc.Pages[0].Annotations, _automation.Container, LeadSizeD.Create(pdfDoc.Pages[0].Width, pdfDoc.Pages[0].Height));}}
To handle the files using MemoryStream, replace the code line viewer.Image = codecs.Load(pdfFilename); with the following:
byte[] pdfData = File.ReadAllBytes(pdfFilename);MemoryStream pdfStream = new MemoryStream(pdfData);viewer.Image = codecs.Load(pdfStream);
Then replace the code line PDFDocument pdfDoc = new PDFDocument(pdfFilename); with the following:
PDFDocument pdfDoc = new PDFDocument(pdfStream);
Run the project by pressing F5, or by selecting Debug -> Start Debugging.
If the steps were followed correctly, the application runs and the sample PDF is loaded into the viewer and the embedded PDF annotation objects will be converted and loaded as LEADTOOLS annotation objects.

This tutorial showed how to use the AnnPDFConvertor and PDFDocument classes.