Moveto

Moveto is a term used in vector graphics and graphical user interfaces to describe an operation that relocates the current drawing position to specified coordinates without rendering a stroke or shape. It establishes the starting point for subsequent drawing commands and is typically part of path construction.

In PostScript and PDF, moveto-like operations reposition the current point within a path without drawing. In PostScript, the operator moveto takes x and y coordinates and sets the current point, starting a new subpath. In PDF, a similar effect is achieved with the m operator within a path construction sequence; both do not produce visible marks by themselves.

In SVG, the path data string uses M or m to perform a moveto. Uppercase M indicates an absolute coordinate, while lowercase m denotes movement relative to the current point. Moveto is followed by coordinates describing the new current point; it typically begins a new subpath.

Many programming environments expose a MoveTo or moveTo function as part of a graphics API. Examples include HTML5 Canvas's context.moveTo(x, y), which moves the drawing cursor for subsequent lines or curves; Windows GDI and GDI+ provide MoveToEx or MoveTo functions with similar semantics.

Notes: MoveTo does not draw a line from the previous point; to render a line, a later Lineto or LineTo operation is required. If a subpath should be separated, moveto is used to start a new subpath within the same path.