Esri Geometry Definition object.
Supported Platforms
Windows, Solaris, Linux
Interfaces
| Interfaces | Description |
|---|---|
| IClone (esriSystem) | Provides access to members that control cloning of objects. |
| IGeometryDef | Provides access to members that return information about the geometry definition. |
| IGeometryDefEdit | Provides access to members that modify the geometry definition. |
| IPersist (esriSystem) | |
| IPersistStream (esriSystem) | |
| IXMLSerialize (esriSystem) | Provides access to members that XML serialize and deserialize an object to/from XML. |
Remarks
The GeometryDef object defines the spatial qualities of a feature class. The most fundmental spatial quality is the Geometry type, for example, point, line, and polygon. Other information necessary to define the feature class includes the spatial referencing system, whether the vertices have height or measure data, and, for geodatabases, the spatial index parameters.
The GeometryDefcan be accessed from a shape field, that is a field of type esriFieldTypeGeometry. The actual geometry type is defined by the esriGeometryTypeenumeration, though currently only four values are acceptable with respect to GeometryDefobjects: esriGeometryPoint, esriGeometryMultipoint, esriGeometryPolyline, and esriGeometryPolygon.
Beware of the confusion between the esriGeometryType enumeration and the similarly named esriFeatureType and esriShapeType. The following table shows the different roles of those enumerations.
| ArcObjects Enumeration | Values | Interfaces that use the enumeration |
|---|---|---|
| esriGeometryTypeType of geometry in a geodatabase. Those in bold are valid for feature classes, others are component geometry objects. | esriGeometryPointesriGeometryMultipointesriGeometryPolygonesriGeometryPolylineesriGeometryLineesriGeometryCircularArcesriGeometryEllipticArcesriGeometryBezier3CurveesriGeometryPathesriGeometryNullesriGeometryRingesriGeometryEnvelopeesriGeometryAnyesriGeometryBagesriGeometryMultiPatchesriGeometryTriangleStripesriGeometryTriangleFanesriGeometryRayesriGeometrySphereesriGeometryTriangles | IFeatureClass::ShapeTypeIGeometry::GeometryTypeIGeometryDef::GeometryTypealsoIGeometryDefEdit,IGeometryFactory,IEditSketchExtension,IGridConversionOp,IDimensionConstructor |
| esriFeatureTypeFeature types defined byfeature class extensions | esriFTSimpleesriFTSimpleJunctionesriFTSimpleEdgeesriFTComplexJunctionesriFTComplexEdgeesriFTAnnotationesriFTCoverageAnnotationesriFTDimensionesriFTRasterCatalogItem | IFeature::FeatureTypeIFeatureClass::FeatureTypeIFeatureClassDescription::FeatureTypeIFeatureWorkspace::CreateFeatureClassIFeatureDataset::CreateFeatureClassalso, IGeometricNetwork andINetworkLoader |
| esriShapeTypeType of geometry in ashapefile | See the help for esriShapeTypefor a full list | IFeature::FeatureTypeIFeatureClass::FeatureTypeIFeatureClassDescription::FeatureTypeIFeatureWorkspace::CreateFeatureClassIFeatureDataset::CreateFeatureClassalso, IGeometricNetwork andINetworkLoader |