com.esri.arcgis.geometry
Interface IGeometry

All Superinterfaces:
Serializable
All Known Subinterfaces:
IBezierCurve, IBezierCurve2, IBezierCurve3, ICircularArc, ICurve, ICurve2, ICurve3, IEllipticArc, IEnvelope, IEnvelope2, IGeometry2, IGeometry3, IGeometry4, IGeometry5, IGeometryBag, ILine, ILine2, IMultiPatch, IMultiPatch2, IMultipoint, IPath, IPoint, IPolycurve, IPolycurve2, IPolycurve3, IPolygon, IPolygon2, IPolygon3, IPolygon4, IPolyline, IPolyline2, IPolyline3, IPolyline4, IPolyline5, IPolyline6, IRay, IRay2, IRing, IRing2, ISegment, ISphere, ITopologicalSegment, ITopologicalSegment2, ITriangleFan, ITriangles, ITriangleStrip
All Known Implementing Classes:
BezierCurve, CircularArc, EllipticArc, Envelope, GeometryBag, ICurveProxy, IGeometryProxy, IMultiPatch2Proxy, IMultiPatchProxy, IPolycurve2Proxy, IPolycurve3Proxy, IPolycurveProxy, IPolyline2Proxy, IPolyline3Proxy, IPolyline4Proxy, IPolyline5Proxy, IPolyline6Proxy, IPolylineProxy, ISegmentProxy, ITopologicalSegment2Proxy, ITopologicalSegmentProxy, Line, MultiPatch, Multipoint, Path, Point, Polygon, Polyline, Ray, Ring, Sphere, TriangleFan, Triangles, TriangleStrip

public interface IGeometry
extends Serializable

Provides access to members that describe properties and behavior of all geometric objects.

Superseded By

IGeometry5

Description

Common properties and methods shared by all geometric objects. Geometries are objects that define a spatial location and an associated geometric shape.

Remarks

Every Geometry created within ArcGIS should be assigned a spatial reference. Always attach well-defined spatial references to new geometries. This improves processing efficiency, in particular, when using ITopologicalOperator on geometries that contain curved segments (circular arcs, bezier curves, elliptical arcs). New geometries include any geometry that is created in memory. It does not matter whether it will be stored in a feature class or not. Well-defined as applied to a spatial reference means that it not only has its coordinate system (projection) defined, but also its coordinate grid. The coordinate grid consists of the xy domain, xy resolution, and xy cluster tolerance properties of a spatial reference. If the Geometry includes z or m values, the z or m domains, z or m resolutions, and z or m cluster tolerance properties must also be defined. The cluster tolerance and resolutions can be quickly and easily set using SetDefault methods on ISpatialReferenceResolution and ISpatialReferenceTolerance interfaces.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.


Method Summary
 void geoNormalize()
          Shifts longitudes, if need be, into a continuous range of 360 degrees.
 void geoNormalizeFromLongitude(double longitude)
          Normalizes longitudes into a continuous range containing the longitude.
 int getDimension()
          The topological dimension of this geometry.
 IEnvelope getEnvelope()
          Creates a copy of this geometry's envelope and returns it.
 int getGeometryType()
          The type of this geometry.
 ISpatialReference getSpatialReference()
          The spatial reference associated with this geometry.
 boolean isEmpty()
          Indicates whether this geometry contains any points.
 void project(ISpatialReference newReferenceSystem)
          Projects this geometry into a new spatial reference.
 void queryEnvelope(IEnvelope outEnvelope)
          Copies this geometry's envelope properties into the specified envelope.
 void setEmpty()
          Removes all points from this geometry.
 void setSpatialReferenceByRef(ISpatialReference spatialRef)
          The spatial reference associated with this geometry.
 void snapToSpatialReference()
          Moves points of this geometry so that they can be represented in the precision of the geometry's associated spatial reference system.
 

Method Detail

getGeometryType

int getGeometryType()
                    throws IOException,
                           AutomationException
The type of this geometry.

Remarks

esriGeometryNull          = 0
esriGeometryPoint = 1
esriGeometryMultipoint = 2
esriGeometryPolyline = 3
esriGeometryPolygon = 4
esriGeometryEnvelope = 5
esriGeometryPath = 6
esriGeometryAny = 7
esriGeometryMultiPatch = 9
esriGeometryRing = 11
esriGeometryLine = 13
esriGeometryCircularArc = 14
esriGeometryBezier3Curve = 15
esriGeometryEllipticArc = 16
esriGeometryBag = 17
esriGeometryTriangleStrip = 18
esriGeometryTriangleFan = 19
esriGeometryRay = 20
esriGeometrySphere = 21
Geometry Type Example

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Returns:
A com.esri.arcgis.geometry.esriGeometryType constant
Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

getDimension

int getDimension()
                 throws IOException,
                        AutomationException
The topological dimension of this geometry.

Description

Returns the dimension of the geometry object based on the geometry's type.

Remarks


Note: At 9.0, Multipatches are now considered as two dimensional geometry. esriGeometry3Dimension will be used for an upcoming new geometry type.
Supported esriGeometryDimensions:

-1 esriGeometryNoDimension
1 esriGeometry0Dimension
2 esriGeometry1Dimension
4 esriGeometry2Dimension
5 esriGeometry25Dimension
6 esriGeometry3Dimension

Dimension Example

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Returns:
A com.esri.arcgis.geometry.esriGeometryDimension constant
Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

getSpatialReference

ISpatialReference getSpatialReference()
                                      throws IOException,
                                             AutomationException
The spatial reference associated with this geometry.

