Objects reference

A Zenom document has 16 object types:

Category Types
Primitives line, rectangle, circle/ellipse/sector, polygon, star
Paths Bézier path, compound path (contours with holes)
Text text, text on a path, variable text
Codes and raster barcode, bitmap image, STL 3D model
Containers group, array, live symmetry

Properties shared by all objects

Property Description
Name the name in the object tree; rename from the context menu
Visibility a hidden object is not rendered and not marked
Lock a locked object cannot be edited or marked
Pen pen index 0–11 — the object’s actual marking parameters
Rotation the angle around the bounding-box center
Hatch the object’s multi-layer hatching

All objects support copy/paste and alignment/distribution; the cursor hits both the outline and the hatch lines. A document layer, a hatch layer, and a pen are three different concepts.

Paths

  • Bézier path — the result of drawing with the path tool, converting a primitive or text, or importing. Geometry is stored as nodes: node type Corner / Smooth / Symmetric, in and out handles, live rounding of an individual node. The node editing tool adds and removes nodes, breaks a closed contour, and changes the node type.
  • Compound path — several contours in one object filled by the even-odd rule: outer contours plus holes (the letter “O”, a frame with a cutout). It is the result of Combine (Ctrl+L), boolean operations, and tracing; Uncombine takes it apart again. Hatching treats the whole contour set as a single island with holes.

Group

Group (Ctrl+G) joins objects into one tree node; groups nest recursively. Transforms apply to the group as a whole; enter it with a double-click (scoped editing). Ungrouping returns the children to the layer; on text, Ctrl+U is Break Apart into characters, not ungrouping.

Array

An editable array stores the source and the parameters — copies are generated on the fly, and editing the source updates them all instantly.

  • Rect: rows and columns, X/Y spacing (gap between edges or center to center), a marking-order snake, brick shift of alternating rows — including a locked half-step shift that survives source resizing.
  • Circular: copy count, center, radius, placement arc, rotating copies along the circle.
  • Explode turns the copies into independent objects. Variable text in an array: every copy gets its own value.

Live symmetry

A “sources + axis” container: mirrored copies regenerate automatically on any edit of the sources.

  • Axes: vertical, horizontal, or both (four instances); the axis position can be set, locked, or pinned to the workspace center.
  • Weld at axis: open contours touching the axis are welded with their mirror into one shape during marking — the seam is not burned twice.
  • Keep text readable: text in the mirrors is not flipped, it stays readable.
  • Finishing: keep the live link, flatten into independent copies (Break Symmetry), or remove the mirrors and keep the sources.

Limitations

  • An individual array copy cannot be edited independently — explode the array first.
  • The symmetry axis is vertical or horizontal only; no arbitrary angle.
  • Open contours are not hatched and do not participate in boolean operations.