Provided by: inventor-doc_2.1.5-10-18_all 
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
SoPath(3IV)()