Entities (graphic objects)

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Entities are visible graphical objects (lines, circles, raster images, and so on) that make up a drawing. Graphical objects have typical properties such as Identifier, Layer, Linetype, Color, etc. They also have specific properties, depending on their object type, such as, Center, Radius, and Area.

LiteCAD supports the following types of entities:

Type	LC_PROP_ENT_TYPE value
Line	LC_ENT_LINE
Polyline	LC_ENT_POLYLINE
Rectangle	LC_ENT_RECT
Multiline	LC_ENT_MLINE
Construction Line	LC_ENT_XLINE
Circle	LC_ENT_CIRCLE
Arc	LC_ENT_ARC
Ellipse	LC_ENT_ELLIPSE
Text	LC_ENT_TEXT
Arc Text	LC_ENT_ARCTEXT
Multiline Text	LC_ENT_MTEXT
Windows Text	LC_ENT_TEXTWIN
Point	LC_ENT_POINT
Block Reference	LC_ENT_BLOCKREF
Attribute definition	LC_ENT_ATTDEF
Raster image reference	LC_ENT_IMAGEREF
ECW / Jpeg2000 Image	LC_ENT_ECW
Dimension Linear	LC_ENT_DIMLIN
Dimension Aligned	LC_ENT_DIMALI
Dimension Ordinate	LC_ENT_DIMORD
Dimension Radial	LC_ENT_DIMRAD
Dimension Diametric	LC_ENT_DIMDIA
Dimension Angular	LC_ENT_DIMANG
Leader	LC_ENT_LEADER
Shape	LC_ENT_SHAPE
Barcode	LC_ENT_BARCODE
Hatch	LC_ENT_HATCH
Triangulated Irregular Network	LC_ENT_TIN
3D Face	LC_ENT_FACE
Viewport	LC_ENT_VIEWPORT

Entities are contained in blocks, therefore, in order to add graphics into a drawing, you have to add it into specified block.

Each entity has the following properties:

