Working with Entities¶

Entity Structure¶

Each entity is represented as a frozen dataclass with three fields:

from ezdwg import Entity

# Entity fields:
entity.dxftype  # str — entity type name (e.g. "LINE", "ARC")
entity.handle   # int — unique handle within the file
entity.dxf      # dict[str, Any] — entity-specific attributes

Querying Entities¶

Use query() on a Layout to iterate over entities:

msp = doc.modelspace()

# All supported entity types
for entity in msp.query():
    print(entity.dxftype, entity.handle)

# Filter by type name(s)
for entity in msp.query("LINE"):
    print(entity.dxf)

# Multiple types (space-separated)
for entity in msp.query("LINE ARC CIRCLE"):
    print(entity.dxftype, entity.dxf)

iter_entities() is an alias for query():

for entity in msp.iter_entities("LINE"):
    print(entity.dxf)

Converting to Points¶

The to_points() method extracts key coordinates from an entity:

for entity in msp.query("LINE LWPOLYLINE POINT INSERT HATCH SPLINE"):
    points = entity.to_points()
    print(entity.dxftype, points)

Supported types for to_points():

Type	Returns
LINE	`[start, end]`
LWPOLYLINE	List of vertex points
POINT	`[location]`
TEXT / MTEXT	`[insert]`
INSERT / MINSERT	`[insert]`
HATCH	All boundary points, flattened in path order
SPLINE	Fit points when available, otherwise control points
DIMENSION	`[defpoint2, defpoint3]` or `[text_midpoint]`
RAY	`[start, start + unit_vector]`
XLINE	`[start - unit_vector, start + unit_vector]`

Entity Type Reference¶

LINE¶

Key	Type	Description
`start`	`(float, float, float)`	Start point
`end`	`(float, float, float)`	End point

ARC¶

Key	Type	Description
`center`	`(float, float, float)`	Center point
`radius`	`float`	Radius
`start_angle`	`float`	Start angle in degrees
`end_angle`	`float`	End angle in degrees

CIRCLE¶

Key	Type	Description
`center`	`(float, float, float)`	Center point
`radius`	`float`	Radius

LWPOLYLINE¶

Key	Type	Description
`points`	`list[(float, float, float)]`	Vertex points
`closed`	`bool`	Whether the polyline is closed
`const_width`	`float \\| None`	Constant width
`bulges`	`list[float] \\| None`	Bulge values per vertex
`widths`	`list[(float, float)] \\| None`	Start/end widths per vertex

POINT¶

Key	Type	Description
`location`	`(float, float, float)`	Point location

ELLIPSE¶

Key	Type	Description
`center`	`(float, float, float)`	Center point
`major_axis`	`(float, float, float)`	Major axis endpoint relative to center
`axis_ratio`	`float`	Ratio of minor to major axis
`start_angle`	`float`	Start parameter (radians)
`end_angle`	`float`	End parameter (radians)

TEXT¶

Key	Type	Description
`insert`	`(float, float, float)`	Insertion point
`text`	`str`	Text content
`height`	`float`	Text height
`rotation`	`float`	Rotation angle in degrees

MTEXT¶

Key	Type	Description
`insert`	`(float, float, float)`	Insertion point
`text`	`str`	Text content
`char_height`	`float`	Character height
`width`	`float`	Reference rectangle width
`attachment_point`	`int`	Attachment point code

INSERT / MINSERT¶

INSERT exposes a block reference without expanding the referenced block geometry.

Key	Type	Description
`name`	`str`	Referenced block name (present when resolved)
`insert`	`(float, float, float)`	Insertion point
`xscale`	`float`	X-axis scale factor
`yscale`	`float`	Y-axis scale factor
`zscale`	`float`	Z-axis scale factor
`rotation`	`float`	Rotation angle in degrees
`owner_handle`	`int`	Owning block or layout handle (present when resolved)

MINSERT additionally exposes column_count, row_count, column_spacing, and row_spacing.

HATCH¶

Key	Type	Description
`pattern_name`	`str`	Hatch pattern name
`solid_fill`	`bool`	Whether the hatch is a solid fill
`associative`	`bool`	Whether the boundary is associative
`elevation`	`float`	Boundary elevation
`extrusion`	`(float, float, float)`	Extrusion vector
`paths`	`list[dict]`	Boundary paths with `closed` and 3D `points` fields

For closed paths, the high-level API repeats the first point at the end of the path. to_points() concatenates every path in source order.

SPLINE¶

Key	Type	Description
`degree`	`int`	Spline degree
`rational`	`bool`	Whether rational weights are used
`closed`	`bool`	Whether the spline is closed
`periodic`	`bool`	Whether the spline is periodic
`knots`	`list[float]`	Knot values
`control_points`	`list[(float, float, float)]`	Control points
`weights`	`list[float]`	Control-point weights
`fit_points`	`list[(float, float, float)]`	Fit points
`points`	`list[(float, float, float)]`	Fit points when available, otherwise control points

For a closed spline, points repeats the first point at the end.

DIMENSION¶

The dxf dictionary for DIMENSION entities includes:

Key	Type	Description
`dimtype`	`str`	Subtype: `LINEAR`, `RADIUS`, `DIAMETER`, `ALIGNED`, `ORDINATE`, `ANG3PT`, `ANG2LN`
`text_midpoint`	`(float, float, float)`	Dimension text midpoint
`defpoint`	`(float, float, float)`	Definition point (dimension line)
`defpoint2`	`(float, float, float)`	First extension line origin
`defpoint3`	`(float, float, float)`	Second extension line origin
`defpoint4`	`(float, float, float)`	Only `ANG3PT` / `ANG2LN` (DXF code 15: angle vertex / second line start) and `RADIUS` / `DIAMETER` (point on the arc / opposite diameter point)
`defpoint5`	`(float, float, float)`	Only `ANG2LN` (DXF code 16: point on the dimension arc)
`text`	`str`	Override text
`angle`	`float`	Rotation angle in degrees
`actual_measurement`	`float`	Computed measurement value

ARC Angles

The high-level API returns ARC angles in degrees. The raw API (ezdwg.raw) returns angles in radians.