Basic Shapes
Introduction
SVG contains the following set of basic shape elements:
- rectangles (including optional rounded corners), created with the 'rect' element,
- circles, created with the 'circle' element,
- ellipses, created with the 'ellipse' element,
- straight lines, created with the 'line' element,
- polylines, created with the 'polyline' element, and
- polygons, created with the 'polygon' element.
Mathematically, these shape elements are equivalent to a
'path' element that would construct the same shape. The basic
shapes may be stroked, filled and used as clip paths. All of the
properties available for 'path' elements also apply to the basic
shapes.
The 'rect' element
The 'rect' element defines a rectangle which is axis-aligned
with the current user
coordinate system. Rounded rectangles can be achieved by setting
appropriate values for attributes 'rx' and 'ry'.
Attribute definitions:
- x = "<coordinate>"
- The x-axis coordinate of the side of the rectangle
which has the smaller x-axis coordinate value in the
current user coordinate system.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- y = "<coordinate>"
- The y-axis coordinate of the side of the rectangle
which has the smaller y-axis coordinate value in the
current user coordinate system.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- width = "<length>"
- The width of the rectangle.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing).
A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable:
yes.
- height = "<length>"
- The height of the rectangle.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing).
A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable:
yes.
- rx = "<length>"
- For rounded rectangles, the x-axis radius of the
ellipse used to round off the corners of the
rectangle.
A negative value is an error (see Error
processing).
See the notes below about what happens if the attribute is
not specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- ry = "<length>"
- For rounded rectangles, the y-axis radius of the
ellipse used to round off the corners of the
rectangle.
A negative value is an error (see Error
processing).
See the notes below about what happens if the attribute is
not specified.
Animatable:
yes.
The values used for the x- and y-axis rounded corner radii are
determined implicitly if the 'rx' or 'ry' attributes (or both)
are not specified, or are specified but with invalid values.
The values are also subject to clamping so that the lengths of
the straight segments of the rectangle are never negative. The
effective values for 'rx' and 'ry' are determined by following
these steps in order:
- Let rx and ry be length values.
- If neither 'rx' nor 'ry' are properly specified, then set both
rx and ry to 0. (This will result in square corners.)
- Otherwise, if a properly specified value is provided for 'rx', but
not for 'ry', then set both rx and ry to the value of 'rx'.
- Otherwise, if a properly specified value is provided for 'ry', but
not for 'rx', then set both rx and ry to the value of 'ry'.
- Otherwise, both 'rx' and 'ry' were specified properly. Set rx to
the value of 'rx' and ry to the value of 'ry'.
- If rx is greater than half of 'width', then set
rx to half of 'width'.
- If ry is greater than half of 'height', then set
ry to half of 'height'.
- The effective values of 'rx' and 'ry' are rx and
ry, respectively.
Mathematically, a 'rect' element can be mapped to an
equivalent 'path' element as follows: (Note: all coordinate and
length values are first converted into user space coordinates according
to Units.)
- perform an absolute moveto operation to
location (x+rx,y), where x is the value of
the 'rect' element's 'x' attribute converted to user
space, rx is the effective value of the 'rx' attribute
converted to user space and y is the value of the 'y'
attribute converted to user space
- perform an absolute horizontal lineto
operation to location (x+width-rx,y), where width
is the 'rect' element's 'width' attribute converted to user
space
- perform an absolute elliptical arc
operation to coordinate (x+width,y+ry), where the effective
values for the 'rx' and 'ry' attributes on the 'rect'
element converted to user space are used as the rx and ry
attributes on the elliptical arc
command, respectively, the x-axis-rotation is set to zero, the
large-arc-flag is set to zero, and the sweep-flag is set
to one
- perform a absolute vertical lineto to location
(x+width,y+height-ry), where height is the
'rect' element's 'height' attribute converted to user
space
- perform an absolute elliptical arc
operation to coordinate (x+width-rx,y+height)
- perform an absolute horizontal lineto to location
(x+rx,y+height)
- perform an absolute elliptical arc
operation to coordinate (x,y+height-ry)
- perform an absolute absolute vertical lineto to location
(x,y+ry)
- perform an absolute elliptical arc
operation to coordinate (x+rx,y)
Example rect01 shows a
rectangle with sharp corners. The 'rect' element is filled with yellow
and stroked with navy.
Example rect02 shows
two rounded rectangles. The 'rx' specifies how to round the corners of
the rectangles. Note that since no value has been specified for the 'ry'
attribute, it will be assigned the same value as the 'rx' attribute.
The 'circle' element
The 'circle' element defines a circle based on a center point and a
radius.
Attribute definitions:
- cx = "<coordinate>"
- The x-axis coordinate of the center of the
circle.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- cy = "<coordinate>"
- The y-axis coordinate of the center of the
circle.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- r = "<length>"
- The radius of the circle.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing).
A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable:
yes.
The arc of a 'circle' element begins at the "3 o'clock" point
on the radius and progresses towards the "9 o'clock" point. The starting
point and direction of the arc are affected by the user space transform
in the same manner as the geometry of the element.
Example
circle01 consists of a 'circle' element that is filled
with red and stroked with blue.
The 'ellipse' element
The 'ellipse' element defines an ellipse which is axis-aligned
with the current user
coordinate system based on a center point and two radii.
