Full Name | Computer Graphics Metafile |
Format ID | ImGearFormats.CGM |
File Extension(s) | *.cgm |
Data Type | Metafile Vector Image |
Data Encoding | Character-based, Binary, Clear-text encoded |
Multi-Page Support | Yes |
Alpha Channel Support | No |
Metadata Update Support | No |
ImageGear Platforms Support | Win32, Win64, .NET, .NET64 |
Please see Supported Features, below, for more information.
Filter Control Parameter | Type | Default Value | Available Values | Description |
Width | Long | 512 | Any positive value | Defines the DIB width of the loaded image. The DIB height is calculated using the file's scale factors. |
This is standardized, platform-independent format used for the interchange of bitmap and vector data.
CGM is a very feature-rich format which attempts to support the graphic needs of many general fields (graphic arts, technical illustration, cartography, visualization, electronic publishing, and so on). While the CGM format is rich in features (many graphical primitives and attributes), it is less complex than PostScript, produces much smaller (more compact) files, and allows the interchange of very sophisticated and artistic images.
Computer Graphics Metafile was developed by experts working on committees under the auspices of the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the American Standards National Institute (ANSI). It was specifically designed as a common format for the platform-independent interchange of bitmap and vector data, and for use in conjunction with a variety of input and output devices. Although CGM incorporates extensions designed to support bitmap (called raster in the CGM specification) data storage, files in CGM format are used primarily to store vector information. CGM files typically contain either bitmap or vector data, but rarely both.
CGM Element |
Supported Attributes |
Imported into ImageGear as: |
Font names |
Font name |
ImGearVectorFont objects. |
Color Model |
Color model |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of the colors when reading file content. |
Color selection mode |
Mode: True color or indexed |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of colors. |
Background color |
RGB color value |
Background color of the view. |
VDC extent |
Left Top Right Bottom |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of different ranges. Also, used as a range of the view. |
Begin Picture Body |
|
Processed internally. |
End Picture body |
|
Processed internally. |
Line and Edge type definition |
Type Pattern Pattern Length |
ImGearVectorLinetype object. |
Edge width specification mode |
Mode: absolute, scaled, fraction, mm. |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of edge width of ImGearVectorLinetype object. |
Line width specification mode |
Mode: absolute, scaled, fraction, mm. |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of line width of ImGearVectorLinetype object. |
Marker size specification mode |
Mode: absolute, scaled, fraction, mm. |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of size of Poly Marker objects. |
Line representation |
Line type Line width Line color |
Affects the interpretation of Line and Polyline objects. |
Marker representation |
Marker type Marker size Marker color |
Affects the interpretation of Poly Marker objects. See Poly Marker section. |
Text representation |
Font index Precision Spacing Expansion Color |
Affects the interpretation of Text objects. |
Fill representation |
Font index Precision Spacing Expansion Color |
Used for creating ImGearVectorFilltype object when creating the filling entity. |
Edge representation |
Edge type Edge width Edge color |
Affects the interpretation of edges when creating such entity as ImGearVectEntities.FIGURE (see below). |
Real Precision |
Fixed or floating indicator Whole part Fractional part |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of many floating-point parameters. |
Color index precision |
Precision |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of color indices. |
Index precision |
Precision |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of indices for different tables. |
VDC Integer precision |
Precision |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of many integer parameters. |
VDC real precision |
Precision |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of many floating-point parameters. |
Transparent cell colors |
On/Off flag Color |
Processed internally. Turns on/off the transparent color for cell array being represented by ImGearVectEntities.RASTER (see below). |
Color precision |
