SoRayPickAction Class Reference
Action Classes

The SoRayPickAction class does ray intersection with scene graphs. More...

`#include <Inventor/actions/SoRayPickAction.h>`

Inheritance diagram for SoRayPickAction:

## Public Member Functions

virtual SoType | getTypeId (void) const
| SoRayPickAction (const SbViewportRegion &viewportregion)
virtual | ~SoRayPickAction ()
void | setPoint (const SbVec2s &viewportPoint)
void | setNormalizedPoint (const SbVec2f &normpoint)
void | setRadius (const float radiusinpixels)
float | getRadius (void) const
void | setRay (const SbVec3f &start, const SbVec3f &direction, float neardistance=-1.0, float fardistance=-1.0)
void | setPickAll (const SbBool flag)
SbBool | isPickAll (void) const
const SoPickedPointList & | getPickedPointList (void) const
SoPickedPoint * | getPickedPoint (const int index=0) const
void | computeWorldSpaceRay (void)
SbBool | hasWorldSpaceRay (void) const
void | setObjectSpace (void)
void | setObjectSpace (const SbMatrix &matrix)
SbBool | intersect (const SbVec3f &v0, const SbVec3f &v1, const SbVec3f &v2, SbVec3f &intersection, SbVec3f &barycentric, SbBool &front) const
SbBool | intersect (const SbVec3f &v0, const SbVec3f &v1, SbVec3f &intersection) const
SbBool | intersect (const SbVec3f &point) const
SbBool | intersect (const SbBox3f &box, const SbBool usefullviewvolume=TRUE)
SbBool | intersect (const SbBox3f &box, SbVec3f &intersection, const SbBool usefullviewvolume=TRUE)
const SbViewVolume & | getViewVolume (void)
const SbLine & | getLine (void)
SbBool | isBetweenPlanes (const SbVec3f &intersection) const
SoPickedPoint * | addIntersection (const SbVec3f &objectspacepoint, SbBool frontpick=TRUE)
void | reset (void)
Public Member Functions inherited from SoPickAction
void | setViewportRegion (const SbViewportRegion &newregion)
const SbViewportRegion & | getViewportRegion (void) const
void | enableCulling (const SbBool flag)
SbBool | isCullingEnabled (void) const
Public Member Functions inherited from SoAction
virtual | ~SoAction (void)
virtual SbBool | isOfType (SoType type) const
virtual void | apply (SoNode *root)
virtual void | apply (SoPath *path)
virtual void | apply (const SoPathList &pathlist, SbBool obeysrules=FALSE)
void | apply (SoAction *beingApplied)
virtual void | invalidateState (void)
AppliedCode | getWhatAppliedTo (void) const
SoNode * | getNodeAppliedTo (void) const
SoPath * | getPathAppliedTo (void) const
const SoPathList * | getPathListAppliedTo (void) const
const SoPathList * | getOriginalPathListAppliedTo (void) const
SbBool | isLastPathListAppliedTo (void) const
PathCode | getPathCode (int &numindices, const int *&indices)
void | traverse (SoNode *const node)
SbBool | hasTerminated (void) const
const SoPath * | getCurPath (void)
SoState * | getState (void) const
PathCode | getCurPathCode (void) const
virtual SoNode * | getCurPathTail (void)
void | usePathCode (int &numindices, const int *&indices)
void | pushCurPath (const int childindex, SoNode *node=NULL)
void | popCurPath (const PathCode prevpathcode)
void | pushCurPath (void)
void | popPushCurPath (const int childindex, SoNode *node=NULL)
void | popCurPath (void)
void | switchToPathTraversal (SoPath *path)
void | switchToNodeTraversal (SoNode *node)

## Static Public Member Functions

static SoType | getClassTypeId (void)
static void | addMethod (const SoType type, SoActionMethod method)
static void | enableElement (const SoType type, const int stackindex)
static void | initClass (void)
Static Public Member Functions inherited from SoPickAction
static SoType | getClassTypeId (void)
static void | addMethod (const SoType type, SoActionMethod method)
static void | enableElement (const SoType type, const int stackindex)
static void | initClass (void)
Static Public Member Functions inherited from SoAction
static void | initClass (void)
static void | initClasses (void)
static SoType | getClassTypeId (void)
static void | nullAction (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)