Description

Returns and sets the Spatial Reference in which the geometry exists. If the spatial reference has not been set the property will return an empty ISpatialReference instance.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Returns:
A reference to a com.esri.arcgis.geometry.ISpatialReference
Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

setSpatialReferenceByRef

void setSpatialReferenceByRef(ISpatialReference spatialRef)
                              throws IOException,
                                     AutomationException
The spatial reference associated with this geometry.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Parameters:
spatialRef - A reference to a com.esri.arcgis.geometry.ISpatialReference (in)
Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

isEmpty

boolean isEmpty()
                throws IOException,
                       AutomationException
Indicates whether this geometry contains any points.

Description

IsEmpty returns TRUE when the Geometry object does not contain geometric information beyond its original initialization state. An object may be returned to its original initialization (IsEmpty = TRUE) state using SetEmpty.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Returns:
The isEmpty
Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

setEmpty

void setEmpty()
              throws IOException,
                     AutomationException
Removes all points from this geometry.

Description

SetEmpty returns the Geometry to its original initialization state by releasing all data referenced by the Geometry.

Remarks


Use the SetEmpty method to clear geometries and release memory. For example, a polygon with 100 rings will have an internal array of 100 pointers to ring objects. That array will go away and Release will be called on each ring. If that polygon had the only reference on those rings, then they'll go away, which releases all their segments, which may also then go away.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

queryEnvelope

void queryEnvelope(IEnvelope outEnvelope)
                   throws IOException,
                          AutomationException
Copies this geometry's envelope properties into the specified envelope.

Description

Returns the unique Envelope that binds the Geometry object. This is the smallest Envelope that Contains the object.

Remarks

Note: The output geometry must be co-created prior to the query. The output geometry is not co-created by the method; it is populated. This can be used in performance critical situations. For example, creating the geometry only once outside a loop and use the query method could improve performance.

QueryEnvelope Example

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Parameters:
outEnvelope - A reference to a com.esri.arcgis.geometry.IEnvelope (in)
Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

getEnvelope

IEnvelope getEnvelope()
                      throws IOException,
                             AutomationException
Creates a copy of this geometry's envelope and returns it.

Description

Returns the unique Envelope that binds the Geometry object. This is the smallest Envelope that Contains the object.

Remarks

Envelope Example

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Returns:
A reference to a com.esri.arcgis.geometry.IEnvelope
Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

project

void project(ISpatialReference newReferenceSystem)
             throws IOException,
                    AutomationException
Projects this geometry into a new spatial reference.

Description

To Project, the geometry needs to have a Spatial Reference set, and not have an UnknownCoordinateSystem. The new spatial reference system passed to the method defines the output coordinate system. If either spatial reference is Unknown, the coordinates are not changed. The Z and measure values are not changed by the Project method.

A geometry is not densified before it is projected. This can lead to the output geometries not reflecting the 'true' shape in the new coordinate system. A straight line in one coordinate system is not necessarily a straight line in a different coordinate system. Use IGeometry2::ProjectEx if you want to densify the geometries while they are projected.

The Project method must be applied on high-level geometries only. High-Level geometries are point, multipoint, polyline and polygon. To use this method with low-level geometries such as segments (Line, Circular Arc, Elliptic Arc, Bézier Curve), paths or rings, they must be wrapped into high-level geometry types.

If a geometry is projected to a projected coordinate system that can't represent the geographic area where the geometry is located (or if trying to move an xy coordinate from outside the projected coordinate system back into geographic), the geometry will be set to empty.

Remarks

Note: This method can only be called upon the top level geometries (Points, Multipoints, Polylines and Polygons). If the from/to spatial references have different geographic coordinate systems, the Project method looks for a GeoTransformationsOperationSet. If the set of Geotransformations is present in memory, Project will use it to perform a geographic/datum Transformation. To use a specific geotransformation, use the IGeometry2::ProjectEx method.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Parameters:
newReferenceSystem - A reference to a com.esri.arcgis.geometry.ISpatialReference (in)
Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

snapToSpatialReference

void snapToSpatialReference()
                            throws IOException,
                                   AutomationException
Moves points of this geometry so that they can be represented in the precision of the geometry's associated spatial reference system.

Remarks

SnapToSpatialReference rounds all coordinates to the resolution defined by the geometry's spatial reference system. This has a similar effect on the geometry as storing the geometry in a Geodatabase.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

geoNormalize

void geoNormalize()
                  throws IOException,
                         AutomationException
Shifts longitudes, if need be, into a continuous range of 360 degrees.

Remarks

GeoNormalize acts on geometries whose geographic system coordinates are below -180 degrees longitude or over +180 degrees longitude or on geometries that span the +-180 degrees longitude.
This method requires the geometry to have a valid spatial reference (geographic or projected coordinate system).
This method is used internally as part of the projection process for polygons and polylines. It is typically not used by itself.

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.

geoNormalizeFromLongitude

void geoNormalizeFromLongitude(double longitude)
                               throws IOException,
                                      AutomationException
Normalizes longitudes into a continuous range containing the longitude. This method is obsolete.

Remarks

This method is obsolete. Use IGeometry::GeoNormalize instead.
This method requires the geometry to have a valid spatial reference (geographic or projected coordinate system).

Product Availability

Available with ArcGIS Engine, ArcGIS Desktop, and ArcGIS Server.

Supported Platforms

Windows, Solaris, Linux

Parameters:
longitude - The longitude (in)
Throws:
IOException - If there are interop problems.
AutomationException - If the ArcObject component throws an exception.