Welcome! This is the documentation for ezdxf 0.8.9, last updated May 06, 2018.

Note

Python 2 support will be dropped in ezdxf v0.9.0, because Python 2 support get more and more annoying. ezdxf v0.9.0 requires at least Python 3.6, because I want f-strings!

Quick-Info¶

ezdxf is a Python package to create new DXF files and read/modify/write existing DXF files
the intended audience are developers
requires at least CPython 3.6, because of more and more troubles with Python 2 support for Python 2 will be dropped in ezdxf v0.9.0
OS independent
additional required packages: pyparsing
MIT-License
read/write/new support for DXF versions: R12, R2000, R2004, R2007, R2010, R2013 and R2018
additional read support for DXF versions R13/R14 (upgraded to R2000)
additional read support for older DXF versions than R12 (upgraded to R12)
preserves third-party DXF content
additional Fast DXF R12 File/Stream Writer, that creates just an ENTITIES section with support for the basic DXF entities

Website¶

https://ezdxf.mozman.at/

Documentation¶

Documentation of development version at https://ezdxf.mozman.at/docs

Documentation of latest release at http://ezdxf.readthedocs.io/

Source Code: http://github.com/mozman/ezdxf.git

Issue Tracker at GitHub: http://github.com/mozman/ezdxf/issues

Questions and Feedback at Google Groups¶

https://groups.google.com/d/forum/python-ezdxf

Contents¶

News¶

Version 0.8.9 - dev

Release notes: https://ezdxf.mozman.at/release-v0-8-9.html

IMPORTANT: Python 2 support will be dropped in ezdxf v0.9.0, because Python 2 support get more and more annoying.

tox does not succeed with pypy 2.7, package_data config in setup.py fails in pypy 2.7

CHANGE: refactoring of internal tag representation for smaller memory footprint, but with some speed penalty

NEW: packed data for more memory efficient data storage for some entities

NEW: packed data for LWPOLYLINE points, faster __getitem__; added __setitem__, __delitem__, insert() and append() methods; renamed discard_points() in clear(); removed get_rstrip_points() and ctx manager rstrip_points(); user defined point format;

NEW: packed data for SPLINE, knots and weights stored as 4-byte float arrays, vertices stored as 8-byte double arrays; Spline.get_knot_values(), Spline.get_weights(), Spline.get_control_points() and Spline.get_fit_points() are deprecated, direct access to this attributes by Spline.knot_values, Spline.weights, Spline.control_points and Spline.fit_points all with a list-like interface. Knot, control point and fit point counter updated automatically, therefor counters are read only now.

NEW: packed data for MESH, vertices, faces, edges and edge crease values stored as array.array(), high level interface unchanged

NEW: Drawing.layouts_and_blocks(), iterate over all layouts (mode space and paper space) and all block definitions.

NEW: Drawing.chain_layouts_and_blocks(), chain entity spaces of all layouts and blocks. Yields an iterator for all entities in all layouts and blocks

NEW: Drawing.query(), entity query over all layouts and blocks

NEW: Drawing.groupby(), groups DXF entities of all layouts and blocks by an DXF attribute or a key function

NEW: Layout.set_redraw_order() and Layout.get_redraw_order(), to change redraw order of entities in model space and paper space layouts

NEW: BlockLayout.is_layout_block, True if block is a model space or paper space block definition

CHANGE: Drawing.blocks.delete_block(name, safe=True), new parameter save, check if block is still referenced (raises DXFValueError)

CHANGE: Drawing.blocks.delete_all_blocks(safe=True), new parameter save, ignores blocks still referenced if safe is True

Basic read support for almost all missing DXF entities/objects

ACAD_PROXY_GRAPHIC

HELIX

LEADER

LIGHT

MLEADER (incomplete)

MLINE (incomplete)

OLEFRAME

OLE2FRAME

SECTION

TABLE (incomplete)

TOLERANCE

WIPEOUT

ACAD_PROXY_OBJECT

DATATABLE

DICTIONARYVAR

DIMASSOC

FIELD (incomplete)

FIELDLIST (not documented by Autodesk, with packed data)

