SoPath(3IV)

SoPath - path that points to a list of hierarchical nodes

As shipped in IRIX 6.5.22. Added in IRIX 6.5.22.

NAME
     SoPath - path that points to a list of hierarchical nodes

INHERITS FROM
     SoBase > SoPath

SYNOPSIS
     #include <Inventor/SoPath.h>

          Methods from class SoPath:

                         SoPath()
                         SoPath(int approxLength)
                         SoPath(SoNode *node)
     void                setHead(SoNode *node)
     void                append(int childIndex)
     void                append(SoNode *childNode)
     void                append(const SoPath *fromPath)
     void                push(int childIndex)
     void                pop()
     SoNode *            getHead() const
     SoNode *            getTail() const
     SoNode *            getNode(int i) const
     int                 getIndex(int i) const
     SoNode *            getNodeFromTail(int i) const
     int                 getIndexFromTail(int i) const
     int                 getLength() const
     void                truncate(int start)
     SbBool              containsNode(const SoNode *node) const
     SbBool              containsPath(const SoPath *path) const
     int                 findFork(const SoPath *path) const
     SoPath *            copy(int startFromNodeIndex = 0, int numNodes = 0)
                              const
     friend int          operator ==(const SoPath &p1, const SoPath &p2)
     static SoPath *     getByName(const SbName &name)
     static int          getByName(const SbName &name, SoPathList &list)

          Methods from class SoBase:

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

DESCRIPTION
     A path represents a scene graph or subgraph. It contains a list of
     pointers to nodes forming a chain from some root to some descendent. Each
     node in the chain is a child of the previous node. Paths are used to
     refer to some object in a scene graph precisely and unambiguously, even
     if there are many instances of the object. Therefore, paths are returned
     by both the SoRayPickAction and SoSearchAction.

     When an action is applied to a path, only the nodes in the subgraph
     defined by the path are traversed. These include: the nodes in the path
     chain, all nodes (if any) below the last node in the path, and all nodes
     whose effects are inherited by any of these nodes.

     SoPath attempts to maintain consistency of paths even when the structure
     of the scene graph changes. For example, removing a child from its parent
     when both are in a path chain cuts the path chain at that point, leaving
     the top part intact. Removing the node to the left of a node in a path
     adjusts the index for that node. Replacing a child of a node when both
     the parent and the child are in the chain replaces the child in the chain
     with the new child, truncating the path below the new child.

     Note that only public children of nodes are accessible from an SoPath.
     Nodes like node kits that limit access to their children may provide
     other ways to get more information, such as by using the SoNodeKitPath
     class.

METHODS
                         SoPath()
          Constructs an empty path.

                         SoPath(int approxLength)
          Constructs a path with a hint to length (number of nodes in chain).

                         SoPath(SoNode *node)
          Constructs a path and sets the head node to the given node.

     void                setHead(SoNode *node)
          Sets head node (first node in chain). The head node must be set
          before the append() or push() methods  may be called.

     void                append(int childIndex)
          Adds node to end of chain; the node is the childIndex'th child of
          the current tail node.

     void                append(SoNode *childNode)
          Adds node to end of chain; uses the first occurrence of childNode as
          child of current tail node. If the path is empty, this is equivalent
          to setHead(childNode).

     void                append(const SoPath *fromPath)
          Adds all nodes in fromPath's chain to end of chain; the head node of
          fromPath must be the same as or a child of the current tail node.
     void                push(int childIndex)
     void                pop()
          These allow a path to be treated as a stack; they push a node at the
          end of the chain and pop the last node off.

     SoNode *            getHead() const
     SoNode *            getTail() const
          These return the first and last nodes in a path chain.

     SoNode *            getNode(int i) const
     int                 getIndex(int i) const
          These return a pointer to the i'th node or the index of the i'th
          node (within its parent) in the chain. Calling getNode(0) is
          equivalent to calling getHead().

     SoNode *            getNodeFromTail(int i) const
     int                 getIndexFromTail(int i) const
          These return a pointer to the i'th node or the index of the i'th
          node (within its parent) in the chain, counting backward from the
          tail node. Passing 0 for i returns the tail node or its index.

     int                 getLength() const
          Returns length of path chain (number of nodes).

     void                truncate(int start)
          Truncates the path chain, removing all nodes from index start on.
          Calling truncate(0)  empties the path entirely.

     SbBool              containsNode(const SoNode *node) const
          Returns TRUE if the node is found anywhere in the path chain.

     SbBool              containsPath(const SoPath *path) const
          Returns TRUE if the nodes in the chain in the passed path are
          contained (in consecutive order) in this path chain.

     int                 findFork(const SoPath *path) const
          If the two paths have different head nodes, this returns -1.
          Otherwise, it returns the path chain index of the last node
          (starting at the head) that is the same for both paths.

     SoPath *            copy(int startFromNodeIndex = 0, int numNodes = 0)
                              const
          Creates and returns a new path that is a copy of some or all of this
          path. Copying starts at the given index (default is 0, which is the
          head node). A numNodes of 0 (the default) means copy all nodes from
          the starting index to the end. Returns NULL on error.

     friend int          operator ==(const SoPath &p1, const SoPath &p2)
          Returns TRUE if all node pointers in the two path chains are
          identical.

     static SoPath *     getByName(const SbName &name)
     static int          getByName(const SbName &name, SoPathList &list)
          These methods lookup and return paths with a given name. Paths are
          named by calling their setName() method (defined by the SoBase
          class). The first form returns the last path that was given that
          name, either by setName() or by reading in a named path from a file.
          If there is no path with the given name, NULL will be returned. The
          second form appends all paths with the given name to the given path
          list and returns the number of paths that were added. If there are
          no paths with the given name, zero will be returned and nothing will
          be added to the list.


FILE FORMAT/DEFAULTS
     SoPath {
          [head node]
          [number of remaining indices]
          [index]
          ...
          [index]
     }

     Note that the indices in a written path are adjusted based on the nodes
     that are actually written to a file. Since nodes in the graph that have
     no effect on the path (such as some separator nodes) are not written, the
     siblings of such nodes must undergo index adjustment when written. The
     actual nodes in the graph remain unchanged.

SEE ALSO
     SoNode, SoRayPickAction, SoSearchAction, SoNodeKitPath