Property	Type	Access	Meaning
LC_PROP_ENT_TYPE	int	R	Type of graphic object (see above)
LC_PROP_ENT_ID	int string	R	Unique Identifier Hexadecimal string (up to 16 characters)
LC_PROP_ENT_KEY	int	RW	User value
LC_PROP_ENT_BLOCK	handle string	R	Handle to owner Block Name of owner Block
LC_PROP_ENT_DRW	handle	R	Handle to owner Drawing
LC_PROP_ENT_LAYER	handle string	RW	Handle to Layer Name of Layer
LC_PROP_ENT_LINETYPE	handle string	RW	Handle to Linetype Name of Linetype
LC_PROP_ENT_LTSCALE	float	RW	Linetype scale
LC_PROP_ENT_LWIDTH	int	RW	Linewidth
LC_PROP_ENT_PRIORITY	int string	RW	Priority value, used for sorting (lcBlockSortEnts) Integer or string (hexadecimal, up to 16 characters)
LC_PROP_ENT_FROMCB	bool	R	TRUE if entity was added from Clipboard. To clear this flag in all entities use command LC_CMD_RESET
Outline Color
LC_PROP_ENT_COLOR	string int	RW RW	Color name RGB value (COLORREF)
LC_PROP_ENT_COLORI	int bool	RW R	Color Index (1..255) TRUE if the color is index
LC_PROP_ENT_COLORT	int bool	RW R	True Color (COLORREF) TRUE if the color is RGB
LC_PROP_ENT_COLORBYLAYER	bool	RW	Color "ByLayer"
LC_PROP_ENT_COLORBYBLOCK	bool	RW	Color "ByBlock"
Entity filling (for closed entities)
LC_PROP_ENT_SOLIDFILL	bool	RW	"Entity has solid filling" flag
LC_PROP_ENT_FILLED	bool	RW	same as LC_PROP_ENT_SOLIDFILL
LC_PROP_ENT_FCOLOR	string int	RW RW	Filling Color name RGB value (COLORREF)
LC_PROP_ENT_FCOLORI	int bool	RW R	Filling color Index (1..255) TRUE if the color is index
LC_PROP_ENT_FCOLORT	int bool	RW R	Filling True Color (COLORREF) TRUE if the color is RGB
LC_PROP_ENT_FCOLORBYLAYER	bool	RW	Filling Color "ByLayer"
LC_PROP_ENT_FCOLORBYBLOCK	bool	RW	Filling Color "ByBlock"
LC_PROP_ENT_FALPHA	int	RW	Alpha value (1..255), for semi-transparent filling
LC_PROP_ENT_LINFILL	handle string	RW RW	Handle to linear filling style Name of linear filling style
LC_PROP_ENT_LINFILLNL	int	R	Number of generated filling lines
LC_PROP_ENT_WIPEOUT	bool	RW	Filled with background color
Flags
LC_PROP_ENT_LOCKED	bool	R	"ReadOnly" flag (depends on a layer)
LC_PROP_ENT_VISIBLE	bool	R	"Visible" flag (depends on a layer)
LC_PROP_ENT_HIDDEN	bool	RW	"Hidden" flag
LC_PROP_ENT_DELETED	bool	RW	"Deleted" flag
LC_PROP_ENT_IMMORTAL	bool	RW	"Can not be deleted" flag
LC_PROP_ENT_SELECTED	bool	R	"Selected" flag
LC_PROP_ENT_GRIPMODE	int	RW	Behavior concerning grips
Geometric extents
LC_PROP_ENT_XMIN	float	R	X min
LC_PROP_ENT_YMIN	float	R	Y min
LC_PROP_ENT_XMAX	float	R	X max
LC_PROP_ENT_YMAX	float	R	Y max
LC_PROP_ENT_XCEN	float	R	Center X
LC_PROP_ENT_YCEN	float	R	Center Y
LC_PROP_ENT_DX	float	R	Width
LC_PROP_ENT_DY	float	R	Height
LC_PROP_ENT_LEN	float	R	Length (line, pline, arc, circle, ellipse, rect)
LC_PROP_ENT_Z	float	RW	Z-coordinate
LC_PROP_ENT_THICKNESS	float	RW	Thickness along Z axis
Extra data (see also lcEntXData)
LC_PROP_ENT_XDATAID	int	R	Identifier
LC_PROP_ENT_XDATAFLAGS	int	RW	Flags
LC_PROP_ENT_XDATASIZE	int	R	Size of a memory buffer (bytes)
LC_PROP_ENT_XDATA	handle	RW	Pointer to a memory buffer
LC_PROP_ENT_XSTR	bool string	R RW	XDATA contains text string Text variable (uses XDATA buffer)

Each entity has more properties, specific to the entity's type.

Graphic objects functions

Function	Meaning
lcEntErase	Erases / Unerases object
lcEntMove	Moves object
lcEntScale	Scales object
lcEntRotate	Rotates object
lcEntMirror	Mirrors object
lcEntExplode	Explodes object
lcEntSplit	Splits entity on several equal parts
lcEntBreak	Divides entity on 2 parts at specified point
lcEntBreak2	Divides entity on multiple parts
lcEntOffset	Offsets entity
lcEntExtend	Extend geometry to specified edge
lcEntReverse	Reverses direction of entity
lcEntAlign	Moves entity according alignment type
lcEntGetPoint	Gets a point on entity by distance from beginning
lcEntGetDist	Gets a point on entity which is nearest to specified point
lcEntToTop lcEntToBottom lcEntToAbove lcEntToUnder	Changes object's draw order
lcEntGetGrip	Retrieves coordinates of object's control point
lcEntPutGrip	Sets new coordinates for object's control point
lcEntUpdate	Updates entity
lcEntCopyBase	Copies base properties from other entity
lcIntersection	Searches intersection points of 2 graphic objects
lcInterGetPoint	Retrieves coordinates of intersection points
lcEntXData	Allocates extra data buffer
lcEntType	Type
Retrieve simple polylines of graphic object
lcExpEntity	Explode entity to inner buffer
lcExpGetPline	Get a polyline from inner buffer
lcExpGetVertex	Get coordinates of polyline vertex

See also

  Retrieve objects