IDBUFFER (with packed data)

LAYER_FILTER

MATERIAL

MLEADERSTYLE

MLINESTYLE

RENDER (todo)

SECTION (todo)

SORTENTSTABLE

SPATIAL_FILTER (todo)

SUN

SUNSTUDY (todo)

TABLESTYLE (incomplete)

VBA_PROJECT (todo)

VISUALSTYLE (todo)

WIPEOUTVARIABLES

Version 0.8.8 - 2018-04-02

Release notes: https://ezdxf.mozman.at/release-v0-8-8.html

NEW: read/write support for GEODATA entity

NEW: read/(limited)write support for SURFACE, EXTRUDEDSURFACE, REVOLVEDSURFACE, LOFTEDSURFACE and SWEPTSURFACE entity

NEW: support for extension dictionaries

NEW: add_spline_control_frame(), create and add B-spline control frame from fit points

NEW: add_spline_approx(), approximate B-spline by a reduced count of control points

NEW: ezdxf.setup_linetypes(dwg), setup standard line types

NEW: ezdxf.setup_styles(dwg), setup standard text styles

NEW: LWPolyline.vertices() yields all points as (x, y) tuples in OCS, LWPolyline.dxf.elevation is the z-axis value

NEW: LWPolyline.vertices_in_wcs() yields all points as (x, y, z) tuples in WCS

NEW: basic __str__() and __repr__() support for DXF entities, returns just DXF type and handle

NEW: bulge related function in module ezdxf.algebra.bulge

NEW: Object Coordinate System support by DXFEntity.ocs() and OCS() class in module ezdxf.algebra

NEW: User Coordinate System support by UCS() class in module ezdxf.algebra

CHANGE: DXFEntity.set_app_data() and Entity.set_xdata accept also list of tuples as tags, DXFTag() is not required

BUGFIX: entity structure validator excepts group code >= 1000 before XDATA section (used in AutoCAD Civil 3D and AutoCAD Map 3D)

Version 0.8.7 - 2018-03-04

Release notes: https://ezdxf.mozman.at/release-v0-8-7.html

NEW: entity.get_layout() returns layout in which entity resides or None if unassigned

NEW: copy any DXF entity by entity.copy() without associated layout, add copy to any layout you want, by layout.add_entity().

NEW: copy entity to another layout by entity.copy_to_layout(layout)

NEW: move entity from actual layout to another layout by entity.move_to_layout(layout)

NEW: support for splines by control points: add_open_spline(), add_closed_spline(), add_rational_spline(), add_closed_rational_spline()

NEW: bspline_control_frame() calculates B-spline control points from fit points, but not the same as AutoCAD

NEW: R12Spline add-on, 2d B-spline with control frame support by AutoCAD, but curve is just an approximated POLYLINE

NEW: added entity.get_flag_state() and entity.set_flag_state() for easy access to binary coded flags

NEW: set new $FINGERPRINTGUID for new drawings

NEW: set new $VERSIONGUID on saving a drawing

NEW: improved IMAGE support, by adding RASTERVARIABLES entity, use Drawing.set_raster_variables(frame, quality, units)

BUGFIX: closing user defined image boundary path automatically, else AutoCAD crashes

Version 0.8.6 - 2018-02-17

Release notes: https://ezdxf.mozman.at/release-v0-8-6.html

NEW: ezdxf project website: https://ezdxf.mozman.at/

CHANGE: create all missing tables of the TABLES sections for DXF R12

BUGFIX: entities on new layouts will be saved

NEW: Layout.page_setup() and correct ‘main’ viewport for DXF R2000+; For DXF R12 page_setup() exists, but does not provide useful results. Page setup for DXF R12 is still a mystery to me.