## Protected Member Functions

virtual const SoEnabledElementsList & | getEnabledElements (void) const
virtual void | beginTraversal (SoNode *node)
Protected Member Functions inherited from SoPickAction
| SoPickAction (const SbViewportRegion &viewportregion)
virtual | ~SoPickAction (void)
Protected Member Functions inherited from SoAction
| SoAction (void)
virtual void | endTraversal (SoNode *node)
void | setTerminated (const SbBool flag)
virtual SbBool | shouldCompactPathList (void) const

## Static Protected Member Functions

static SoEnabledElementsList * | getClassEnabledElements (void)
static SoActionMethodList * | getClassActionMethods (void)
Static Protected Member Functions inherited from SoPickAction
static SoEnabledElementsList * | getClassEnabledElements (void)
static SoActionMethodList * | getClassActionMethods (void)
Static Protected Member Functions inherited from SoAction
static SoEnabledElementsList * | getClassEnabledElements (void)
static SoActionMethodList * | getClassActionMethods (void)

## Additional Inherited Members

Public Types inherited from SoAction
enum | AppliedCode { NODE = 0 , PATH = 1 , PATH_LIST = 2 }
enum | PathCode { NO_PATH = 0 , IN_PATH = 1 , BELOW_PATH = 2 , OFF_PATH = 3 }
Protected Attributes inherited from SoPickAction
SbViewportRegion | vpRegion
Protected Attributes inherited from SoAction
SoState * | state
SoActionMethodList * | traversalMethods

## Detailed Description

The SoRayPickAction class does ray intersection with scene graphs.

For interaction with the scene graph geometry, it is necessary to be able to do intersection testing for rays. This functionality is provided by the SoRayPickAction class.

SoRayPickAction can be used to pass arbitrary rays through the scene for intersection detections, by using the setRay() method.

Because a very common operation is to check for intersections along the ray from the mouse cursor upon mouse clicks, it also contains convenience methods for setting up a ray from the near plane to the far plane from the 2D mouse cursor coordinates. See the setPoint() and setNormalizedPoint() methods. A simple usage example for this case is presented below.

Note that one common mistake when using a ray pick action to intersect from a point under the mouse cursor after a mouse click is that one tries to apply it to a scene graph that does not contain a camera explicitly set up by the application programmer. Without a camera as part of the traversal, the ray pick action does not know which view volume to send the ray through.

In this regard, be aware that the getSceneGraph() call in the So*-libraries' viewer classes will return the root of the user-supplied scene graph, not the "real" internal scene graph root used by the viewer (which should always contain a camera node). So ray picks done from the application code will fail when doing this:

// initializing viewer scene graph
SoSeparator * root = new SoSeparator;
root->ref();
SoEventCallback * ecb = new SoEventCallback;
ecb->addEventCallback(SoMouseButtonEvent::getClassTypeId(), event_cb, viewer);
root->addChild(ecb);
root->addChild(new SoCone);
viewer->setSceneGraph( root );
// -- [snip] -------------------------
// attempting ray pick in the event_cb() callback method
SoRayPickAction rp( viewer->getViewportRegion() );
rp.setPoint(mouseevent->getPosition());
rp.apply(viewer->getSceneGraph());
// BUG: results will not be what you expected, as no camera was
// part of the "user's scene graph"
SoBase::ref
void ref(void) const
Definition SoBase.cpp:478
SoCone
The SoCone class is for rendering cone shapes.
Definition SoCone.h:41
SoEventCallback
The SoEventCallback class provides functionality for catching events.
Definition SoEventCallback.h:52
SoEventCallback::addEventCallback
void addEventCallback(SoType eventtype, SoEventCallbackCB *f, void *userdata=NULL)
Definition SoEventCallback.cpp:177
SoGroup::addChild
virtual void addChild(SoNode *node)
Definition SoGroup.cpp:453
SoMouseButtonEvent::getClassTypeId
static SoType getClassTypeId(void)
Definition SoMouseButtonEvent.cpp:100
SoRayPickAction::SoRayPickAction
SoRayPickAction(const SbViewportRegion &viewportregion)
Definition SoRayPickAction.cpp:263
SoSeparator
The SoSeparator class is a state-preserving group node.
Definition SoSeparator.h:44

While this is the correct way to do it:

// initializing viewer scene graph
SoSeparator * root = new SoSeparator;
root->ref();
// Need to set up our own camera in the "user scene graph", or else
// the ray pick action will fail because the camera is hidden in the
// viewer-specific root of the scene graph.
SoPerspectiveCamera * pcam = new SoPerspectiveCamera;
root->addChild(pcam);
SoEventCallback * ecb = new SoEventCallback;
ecb->addEventCallback(SoMouseButtonEvent::getClassTypeId(), event_cb, viewer);
root->addChild(ecb);
root->addChild(new SoCone);
viewer->setSceneGraph( root );
pcam->viewAll( root, viewer->getViewportRegion() );
// -- [snip] -------------------------
// attempting ray pick in the event_cb() callback method
SoRayPickAction rp( viewer->getViewportRegion() );
rp.setPoint(mouseevent->getPosition());
rp.apply(viewer->getSceneGraph());
SoCamera::viewAll
void viewAll(SoNode *const sceneroot, const SbViewportRegion &vpregion, const float slack=1.0f)
Definition SoCamera.cpp:548
SoPerspectiveCamera
The SoPerspectiveCamera class defines a camera node with perspective rendering.
Definition SoPerspectiveCamera.h:39

Or if you do want the convenience of having the viewer set up a camera for you implicitly, you can get hold of the root-node of the "complete" scene graph by simply calling:

SoNode * realroot = viewer->getSceneManager()->getSceneGraph();
SoNode
The SoNode class is the base class for nodes used in scene graphs.
Definition SoNode.h:56

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

## SoRayPickAction()

SoRayPickAction::SoRayPickAction | ( | const SbViewportRegion & | viewportregion | ) |

Constructor.

Some node types need a viewportregion to know exactly how they are positioned within the scene. For an in-depth explanation of why the viewportregion argument is needed, see the documentation of SoGetBoundingBox::SoGetBoundingBox(const SbViewportRegion &).

## ~SoRayPickAction()

SoRayPickAction::~SoRayPickAction | ( | void |  | ) |

virtual

Destructor, free temporary resources used by action.

## Member Function Documentation

## getTypeId()

SoType SoRayPickAction::getTypeId | ( | void |  | ) | const

virtual

Returns the type identification of an object derived from a class inheriting SoAction. This is used for runtime type checking and "downward" casting.

Reimplemented from SoPickAction.

## getClassTypeId()

SoType SoRayPickAction::getClassTypeId | ( | void |  | ) |

static

This static method returns the SoType object associated with objects of this class.

## addMethod()

void SoRayPickAction::addMethod | ( | const SoType | type,
|  | SoActionMethod | method )

static

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## enableElement()

void SoRayPickAction::enableElement | ( | const SoType | type,
|  | const int | stackindex )

static

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## getEnabledElements()

const SoEnabledElementsList & SoRayPickAction::getEnabledElements | ( | void |  | ) | const

protected virtual

Returns list of enabled elements.

Reimplemented from SoPickAction.

## getClassEnabledElements()

SoEnabledElementsList * SoRayPickAction::getClassEnabledElements | ( | void |  | ) |

static protected

Returns list of enabled elements for this class. The enabledElements and methods variables are protected in the original OIV API. This is not such a good idea, since exposed static class member variables is a major grievance with regard to Win32 DLLs. This function is an extension for Coin, and it is not available in the original SGI Open Inventor v2.1 API.

## getClassActionMethods()

SoActionMethodList * SoRayPickAction::getClassActionMethods | ( | void |  | ) |

static protected

Returns list of action methods for this class. The enabledElements and methods variables are protected in the original OIV API. This is not such a good idea, since exposed static class member variables is a major grievance with regard to Win32 DLLs. This function is an extension for Coin, and it is not available in the original SGI Open Inventor v2.1 API.

## initClass()

void SoRayPickAction::initClass | ( | void |  | ) |

static

Initializes the runtime type system for this class, and sets up the enabled elements and action method list.

## setPoint()

void SoRayPickAction::setPoint | ( | const SbVec2s & | viewportpoint | ) |

Sets the viewport-space point. This point is calculated into a line from the near clipping plane to the far clipping plane, and the intersection ray follows the line.

This is a convenient way to detect object intersection below the cursor.

## setNormalizedPoint()

void SoRayPickAction::setNormalizedPoint | ( | const SbVec2f & | normpoint | ) |

Sets the viewport-space point which the ray is sent through. The coordinate is normalized, ranging from (0, 0) to (1, 1).

See also
  setPoint()

## setRadius()

void SoRayPickAction::setRadius | ( | const float | radiusinpixels | ) |

Sets the radius of the picking ray, in screen pixels. Default value is 5.0.

