SoVertexShape(3IV)

NAME
     SoVertexShape - abstract base class for all vertex-based shape nodes

INHERITS FROM
     SoBase > SoFieldContainer > SoNode > SoShape > SoVertexShape

SYNOPSIS
     #include <Inventor/nodes/SoVertexShape.h>

          Fields from class SoVertexShape:

     SoSFNode            vertexProperty

          Methods from class SoVertexShape:

     static SoType       getClassTypeId()

          Methods from class SoNode:

     void                setOverride(SbBool state)
     SbBool              isOverride() const
     SoNode *            copy(SbBool copyConnections = FALSE) const
     virtual SbBool      affectsState() const
     static SoNode *     getByName(const SbName &name)
     static int          getByName(const SbName &name, SoNodeList &list)

          Methods from class SoFieldContainer:

     void                setToDefaults()
     SbBool              hasDefaultValues() const
     SbBool              fieldsAreEqual(const SoFieldContainer *fc) const
     void                copyFieldValues(const SoFieldContainer *fc, SbBool
                              copyConnections = FALSE)
     SbBool              set(const char *fieldDataString)
     void                get(SbString &fieldDataString)
     virtual int         getFields(SoFieldList &resultList) const
     virtual SoField *   getField(const SbName &fieldName) const
     SbBool              getFieldName(const SoField *field, SbName &fieldName)
                              const
     SbBool              isNotifyEnabled() const
     SbBool              enableNotify(SbBool flag)

          Methods from class SoBase:

     void                ref()
     void                unref() const
     void                unrefNoDelete() const
     void                touch()
     virtual SoType      getTypeId() const
     SbBool              isOfType(SoType type) const
     virtual void        setName(const SbName &name)

     virtual SbName      getName() const


DESCRIPTION
     This node is the abstract base class for all vertex-based shape
     (geometry) nodes. It is used as a repository for convenience functions
     for subclasses and to provide a type identifier to make it easy to
     determine whether a shape is vertex-based. It contains one public field,
     the SoVertexProperty field.

     All subclasses of this node draw objects constructed from vertices. If
     the vertexProperty field is non-null and there are coordinates in the
     associated vertex property node, then those coordinates are used.
     Otherwise the objects are drawn using the current coordinates in the
     state. The coordinates of the shape are transformed by the current
     transformation matrix and are drawn with the current light model and
     drawing style.

     Subclasses that construct polygons from vertices may not render or pick
     correctly if any of their polygons are self-intersecting or non-planar.

     All vertex shape subclasses use the bounding box of the shape to
     determine default texture coordinates. The longest dimension of the
     bounding box defines the S coordinates, and the next longest defines the
     T coordinates. The value of the S coordinate ranges from 0 to 1, from one
     end of the bounding box to the other. The T coordinate ranges between 0
     and the ratio of the second greatest dimension of the bounding box to the
     greatest dimension.

     When a vertex-based shape is picked with an SoRayPickAction, a detail is
     always returned. If the shape is composed of faces (such as SoFaceSet or
     SoTriangleStripSet), an SoFaceDetail is returned.  If the shape is
     composed of line segments (such as SoLineSet), an SoLineDetail is
     returned. If the shape is composed of points (such as SoPointSet), an
     SoPointDetail is returned. Note that the type of detail returned is not
     affected by the current drawing style.

     Similarly, each class of vertex-based shape invokes appropriate callbacks
     if those callbacks are registered with the SoCallbackAction. Shapes made
     of faces invoke triangle callbacks for each generated triangle.  (Faces
     may be triangulated to create these triangles.) Shapes made of line
     segments invoke line segment callbacks for each segment, and shapes made
     of points invoke point callbacks.

     The subclass SoIndexedShape is a base class for vertex-based shapes that
     index into the current set of coordinates. The subclass SoNonIndexedShape
     is a base class for vertex-based shapes that use the current coordinates
     in order.

FIELDS
     SoSFNode            vertexProperty
          vertex property node.
METHODS
     static SoType       getClassTypeId()
          Returns type identifier for this class.


FILE FORMAT/DEFAULTS
     This is an abstract class. See the reference page of a derived class for
     the format and default values.

SEE ALSO
     SoIndexedShape, SoNonIndexedShape, SoVertexProperty