/cesiumjs-entities

name: cesiumjs-entities
description: "CesiumJS entities and data sources - Entity, EntityCollection, DataSource, GeoJsonDataSource, KmlDataSource, CzmlDataSource, Graphics types, PathGraphics, PathMode, Visualizers. Use when adding points, labels, models, polygons, polylines, or time-segmented paths, loading GeoJSON/KML/CZML/GPX data, or working with the high-level Entity API."

CesiumJS Entities & DataSources

> **Version baseline:** CesiumJS 1.143 -- ES module imports: `import { ... } from "cesium";` > **Ownership rule:** `*Graphics` classes belong here; `*Geometry` classes belong in cesiumjs-primitives. Properties (SampledProperty, CallbackProperty, MaterialProperty subtypes) belong in cesiumjs-time-properties.

Architecture

The Entity API is the high-level, data-driven layer of CesiumJS. Entities combine position, orientation, and one or more Graphics types into a single object managed by an EntityCollection. DataSources load external formats (GeoJSON, KML, CZML, GPX) and populate an EntityCollection automatically. Visualizers and GeometryUpdaters translate Entity descriptions into Primitives each frame.

DataSource --> EntityCollection --> Entity
                                     |-- position / orientation
                                     |-- billboard / point / label / model / polygon / polyline / ...
                                     |-- properties (PropertyBag)

• `viewer.entities` is a shortcut to the default DataSource's EntityCollection
• `viewer.dataSources` holds all loaded DataSources; each owns an `EntityCollection`

Entity Basics

Point

import { Viewer, Cartesian3, Color, HeightReference } from "cesium";

const viewer = new Viewer("cesiumContainer");
const entity = viewer.entities.add({
  id: "my-point",                 // optional; auto-generated GUID if omitted
  name: "Sample Point",
  position: Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-75.59777, 40.03883),
  point: {
    pixelSize: 10,
    color: Color.YELLOW,
    outlineColor: Color.BLACK,
    outlineWidth: 2,
    heightReference: HeightReference.CLAMP_TO_GROUND,
  },
});
viewer.zoomTo(entity);

Billboard with Label

import { Viewer, Cartesian3, Cartesian2, Color, VerticalOrigin, HeightReference, LabelStyle } from "cesium";

const viewer = new Viewer("cesiumContainer");
viewer.entities.add({
  position: Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-122.4175, 37.7749),
  billboard: {
    image: "/assets/marker.png",
    scale: 0.5,
    verticalOrigin: VerticalOrigin.BOTTOM,
    heightReference: HeightReference.CLAMP_TO_GROUND,
  },
  label: {
    text: "San Francisco",
    font: "14px sans-serif",
    fillColor: Color.WHITE,
    outlineColor: Color.BLACK,
    outlineWidth: 2,
    style: LabelStyle.FILL_AND_OUTLINE,
    pixelOffset: new Cartesian2(0, -36),
    heightReference: HeightReference.CLAMP_TO_GROUND,
  },
});

Polygon (flat, extruded, with holes)

import { Viewer, Cartesian3, Color, PolygonHierarchy } from "cesium";

const viewer = new Viewer("cesiumContainer");
// Flat polygon
viewer.entities.add({
  polygon: {
    hierarchy: Cartesian3.fromDegreesArray([-115, 37, -115, 32, -107, 33, -102, 31, -102, 35]),
    material: Color.RED.withAlpha(0.5),
    outline: true,
    outlineColor: Color.BLACK,
  },
});
// Extruded polygon with hole
viewer.entities.add({
  polygon: {
    hierarchy: new PolygonHierarchy(
      Cartesian3.fromDegreesArray([-99, 30, -85, 30, -85, 40, -99, 40]),
      [new PolygonHierarchy(Cartesian3.fromDegreesArray([-97, 32, -87, 32, -87, 38, -97, 38]))]
    ),
    extrudedHeight: 300000,
    material: Color.BLUE.withAlpha(0.6),
    closeTop: true,
    closeBottom: true,
  },
});

Polyline

import { Viewer, Cartesian3, Color, ArcType } from "cesium";

const viewer = new Viewer("cesiumContainer");
viewer.entities.add({
  polyline: {
    positions: Cartesian3.fromDegreesArray([-75, 35, -125, 35]),
    width: 5,
    material: Color.RED,
    arcType: ArcType.GEODESIC,
    clampToGround: true,
  },
});

3D Model

import { Viewer, Cartesian3, HeadingPitchRoll, Transforms, Math as CesiumMath, Color } from "cesium";

const viewer = new Viewer("cesiumContainer");
const position = Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-123.075, 44.045, 5000);
const hpr = new HeadingPitchRoll(CesiumMath.toRadians(135), 0, 0);

viewer.entities.add({
  position,
  orientation: Transforms.headingPitchRollQuaternion(position, hpr),
  model: {
    uri: "/assets/CesiumAir/Cesium_Air.glb",
    minimumPixelSize: 64,
    maximumScale: 20000,
    silhouetteColor: Color.RED,
    silhouetteSize: 2,
  },
});

Box, Cylinder, Ellipsoid, Ellipse

import { Viewer, Cartesian3, Color } from "cesium";
const viewer = new Viewer("cesiumContainer");

viewer.entities.add({  // Box
  position: Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-107, 40, 300000),
  box: { dimensions: new Cartesian3(400000, 300000, 500000), material: Color.BLUE.withAlpha(0.5) },
});
viewer.entities.add({  // Cylinder (topRadius: 0 for a cone)
  position: Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-100, 40, 200000),
  cylinder: { length: 400000, topRadius: 200000, bottomRadius: 200000, material: Color.GREEN.withAlpha(0.5) },
});
viewer.entities.add({  // Ellipsoid (sphere when all radii equal)
  position: Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-93, 40, 300000),
  ellipsoid: { radii: new Cartesian3(200000, 200000, 300000), material: Color.RED.withAlpha(0.5) },
});
viewer.entities.add({  // Ellipse (circle when axes equal)
  position: Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-86, 40),
  ellipse: { semiMajorAxis: 300000, semiMinorAxis: 300000, material: Color.PURPLE.withAlpha(0.5) },
});

Corridor, Rectangle, Wall

import { Viewer, Cartesian3, Color, Rectangle, CornerType } from "cesium";
const viewer = new Viewer("cesiumContainer");

viewer.entities.add({  // Corridor: path with width
  corridor: { positions: Cartesian3.fromDegreesArray([-80, 40, -90, 40, -90, 35]), width: 200000, material: Color.ORANGE.withAlpha(0.6), co