The radius of the intersection ray will only influence the pick operation's behavior versus lines and points, and has no effect on picking of shapes / polygons.

## getRadius()

float SoRayPickAction::getRadius | ( | void |  | ) | const

Gets the radius of the picking ray, in screen pixels.

## setRay()

void SoRayPickAction::setRay | ( | const SbVec3f & | start,
|  | const SbVec3f & | direction,
|  | float | neardistance = -1.0,
|  | float | fardistance = -1.0 )

Sets the intersection ray in world space coordinates.

Use this method if you want to send any ray through the scene to detect intersections, independently of mouse cursor position upon clicks and scene graph camera settings.

## setPickAll()

void SoRayPickAction::setPickAll | ( | const SbBool | flag | ) |

Lets you decide whether or not all the objects the ray intersects with should be picked. If not, only the intersection point of the object closest to the camera will be picked.

Default value of the "pick all" flag is `FALSE`.

## isPickAll()

SbBool SoRayPickAction::isPickAll | ( | void |  | ) | const

Returns whether only the closest object or all the objects the ray intersects with is picked.

See also
  setPickAll()

## getPickedPointList()

const SoPickedPointList & SoRayPickAction::getPickedPointList | ( | void |  | ) | const

Returns a list of the picked points.

## getPickedPoint()

SoPickedPoint * SoRayPickAction::getPickedPoint | ( | const int | index = 0 | ) | const

Returns the picked point with index in the list of picked points.

Returns `NULL` if less than index + 1 points where picked during the last ray pick action.

## computeWorldSpaceRay()

void SoRayPickAction::computeWorldSpaceRay | ( | void |  | ) |

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## hasWorldSpaceRay()

SbBool SoRayPickAction::hasWorldSpaceRay | ( | void |  | ) | const

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## setObjectSpace() [1/2]

void SoRayPickAction::setObjectSpace | ( | void |  | ) |

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## setObjectSpace() [2/2]

void SoRayPickAction::setObjectSpace | ( | const SbMatrix & | matrix | ) |

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## intersect() [1/5]

SbBool SoRayPickAction::intersect | ( | const SbVec3f & | v0_in,
|  | const SbVec3f & | v1_in,
|  | const SbVec3f & | v2_in,
|  | SbVec3f & | intersection,
|  | SbVec3f & | barycentric,
|  | SbBool & | front ) const

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## intersect() [2/5]

SbBool SoRayPickAction::intersect | ( | const SbVec3f & | v0_in,
|  | const SbVec3f & | v1_in,
|  | SbVec3f & | intersection ) const

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## intersect() [3/5]

SbBool SoRayPickAction::intersect | ( | const SbVec3f & | point_in | ) | const

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## intersect() [4/5]

SbBool SoRayPickAction::intersect | ( | const SbBox3f & | box,
|  | const SbBool | usefullviewvolume = TRUE )

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## intersect() [5/5]

SbBool SoRayPickAction::intersect | ( | const SbBox3f & | box,
|  | SbVec3f & | intersection,
|  | const SbBool | usefullviewvolume = TRUE )

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## getViewVolume()

const SbViewVolume & SoRayPickAction::getViewVolume | ( | void |  | ) |

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## getLine()

const SbLine & SoRayPickAction::getLine | ( | void |  | ) |

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## isBetweenPlanes()

SbBool SoRayPickAction::isBetweenPlanes | ( | const SbVec3f & | intersection_in | ) | const

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## addIntersection()

SoPickedPoint * SoRayPickAction::addIntersection | ( | const SbVec3f & | objectspacepoint_in,
|  | SbBool | frontpick = TRUE )

This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.

## reset()

void SoRayPickAction::reset | ( | void |  | ) |

Truncates the internal picked points list.

Since
  Coin 2.2

## beginTraversal()

void SoRayPickAction::beginTraversal | ( | SoNode * | node | ) |

protected virtual

This virtual method is called from SoAction::apply(), and is the entry point for the actual scene graph traversal.

It can be overridden to initialize the action at traversal start, for specific initializations in the action subclasses inheriting SoAction.

Default method just calls traverse(), which any overridden implementation of the method must do too (or call SoAction::beginTraversal()) to trigger the scene graph traversal.

Reimplemented from SoPickAction.

The documentation for this class was generated from the following files:

- SoRayPickAction.h
- SoRayPickAction.cpp