--- a/flys-artifacts/ChangeLog	Tue Jun 05 12:35:49 2012 +0000
+++ b/flys-artifacts/ChangeLog	Tue Jun 05 13:28:11 2012 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2012-06-05	Felix Wolfsteller	<felix.wolfsteller@intevation.de>
+
+	* src/main/java/de/intevation/flys/jfree/JFreeUtil.java:
+	  New jfreechart-related utility class.
+
 2012-06-05	Felix Wolfsteller	<felix.wolfsteller@intevation.de>
 
 	* src/main/java/de/intevation/flys/utils/Formatter.java:

--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/flys-artifacts/src/main/java/de/intevation/flys/jfree/JFreeUtil.java	Tue Jun 05 13:28:11 2012 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+package de.intevation.flys.jfree;
+
+import java.awt.Shape;
+import java.awt.geom.Rectangle2D;
+
+import java.util.Iterator;
+
+import org.jfree.chart.entity.ChartEntity;
+import org.jfree.chart.entity.EntityCollection;
+
+public class JFreeUtil {
+    
+    /** Do not instantiate. */
+    private JFreeUtil() {
+    }
+
+
+    /**
+     * True if \param hotspot collides with a Entity in \param entities.
+     * @param hotspot Shape to compare against other shapes (bounds only).
+     * @param entities entities against which to compare shape.
+     * @param true if a collision (non-zero intersection) exists between
+     *        shapes.
+     */
+    public static boolean collides(Shape hotspot, EntityCollection entities) {
+        if (entities == null) return false;
+
+        Rectangle2D hotspotBox = hotspot.getBounds2D();
+        
+        for (Iterator i = entities.iterator(); i.hasNext(); ) {
+            Object next = i.next();
+            ChartEntity entity = (ChartEntity) next;
+            if (entity.getArea().intersects(hotspotBox)) {
+                // Found collision, early stop.
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+}