Attribute definitions:
- cx = "<coordinate>"
- The x-axis coordinate of the center of the
ellipse.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- cy = "<coordinate>"
- The y-axis coordinate of the center of the
ellipse.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- rx = "<length>"
- The x-axis radius of the ellipse.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing).
A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable:
yes.
- ry = "<length>"
- The y-axis radius of the ellipse.
A negative value is an error (see Error processing).
A value of zero disables rendering of the element.
Animatable:
yes.
The arc of an 'ellipse' element begins
at the "3 o'clock" point on the radius and progresses towards the "9
o'clock" point. The starting point and direction of the arc are affected
by the user space transform in the same manner as the geometry of the
element.
Example ellipse01 below specifies
the coordinates of the two ellipses in the user coordinate system
established by the 'viewBox' attribute on the 'svg'
element and the 'transform' attribute on the 'g' and
'ellipse' elements. Both ellipses use the default values of
zero for the 'cx' and 'cy' attributes (the center of the
ellipse). The second ellipse is rotated.
The 'line' element
The 'line' element defines a line segment that starts at one point
and ends at another.
Attribute definitions:
- x1 = "<coordinate>"
- The x-axis coordinate of the start of the line.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- y1 = "<coordinate>"
- The y-axis coordinate of the start of the line.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- x2 = "<coordinate>"
- The x-axis coordinate of the end of the line.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
- y2 = "<coordinate>"
- The y-axis coordinate of the end of the line.
If the attribute is not specified, the effect is as if a
value of "0" were specified.
Animatable:
yes.
Mathematically, a 'line' element can be mapped to an
equivalent 'path' element as follows: (Note: all coordinate and
length values are first converted into user space coordinates according
to Units.)
- perform an absolute moveto
operation to absolute location (x1,y1), where x1
and y1 are the values of the 'line' element's 'x1' and
'y1' attributes converted to user space, respectively
- perform an absolute lineto
operation to absolute location (x2,y2), where x2
and y2 are the values of the 'line' element's 'x2' and
'y2' attributes converted to user space, respectively
Because 'line' elements are single lines and thus are geometrically
one-dimensional, they have no interior; thus, 'line' elements are never
filled (see the 'fill' property).
Example line01 below
specifies the coordinates of the five lines in the user coordinate system
established by the 'viewBox' attribute on the 'svg' element. The
lines have different thicknesses.
The 'polyline' element
The 'polyline' element defines a set of connected straight
line segments. Typically, 'polyline' elements define open
shapes.
Attribute definitions:
- points = "<list-of-points>"
- The points that make up the polyline. All coordinate
values are in the user coordinate system.
Animatable:
yes.
If an odd number of coordinates is provided, then the element is in
error, with the same user agent behavior as occurs with an incorrectly
specified 'path' element.
Mathematically, a 'polyline' element can be mapped to an
equivalent 'path' element as follows:
- perform an absolute moveto
operation to the first coordinate pair in the list of points
- for each subsequent coordinate pair, perform an absolute
lineto operation to that
coordinate pair.
Example polyline01
below specifies a polyline in the user coordinate system established by the
'viewBox' attribute on the 'svg' element.
The 'polygon' element
The 'polygon' element defines a closed shape consisting of a
set of connected straight line segments.
Attribute definitions:
- points = "<list-of-points>"
- The points that make up the polygon. All coordinate
values are in the user coordinate system.
Animatable:
yes.
If an odd number of coordinates is provided, then the element is in
error, with the same user agent behavior as occurs with an incorrectly
specified 'path' element.
Mathematically, a 'polygon' element can be mapped to an
equivalent 'path' element as follows:
- perform an absolute moveto
operation to the first coordinate pair in the list of points
- for each subsequent coordinate pair, perform an absolute
lineto operation to that
coordinate pair
- perform a closepath
command
Example
polygon01 below specifies two polygons (a star and a hexagon) in
the user coordinate system established by the 'viewBox' attribute
on the 'svg' element.
The grammar for points specifications in
'polyline' and
'polygon' elements
The following is the Extended Backus-Naur Form (EBNF) for points specifications
in 'polyline' and 'polygon' elements. The following
notation is used:
- *: 0 or more
- +: 1 or more
- ?: 0 or 1
- (): grouping
- |: separates alternatives
- double quotes surround literals
list-of-points:
wsp* coordinate-pairs? wsp*
coordinate-pairs:
coordinate-pair
| coordinate-pair comma-wsp coordinate-pairs
coordinate-pair:
coordinate comma-wsp coordinate
| coordinate negative-coordinate
coordinate:
number
number:
sign? integer-constant
| sign? floating-point-constant
negative-coordinate:
"-" integer-constant
| "-" floating-point-constant
comma-wsp:
(wsp+ comma? wsp*) | (comma wsp*)
comma:
","
integer-constant:
digit-sequence
floating-point-constant:
fractional-constant exponent?
| digit-sequence exponent
fractional-constant:
digit-sequence? "." digit-sequence
| digit-sequence "."
exponent:
( "e" | "E" ) sign? digit-sequence
sign:
"+" | "-"
digit-sequence:
digit
| digit digit-sequence
digit:
"0" | "1" | "2" | "3" | "4" | "5" | "6" | "7" | "8" | "9"
wsp:
(#x20 | #x9 | #xD | #xA)+
DOM interfaces
Interface SVGRectElement
Interface SVGCircleElement
Interface SVGEllipseElement
Interface SVGLineElement
Interface SVGAnimatedPoints
Interface SVGPolylineElement
Interface SVGPolygonElement