SoPath(3IV)

SoPath (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 (SoPath) - path that points to a list of hierarchical nodes

INHERITS FROM
     SoBase > SoPath

SYNOPSIS
     #include <Inventor_c/SoPath.h>

          Functions from class SoPath:

     SoPath *            SoPathCreate()
     SoPath *            SoPathCreateLen(int approxLength)
     SoPath *            SoPathCreateNode(SoNode *node)
     void                SoPathSetHead(SoPath *this, SoNode *node)
     void                SoPathAppendInd(SoPath *this, int childIndex)
     void                SoPathAppendNode(SoPath *this, SoNode *childNode)
     void                SoPathAppendPath(SoPath *this, const SoPath
                              *fromPath)
     void                SoPathPush(SoPath *this, int childIndex)
     void                SoPathPop(SoPath *this)
     SoNode *            SoPathGetHead(const SoPath *this)
     SoNode *            SoPathGetTail(const SoPath *this)
     SoNode *            SoPathGetNode(const SoPath *this, int i)
     int                 SoPathGetInd(const SoPath *this, int i)
     SoNode *            SoPathGetNodeFromTail(const SoPath *this, int i)
     int                 SoPathGetIndFromTail(const SoPath *this, int i)
     int                 SoPathGetLen(const SoPath *this)
     void                SoPathTruncate(SoPath *this, int start)
     SbBool              SoPathContainsNode(const SoPath *this, const SoNode
                              *node)
     SbBool              SoPathContainsPath(const SoPath *this, const SoPath
                              *path)
     int                 SoPathFindFork(const SoPath *this, const SoPath
                              *path)
     SoPath *            SoPathCopy(const SoPath *this, int startFromNodeIndex
                              = 0, int numNodes = 0)
     int                 SoPathIsEq(SoPath *this, const SoPath *p1, const
                              SoPath *p2)
     SoPath *            SoPathGetByName(const char *name)
     int                 SoPathGetByNameList(const char *name, SoPathList
                              *list)

          Functions from class SoBase:

     void                SoPathRef(SoPath *this)
     void                SoPathUnref(const SoPath *this)
     void                SoPathUnrefNoDelete(const SoPath *this)
     void                SoPathTouch(SoPath *this)
     SoType              SoPathGetClassTypeId()
     SoType              SoPathGetTypeId(const SoPath *this)

     SbBool              SoPathIsOfType(const SoPath *this, SoType type)
     void                SoPathSetName(SoPath *this, const char *name)
     SbName              SoPathGetName(const SoPath *this)


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.

FUNCTIONS
     SoPath *            SoPathCreate()
          Constructs an empty path.

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

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

     void                SoPathSetHead(SoPath *this, SoNode *node)
          Sets head node (first node in chain). The head node must be set
          before the  SoPathAppend() or SoPathPush() functions may be called.

     void                SoPathAppendInd(SoPath *this, int childIndex)
          Adds node to end of chain; the node is the childIndex'th child of
          the current tail node.

     void                SoPathAppendNode(SoPath *this, 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  SoPathSetHead(childNode).

     void                SoPathAppendPath(SoPath *this, 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                SoPathPush(SoPath *this, int childIndex)
     void                SoPathPop(SoPath *this)
          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 *            SoPathGetHead(const SoPath *this)
     SoNode *            SoPathGetTail(const SoPath *this)
          These return the first and last nodes in a path chain.

     SoNode *            SoPathGetNode(const SoPath *this, int i)
     int                 SoPathGetInd(const SoPath *this, int i)
          These return a pointer to the i'th node or the index of the i'th
          node (within its parent) in the chain.  Calling SoPathGetNode(path,
          0) is equivalent to calling SoPathGetHead(path).

     SoNode *            SoPathGetNodeFromTail(const SoPath *this, int i)
     int                 SoPathGetIndFromTail(const SoPath *this, int i)
          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                 SoPathGetLen(const SoPath *this)
          Returns length of path chain (number of nodes).

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

     SbBool              SoPathContainsNode(const SoPath *this, const SoNode
                              *node)
          Returns TRUE if the node is found anywhere in the path chain.

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

     int                 SoPathFindFork(const SoPath *this, const SoPath
                              *path)
          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 *            SoPathCopy(const SoPath *this, int startFromNodeIndex
                              = 0, int numNodes = 0)
          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.

     int                 SoPathIsEq(SoPath *this, const SoPath *p1, const
                              SoPath *p2)
          Returns TRUE if all node pointers in the two path chains are
          identical.

     SoPath *            SoPathGetByName(const char *name)
     int                 SoPathGetByNameList(const char *name, SoPathList
                              *list)
          These methods lookup and return paths with a given name. Paths are
          named by calling their SoPathSetName() function (defined by the
          SoBase class). The first form returns the last path that was given
          that name, either by SoPathSetName() 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