SoEngine(3IV)

NAME
     SoEngine - base class for all engines

INHERITS FROM
     SoBase > SoFieldContainer > SoEngine

SYNOPSIS
     #include <Inventor/engines/SoEngine.h>

          Methods from class SoEngine:

     static SoType       getClassTypeId()
     virtual int         getOutputs(SoEngineOutputList &list) const
     SoEngineOutput *    getOutput(const SbName &outputName) const
     SbBool              getOutputName(const SoEngineOutput *output, SbName
                              &outputName) const
     SoEngine *          copy() const
     static SoEngine *   getByName(const SbName &name)
     static int          getByName(const SbName &name, SoEngineList &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
     SoEngine is the abstract base class for all engines. Engines are objects
     used for animation and behavior. They are lightweight objects that are
     connected between nodes, the clock, and other engines to form interesting
     behaviorial objects (e.g., a spinning windmill).

     Engines are used to animate parts of a scene and/or to constrain one part
     of a scene in relation to some other part of the scene. An engine
     receives a number of input values, performs some operation on them, and
     then copies the results into one or more output fields. Both the inputs
     and the outputs can be connected to other fields or engines in the scene
     graph.  When an engine's output values change, those new values are sent
     to any fields or engines connected to them.

METHODS
     static SoType       getClassTypeId()
          Returns the type identifier for the SoEngine class.

     virtual int         getOutputs(SoEngineOutputList &list) const
          Returns a list of outputs in this engine. Use getOutputName to get
          the names of the outputs, and use SoEngineOutput::getConnectionType
          to determine their types.

     SoEngineOutput *    getOutput(const SbName &outputName) const
          Returns a pointer to the engine output with the given name. If no
          such output exists, NULL is returned.

     SbBool              getOutputName(const SoEngineOutput *output, SbName
                              &outputName) const
          Returns (in outputName) the name of the engine output (output).
          Returns FALSE if the engine output is not contained within the
          engine instance.

     SoEngine *          copy() const
          Creates and returns an exact copy of the engine. All connections to
          inputs are copied as is (without copying what's at the other end).

     static SoEngine *   getByName(const SbName &name)
     static int          getByName(const SbName &name, SoEngineList &list)
          Look up engine(s) by name.


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

SEE ALSO
     SoBoolOperation, SoCalculator, SoComposeMatrix, SoComposeRotation,
     SoComposeRotationFromTo, SoComposeVec2f, SoComposeVec3f, SoComposeVec4f,
     SoComputeBoundingBox, SoConcatenate, SoCounter, SoDecomposeMatrix,
     SoDecomposeRotation, SoDecomposeVec2f, SoDecomposeVec3f,
     SoDecomposeVec4f, SoElapsedTime, SoGate, SoInterpolate, SoOnOff,
     SoOneShot, SoSelectOne, SoTimeCounter, SoTransformVec3f, SoTriggerAny