Precision |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of true colors. |
Maximum color index |
Maximum index |
Processed internally. Defines a size of the internal palette. |
VDC type |
Type |
Processed internally. Defines a type of parameters – either integer or float. |
Integer precision |
Precision |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of many integer parameters. |
Color model |
Color model |
The only RGB is supported by the ImageGear CGM filter. |
Metafile default replacement |
Default replacement flag |
Processed internally. Turns on the default setting mode. |
Begin picture |
|
Defines begin of ImGearVectPage page. |
Begin figure |
|
Starts ImGearVectEntities.FIGURE entity. All objects being read inside Begin figure/End figure block will be added to the figure entity container. |
End figure |
|
Finishes ImGearVectEntities.FIGURE entity. See above. |
Color table |
RGB color values |
Processed internally. Creates the internal palette. |
Aspect source flags |
Type Value |
Processed internally. Affects the interpretation of different objects and parameters. |
Line Width |
Width |
Specifies a width for ImGearVectorLinetype object. |
Line bundle index |
Index |
Specifies a set of predefined parameters for line objects. |
Line type |
Type |
Specifies a pattern for ImGearVectorLinetype object. |
Line color |
Color |
Specifies ImGearVectAttrib.DRAWCOLOR attribute for entities. |
Polyline |
Vertices |
ImGearVectEntities.POLYLINE entity. |
Disjoined polyline |
Vertices |
ImGearVectEntities.POLYLINE entity. |
Connection edge |
|
ImGearVectEntities.CONNECTION entity. |
Clip rectangle |
First corner Second corner |
ImGearVectEntities.VIEWPORT entity. |
New region |
|
New region for ImGearVectEntities.FIGURE entity. |
Text bundle index |
Index |
Specifies a set of predefined parameters for text objects. |
Text color |
Color |
Specifies a color for ImGearVectorTextObject object. |
Character height |
Height |
Specifies text height for ImGearVectorTextObject object. |
Text font index |
Index |
ImGearVectorFont objects. |
Character spacing |
Spacing |
Specifies character spacing for ImGearVectorTextObject object. |
Character expansion factor |
Expansion |
Used for calculating the character width for ImGearVectorTextObject object. |
Restricted text type |
Type |
Specifies restriction type for ImGearVectEntities.TEXT entity. |
Text alignment |
Horizontal alignment Vertical alignment |
Specifies an alignment for ImGearVectEntities.TEXT entity. |
Text path |
Path |
Specifies an orientation of ImGearVectEntities.TEXT entity. |
Character orientation |
XUp YUp XBase YBase |
Specifies an orientation of characters for ImGearVectorTextObject object. |
Restricted text |
Delta width Delta height Text position Final/not final flag Text string |
ImGearVectEntities.TEXT entity. |
Append text |
Final/not final flag Text string |
ImGearVectEntities.TEXT entity. |
Text |
Text position Final/not final flag Text string |
ImGearVectEntities.TEXT entity. |
Edge visibility |
Visibility |
Affects the creation of ImGearVectAttrib.DRAWCOLOR and ImGearVectAttrib.LINETYPE attributes for entities. |
Edge width |
Width |
Specifies ImGearVectAttrib.THICKNESS attribute for entities. |
Edge bulge index |
Index |
Specifies a set of predefined parameters for polygon edges. |
Edge type |
Type |
Specifies a pattern for ImGearVectorLinetype object. Applicable mostly to polylines. |
Edge color |
Color |
Specifies ImGearVectAttrib.DRAWCOLOR attribute for entities. |
Fill bundle index |
Index |
Specifies a set of predefined parameters for ImGearVectorFilltype object. |
Interior style |
Style |
Specifies a pattern for ImGearVectorFilltype object. |
Fill color |
Color |
Specifies ImGearVectAttrib.FILLCOLOR attribute for entities. |
Hatch index |
Index |
Specifies a pattern for ImGearVectorFilltype object if interior style is a hatch. |
Polygon |
Vertices |
ImGearVectEntities.POLYLINEEX entity. |
Polygon set |
Vertices Edge out flags |
ImGearVectEntities.POLYLINEEX entity. |
Rectangle |
First corner Second corner |
ImGearVectEntities.POLYLINE entity. |
Circle |
Center Radius |
ImGearVectEntities.ELLIPSE entity. |
Circular arc 3 point |
Starting point Intermediate point Ending point |
ImGearVectEntities.ARC entity. |
Circular arc 3 point close |
Starting point Intermediate point Ending point Type of arc closure |
ImGearVectEntities.ARC entity. |
Circular arc center |
Center Delta x for start vector Delta y for start vector Delta x for end vector Delta y for end vector |
ImGearVectEntities.ARC entity. |
Circular arc center close |
Center Delta x for start vector Delta y for start vector Delta x for end vector Delta y for end vector Type of arc closure |
