Command: route

Syntax

{<entity> = } route <point> {
    <pcommand>
    ...
}

Description

Create a route of polygon graphic entities.

Parameters

• <entity>
  An entity or gstructure identifier. The polygon entities will be given this name. This can be an entity array for multiple entity assignment.

• <point>
  An extrusion point phrase to be applied to all vertices defined in <pcommand> thereby forming polygons from each edge.

• <pcommand>
  A command line containing either:

a language command to be executed normally, which may or may not generate polygon vertices.

a series of point expressions separated by commas defining polygon vertices.

Switches

• -alph=<num>
  An alpha transparency factor between 0 and 1. A value 1 implies fully opaque, 0 means fully transparent (therefore invisible). The default is 1.

• -br=<num>
  A brightness factor between -1 and +1. A value 0 means normal, -1 means very dark (black), +1 means very bright (white). The default is 1.

• -col=<color>
  The color of the polygons. If included, this will override any color defined in the linestyle (-ls) or fillstyle (-fil). If omitted, the value no_change is used.

• -draw
  Display the entity graphics during creation. The default behavior is to suppress display until completion of the command, unless the command was typed from the keyboard.

• -ff
  Fix the fill color of created polygons so that they are unaffected by subsequent modifications to the entity color.

• -fil=<fillstyle>
  The fill characteristics of the polygon interiors.If omitted, the polygons are not filled. Note: <fillstyle> can be a fillstyle, color, tile, hatchstyle or graduation.

• -fr=<num>
  Define a fragment number for the entity. If omitted, the default fragment def_fragment is used.

• -g=<groups>
  The graphic groups of which the entities are to be part.

• -ls=<linestyle | color>
  The linestyle of the polygon edges. This can be a linestyle or a color. If omitted, the current modeling color def_color is used.

• -ra=<num>
  Define a rank for the entity. If omitted, the default rank def_rank is used.

• -th=<num>
  The thickness of the polygon edges. If included, this will override any thickness defined in the linestyle (-ls) or hatchstyle (-fil) if applicable.

Notes

This command always creates one or more graphic entities. Duplicate consecutive points are ignored.

The symbology of polygon edges may be changed by using relevant assignments within the command block, e.g. def_color = blue.

The polygons created will be three or 4-sided depending on the effect of the extrusion point phrase on a vertex.

Polygons which reduce to a line for one reason or another are ignored.

During edge definition, a point phrase beginning with a @ will indicate a move of the graphic control position without creating a polygon. A phrase beginning with a $ will indicate a polygon with linestyled edges, using linestyle def_ls. If neither prefix is present, the linestyle given by the -ls switch is used.

Examples

Create four unnamed polygon entities.

route u:250 { gc, e:500, n:500, w:250, r }

Create unnamed polygon entities (the edges are defined interactively).

plan
route u:700, -col=green, -fil=yellow {
    pseries # Command
    r; # Point phrase "return to start"
}

Create named polygon entities in a command block (via a regular polygon of 64 edges).

angle_mode='radians'
numeric nedges = 64, radius = 1000
numeric ang = 0, delta = 1.5*pi/nedges
entity tent[] = route (500,500,1500), -fil=khaki {
    for i=1,nedges { # Command
        (radius*sin(ang),radius*cos(ang),0); # Point phrase
        ang += delta; # Command
    }
}

See Also