NEW: Table(), MText(), Ellipse(), Spline(), Bezier(), Clothoid(), LinearDimension(), RadialDimension(), ArcDimension() and AngularDimension() composite objects from dxfwrite as add-ons, these add-ons support DXF R12

NEW: geometry builder as add-ons: MeshBuilder(), MeshVertexMerger(), MengerSponge(), SierpinskyPyramid(), these add-ons require DXF R2000+ (MESH entity)

BUGFIX: fixed invalid implementation of context manager for r12writer

Version 0.8.5 - 2018-01-28

Release notes: https://ezdxf.mozman.at/release-v0-8-5.html

CHANGE: block names are case insensitive ‘TEST’ == ‘Test’ (like AutoCAD)

CHANGE: table entry (layer, linetype, style, dimstyle, …) names are case insensitive ‘TEST’ == ‘Test’ (like AutoCAD)

CHANGE: raises DXFInvalidLayerName() for invalid characters in layer names: <>/”:;?*|=`

CHANGE: audit process rewritten

CHANGE: skip all comments, group code 999

CHANGE: removed compression for unused sections (THUMBNAILSECTION, ACDSDATA)

NEW: write DXF R12 files without handles: set dwg.header[‘$HANDLING’]=0, default value is 1

added subclass marker filter for R12 and prior files in legacy_mode=True (required for malformed DXF files)

removed special check for Leica Disto Unit files, use readfile(filename, legacy_mode=True) (malformed DXF R12 file, see previous point)

Version 0.8.4 - 2018-01-14

Release notes: https://ezdxf.mozman.at/release-v0-8-4.html

NEW: Support for complex line types with text or shapes

NEW: DXF file structure validator at SECTION level, tags outside of sections will be removed

NEW: Basic read support for DIMENSION

CHANGE: improved exception management, in the future ezdxf should only raise exceptions inherited from DXFError for DXF related errors, previous exception classes still work

DXFValueError(DXFError, ValueError)

DXFKeyError(DXFError, KeyError)

DXFAttributeError(DXFError, AttributeError)

DXFIndexError(DXFError, IndexError)

DXFTableEntryError(DXFValueError)

speedup low level tag reader around 5%, and speedup tag compiler around 5%

Version 0.8.3 - 2018-01-02

CHANGE: Lwpolyline - suppress yielding z coordinates if they exists (DXFStructureError: z coordinates are not defined in the DXF standard)

NEW: setup creates a script called ‘dxfpp’ (DXF Pretty Printer) in the Python script folder

NEW: basic support for DXF format AC1032 introduced by AutoCAD 2018

NEW: ezdxf use logging and writes all logs to a logger called ‘ezdxf’. Logging setup is the domain of the application!

NEW: warns about multiple block definitions with the same name in a DXF file. (DXFStructureError)

NEW: legacy_mode parameter in ezdxf.read() and ezdxf.readfile(): tries do fix coordinate order in LINE entities (10, 11, 20, 21) by the cost of around 5% overall speed penalty at DXF file loading

Version 0.8.2 - 2017-05-01

NEW: Insert.delete_attrib(tag) - delete ATTRIB entities from the INSERT entity

NEW: Insert.delete_all_attribs() - delete all ATTRIB entities from the INSERT entity

BUGFIX: setting attribs_follow=1 at INSERT entity before adding an attribute entity works

Version 0.8.1 - 2017-04-06

NEW: added support for constant ATTRIB/ATTDEF to the INSERT (block reference) entity

NEW: added ATTDEF management methods to BlockLayout (has_attdef, get_attdef, get_attdef_text)

NEW: added (read/write) properties to ATTDEF/ATTRIB for setting flags (is_const, is_invisible, is_verify, is_preset)

Version 0.8.0 - 2017-03-28

added groupby(dxfattrib=’‘, key=None) entity query function, it is supported by all layouts and the query result container: Returns a dict, where entities are grouped by a dxfattrib or the result of a key function.

added ezdxf.audit() for DXF error checking for drawings created by ezdxf - but not very capable yet

dxfattribs in factory functions like add_line(dxfattribs=…), now are copied internally and stay unchanged, so they can be reused multiple times without getting modified by ezdxf.

removed deprecated Drawing.create_layout() -> Drawing.new_layout()

removed deprecated Layouts.create() -> Layout.new()

removed deprecated Table.create() -> Table.new()

removed deprecated DXFGroupTable.add() -> DXFGroupTable.new()

BUFIX in EntityQuery.extend()