Magick Vector Graphics

MVG Overview • Drawing Primitives

This specification defines the features and syntax for Magick Vector Graphics (MVG), a modularized language for describing two-dimensional vector and mixed vector/raster graphics in ImageMagick. You can use the language to draw from the command line, from an MVG file, from an SVG -- Scalable Vector Graphics file or from one of the ImageMagick program interfaces. Use this command, for example, to render an arc:

magick -size 100x60 canvas:skyblue -fill white -stroke black \
  -draw "path 'M 30,40  A 30,20  20  0,0 70,20 A 30,20  20  1,0 30,40 Z '" \
  arc.png

and here is the result:

When the drawing gets sufficiently complex, we recommend you assemble the graphic primitives into a MVG file. For our example, we use piechart.mvg:

push graphic-context
  viewbox 0 0 624 369
  affine 0.283636 0 0 0.283846 -0 -0
  push graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'darkslateblue'
      stroke 'blue'
      stroke-width 1
      rectangle 1,1 2199,1299
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 40
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 600,1100 'Average: 20.0'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'red'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 5
      path 'M700.0,600.0 L340.0,600.0 A360.0,360.0 0 0,1 408.1452123287954,389.2376150414973 z'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 40
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1400,140 'MagickWand for PHP'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 30
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1800,140 '(10.0%)'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'red'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 4
      rectangle 1330,100 1370,140
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'yellow'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 5
      path 'M700.0,600.0 L408.1452123287954,389.2376150414973 A360.0,360.0 0 0,1 976.5894480359858,369.56936567559273 z'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 40
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1400,220 'MagickCore'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 30
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1800,220 '(29.0%)'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'yellow'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 4
      rectangle 1330,180 1370,220
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'fuchsia'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 5
      path 'M700.0,600.0 L976.5894480359858,369.56936567559273 A360.0,360.0 0 0,1 964.2680466142854,844.4634932636567 z'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 40
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1400,300 'MagickWand'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 30
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1800,300 '(22.9%)'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'fuchsia'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 4
      rectangle 1330,260 1370,300
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'blue'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 5
      path 'M700.0,600.0 L964.2680466142854,844.4634932636567 A360.0,360.0 0 0,1 757.853099990584,955.3210081341651 z'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 40
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1400,380 'JMagick'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 30
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1800,380 '(10.6%)'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'blue'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 4
      rectangle 1330,340 1370,380
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'lime'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 5
      path 'M700.0,600.0 L757.853099990584,955.3210081341651 A360.0,360.0 0 0,1 340.0,600.0 z'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 40
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1400,460 'Magick++'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 30
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 1800,460 '(27.5%)'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'lime'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 4
      rectangle 1330,420 1370,460
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      font-size 100
      fill 'white'
      stroke-width 1
      text 100,150 'ImageMagick'
    pop graphic-context
    push graphic-context
      fill 'none'
      stroke 'black'
      stroke-width 5
      circle 700,600 700,960
    pop graphic-context
  pop graphic-context
pop graphic-context

to render a pie chart with this command:

magick mvg:piechart.mvg piechart.png

which produces this rendering:

However, in general, MVG is sufficiently difficult to work with that you probably want to use a program to generate your graphics in the SVG format. ImageMagick automagically converts SVG to MVG and renders your image, for example, we render piechart.svg with this command:

magick mvg:piechart.svg piechart.jpg

to produce the same pie chart we created with the MVG language.

Drawing is available from many of the ImageMagick program interfaces as well. ImageMagick converts the drawing API calls to MVG and renders it. Here is example code written in the MagickWand language:

(void) PushDrawingWand(draw_wand);
{
  const PointInfo points[6] =
  {
    { 180,504 },
    { 282.7,578.6 },
    { 243.5,699.4 },
    { 116.5,699.4 },
    { 77.26,578.6 },
    { 180,504 }
  };

  DrawSetStrokeAntialias(draw_wand,True);
  DrawSetStrokeWidth(draw_wand,9);
  DrawSetStrokeLineCap(draw_wand,RoundCap);
  DrawSetStrokeLineJoin(draw_wand,RoundJoin);
  (void) DrawSetStrokeDashArray(draw_wand,0,(const double *)NULL);
  (void) PixelSetColor(color,"#4000c2");
  DrawSetStrokeColor(draw_wand,color);
  DrawSetFillRule(draw_wand,EvenOddRule);
  (void) PixelSetColor(color,"#800000");
  DrawSetFillColor(draw_wand,color);
  DrawPolygon(draw_wand,6,points);
}
(void) PopDrawingWand(draw_wand);

MVG Overview

MVG ignores all white-space between commands. This allows multiple MVG commands per line. It is common convention to terminate each MVG command with a newline to make MVG easier to edit and read. This syntax description uses indentation in MVG sequences to aid with understanding. Indentation is supported but is not required.

Metafile wrapper syntax (to support stand-alone MVG files):

push graphic-context
  viewbox 0 0 width height
  [ any other MVG commands ]
pop graphic-context

Pattern syntax (saving and restoring context):

push pattern id x,y width,height
 push graphic-context
  [ drawing commands ]
 pop graphic-context
pop pattern

an example is (%s is a identifier string):

push defs
 push pattern %s 10,10 20,20
  push graphic-context
   fill red
   rectangle 5,5 15,15
  pop graphic-context
  push graphic-context
   fill green
   rectangle 10,10 20,20
  pop graphic-context
 pop pattern
pop defs

For image tiling use:

push pattern id x,y width,height
 image Copy ...
pop pattern

Note you can use the pattern for either the fill or stroke like:

stroke url(#%s)

or

fill url(#%s)

The clip path defines a clipping area, where only the contained area to be drawn upon. Areas outside of the clipping areare masked.

push defs
 push clip-path "myClipPath"
  push graphic-context
   rectangle 10,10 20,20
  pop graphic-context
 pop clip-path
pop defs
clip-path url(#myClipPath)

Drawing Primitives

Here is a complete description of the MVG drawing primitives: