#Mac sketch convert to path how to#
#Mac sketch convert to path series#

The NSBezierPath class defines only four basic path element commands, which are listed in Table 8-1.

#Mac sketch convert to path how to#

(For information on how to modify path elements, see Manipulating Individual Path Elements.) Although you could create a new path object with the changes, it is far simpler to modify the existing path elements. If you create a complex path based on user input, you might want to give the user the option of changing that path later. Knowing how to manipulate path elements becomes important, however, if you want to make changes to an existing path. The NSBezierPath class handles much of the work of creating and organizing path elements initially.

#Mac sketch convert to path series#

When assembled, a set of path elements creates a series of line segments that form the desired shape. The command tells the path object how to interpret the associated points. A path element consists of a primitive command and one or more points. Path ElementsĪn NSBezierPath object uses path elements to build a path. The following sections explain how NSBezierPath represents path information and also describe the attributes that affect a path’s appearance. An NSBezierPath object encapsulates the information associated with a path, including the points that define the path and the attributes that affect the appearance of the path. The NSBezierPath class provides the behavior for drawing most primitive shapes, and for many complex shapes, it is the only tool available in Cocoa. Because the layout of the Cocoa and Quartz types are identical, you can convert between two types by casting from one type to its counterpart. The NSPoint, NSRect, and NSSize data types have equivalents in the Quartz environment: CGPoint, CGRect, and CGSize.

Floating-point values allow for much finer precision as the resolution of the underlying destination device goes up. The coordinate values for point, rectangle, and size data types are all specified using floating-point values. Everything from lines and rectangles to circles, arcs, and Bezier curves can be specified using one or more of these data structures. You use these data types to specify lines, rectangles, and width and height information for the shapes you want to draw. These data types include NSPoint, NSRect, and NSSize.

Path Building BlocksĬocoa defines several fundamental data types for manipulating geometric information in the drawing environment. Those functions are mentioned where appropriate, but for more information, see Foundation Framework Reference and Application Kit Framework Reference. Cocoa also provides a handful of functions that offer similar behavior for creating and drawing paths but do not require the overhead of creating an object. The following sections focus primarily on the use of the NSBezierPath class, which provides the main interface for creating and manipulating paths. Because they are composed of points (as opposed to a rasterized bitmap), paths are lightweight, fast, and scale to different resolutions without losing precision or quality. From these primitives, you can create more complex shapes, such as circles, rectangles, polygons, and complex curved shapes, and paint them. A path is a collection of points used to create primitive shapes such as lines, arcs, and curves. Cocoa provides support for drawing simple or complex geometric shapes using paths.