ImGearVectEntities.ARC entity. |
Ellipse |
Center Endpoint of first conjugate diameter Endpoint of second conjugate diameter |
ImGearVectEntities.ELLIPSE entity. |
Elliptical arc |
Center Endpoint of first conjugate diameter Endpoint of second conjugate diameter Delta x for start vector Delta y for start vector Delta x for end vector Delta y for end vector |
ImGearVectEntities.ARC entity. |
Elliptical arc close |
Center Endpoint of first conjugate diameter Endpoint of second conjugate diameter Delta x for start vector Delta y for start vector Delta x for end vector Delta y for end vector Type of arc closure |
ImGearVectEntities.ARC entity. |
Marker bundle index |
Index |
Specifies a set of predefined parameters for markers. See Poly Marker section. |
Marker type |
Type |
Specifies predefined type of marker. See Poly Marker section. |
Marker size |
Size |
Specifies size of marker. See Poly Marker section. |
Marker color |
Color |
Specifies color of marker. See Poly Marker section. |
Poly Marker |
Marker positions |
ImGearVectEntities.BLOCK entity with several entities in its entity container. |
Cell array |
Corner point P Corner point Q Corner point R Nx Ny Local color precision Array of cell color values |
ImGearVectEntities.RASTER entity. |
Begin tile array |
Position Path direction Line progression direction Number of tiles in path direction Number of tiles in line direction Number of cells/tile in path direction Number of cells/tile in line direction Cell size in path direction Cell size in line direction Image offset in path direction Image offset in line direction Image number of cells in path direction Image number of cells in line direction |
ImGearVectEntities.BLOCK and ImGearVectEntities.INSERTION entities. ImGearVectEntities.INSERTION references ImGearVectEntities.BLOCK. |
Tile |
Compression type
Row padding indicator Cell color precision Compression-specific parameters Bit stream |
ImGearVectEntities.RASTER entity. |
End tile array |
|
Closes “Begin tile array”. |
Begin segment |
Segment identifier |
ImGearVectEntities.BLOCK entity. |
Segment display priority |
Segment identifier Priority |
Used internally to sort segment blocks in the drawing. |
Copy segment |
Segment identifier Transformation matrix
|
ImGearVectEntities.INSERTION entity that references the block specified by segment identifier. |
Polybezier |
Continuity indicator Control points |
ImGearVectEntities.BEZIER_CURVE entity. |
Non-uniform B-spline |
Spline order Number of control points Control points List of knots |
ImGearVectEntities.NURBS_CURVE entity. |
Non-uniform rational B-spline |
Spline order Number of control points Control points List of knots List of weights |
ImGearVectEntities.NURBS_CURVE entity. |
End Picture |
|
Finishes reading the page. |
End segment |
|
Closes "Begin segment" element. |
End metafile |
|
Finishes reading the file. |
Only the content of active view is saved in CGM format. View content is transformed using view transformation when saving.
ImageGear Entity or Object |
Saved as CGM Element |
VDC extent. Begin picture body. End picture body. | |
ImGearVectEntities.BLOCK |
Sequence of CGM elements for every entity. |
ImGearVectEntities.EASYLINE |
Polyline. |
ImGearVectEntities.TEXT |
Text, Restricted text, Append text, depending on the entity settings. |
ImGearVectEntities.POLYLINE |
Polyline or polygon, depending on the entity settings. |
ImGearVectEntities.INSERTION |
Sequence of CGM elements for every entity in the referenced block. |
ImGearVectEntities.RASTER |
Cell array. |
Circular arc 3 point, Circular arc 3 point close, Elliptical arc, Elliptical arc close, depending on the entity settings. | |
ImGearVectEntities.ELLIPSE |
Circle or Ellipse, depending on the entity settings. |
ImGearVectEntities.NURBS_CURVE |
Non-uniform B-spline or Non-uniform rational B-spline, depending on the entity settings. |
ImGearVectEntities.BEZIER_CURVE |
Polybezier. |
ImGearVectEntities.NURBS_SURFACE |
The surface is saved as a set of Polyline objects, without interpolation and without taking into account knots and weights. |
ImGearVectEntities.VIEWPORT |
Clip rectangle. |
ImGearVectEntities.FIGURE |
“Begin Figure”, several “New Region” and “End Figure” objects. |
ImGearVectEntities.CONNECTION |
Connecting Edge. |
ImGearVectEntities.POLYLINEEX |
Polygon set. |
ImGearVectEntities.EASY_SURFACE |
The surface is saved as a set of Polyline objects. |
ImGearVectEntities.SHELL |
A set of Polyline or Polygon objects, depending on the entity settings. |
ImGearVectEntities.SOLID |
Polyline or Polygon object, depending on the entity settings. |