SoLevelOfDetail(3)

📦 version 3.1.3, in fedora 43, fedora 44

✨ SoLevelOfDetail(3) ✨ — Library Functions Manual 🎀

okay bestie, buckle up, we're doing a whole manual page and it's genuinely iconic 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

SoLevelOfDetail — the class that picks a child for you based on projected size. Like, it looks at how big you're gonna look on screen and decides which of its kids gets to come out and play. main character behavior fr fr 👑

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

First things first, you gotta pull in the header:

#include <Inventor/nodes/SoLevelOfDetail.h>

And just so we're clear on the family tree: this one Inherits SoGroup. So it's a group, it holds children, but it's got ✨opinions✨ about which child gets used.

💖 Public Member Functions 💖

Here's the stuff SoLevelOfDetail itself brings to the party:

virtual SoType getTypeId (void) const — hands you the type id, so you can vibe-check what kind of node this is.
SoLevelOfDetail (void) — the no-args constructor. Empty LoD, zero children, just vibes.
SoLevelOfDetail (int numchildren) — constructor where you tell it up front how many children it's gonna have. numchildren is that number, bestie.
virtual void doAction (SoAction *action) — runs the given action through this node.
virtual void callback (SoCallbackAction *action) — the SoCallbackAction entry point.
virtual void GLRender (SoGLRenderAction *action) — the SoGLRenderAction entry point, i.e. drawing time 🎨
virtual void rayPick (SoRayPickAction *action) — the SoRayPickAction entry point.
virtual void getBoundingBox (SoGetBoundingBoxAction *action) — the SoGetBoundingBoxAction entry point.
virtual void audioRender (SoAudioRenderAction *action) — the SoAudioRenderAction entry point 🔊
virtual void notify (SoNotList *nl) — the notify hook, takes an SoNotList.

🌈 Public Member Functions inherited from `SoGroup` 🌈

All of this comes free with the group genes:

SoGroup (void)
SoGroup (int nchildren)
virtual void addChild (SoNode *node)
virtual void insertChild (SoNode *child, int newchildindex)
virtual SoNode * getChild (int index) const
virtual int findChild (const SoNode *node) const
virtual int getNumChildren (void) const
virtual void removeChild (int childindex)
virtual void removeChild (SoNode *child)
virtual void removeAllChildren (void)
virtual void replaceChild (int index, SoNode *newchild)
virtual void replaceChild (SoNode *oldchild, SoNode *newchild)
virtual void getMatrix (SoGetMatrixAction *action)
virtual void handleEvent (SoHandleEventAction *action)
virtual void pick (SoPickAction *action)
virtual void search (SoSearchAction *action)
virtual void write (SoWriteAction *action)
virtual void getPrimitiveCount (SoGetPrimitiveCountAction *action)
virtual SoChildList * getChildren (void) const

🦋 Public Member Functions inherited from `SoNode` 🦋

void setOverride (const SbBool state)
SbBool isOverride (void) const
void setNodeType (const NodeType type)
NodeType getNodeType (void) const
virtual SoNode * copy (SbBool copyconnections=FALSE) const
virtual SbBool affectsState (void) const
virtual void GLRenderBelowPath (SoGLRenderAction *action)
virtual void GLRenderInPath (SoGLRenderAction *action)
virtual void GLRenderOffPath (SoGLRenderAction *action)
virtual void grabEventsSetup (void)
virtual void grabEventsCleanup (void)
virtual void startNotify (void)
uint32_t getNodeId (void) const
virtual void writeInstance (SoOutput *out)
virtual SoNode * addToCopyDict (void) const
virtual SoFieldContainer * copyThroughConnection (void) const

🫶 Public Member Functions inherited from `SoFieldContainer` 🫶

void setToDefaults (void)
SbBool hasDefaultValues (void) const
SbBool fieldsAreEqual (const SoFieldContainer *container) const
void copyFieldValues (const SoFieldContainer *container, SbBool
    copyconnections=FALSE)
SbBool set (const char *const fielddata)
void get (SbString &fielddata)
virtual int getFields (SoFieldList &l) const
virtual int getAllFields (SoFieldList &l) const
virtual SoField * getField (const SbName &name) const
virtual SoField * getEventIn (const SbName &name) const
virtual SoField * getEventOut (const SbName &name) const
SbBool getFieldName (const SoField *const field, SbName &name) const
SbBool enableNotify (const SbBool flag)
SbBool isNotifyEnabled (void) const
SbBool set (const char *fielddata, SoInput *input)
void get (SbString &fielddata, SoOutput *out)
virtual SbBool validateNewFieldValue (SoField *field, void *newval)
virtual void addWriteReference (SoOutput *out, SbBool isfromfield=FALSE)
SbBool getIsBuiltIn (void) const
virtual void getFieldsMemorySize (size_t &managed, size_t &unmanaged)
    const
void setUserData (void *userdata) const
void * getUserData (void) const

💜 Public Member Functions inherited from `SoBase` 💜

void ref (void) const
void unref (void) const
void unrefNoDelete (void) const
int32_t getRefCount (void) const
void touch (void)
SbBool isOfType (SoType type) const
virtual SbName getName (void) const
virtual void setName (const SbName &newname)
void addAuditor (void *const auditor, const SoNotRec::Type type)
void removeAuditor (void *const auditor, const SoNotRec::Type type)
const SoAuditorList & getAuditors (void) const
SbBool shouldWrite (void)
void assertAlive (void) const

💫 Static Public Member Functions 💫

static SoType getClassTypeId (void) — the class-level type id.
static void initClass (void) — call this to set the class up properly.

⭐ Static Public Member Functions inherited from `SoGroup` ⭐

static SoType getClassTypeId (void)
static void initClass (void)

🌸 Static Public Member Functions inherited from `SoNode` 🌸

static uint32_t getCompatibilityTypes (const SoType &nodetype)
static SoType getClassTypeId (void)
static SoNode * getByName (const SbName &name)
static int getByName (const SbName &name, SoNodeList &l)
static void initClass (void)
static void initClasses (void)
static uint32_t getNextNodeId (void)
static int getActionMethodIndex (const SoType type)
static void getBoundingBoxS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void GLRenderS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void callbackS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void getMatrixS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void handleEventS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void pickS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void rayPickS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void searchS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void writeS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void audioRenderS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)
static void getPrimitiveCountS (SoAction *action, SoNode *node)

🎀 Static Public Member Functions inherited from `SoFieldContainer` 🎀

static void initClass (void)
static SoType getClassTypeId (void)
static void cleanupClass (void)
static void initCopyDict (void)
static void addCopy (const SoFieldContainer *orig, const
    SoFieldContainer *copy)
static SoFieldContainer * checkCopy (const SoFieldContainer *orig)
static SoFieldContainer * findCopy (const SoFieldContainer *orig, const
    SbBool copyconnections)
static void copyDone (void)

🔥 Static Public Member Functions inherited from `SoBase` 🔥

static void initClass (void)
static SoType getClassTypeId (void)
static void addName (SoBase *const base, const char *const name)
static void removeName (SoBase *const base, const char *const name)
static void incrementCurrentWriteCounter (void)
static void decrementCurrentWriteCounter (void)
static SoBase * getNamedBase (const SbName &name, SoType type)
static int getNamedBases (const SbName &name, SoBaseList &baselist,
    SoType type)
static SbBool read (SoInput *input, SoBase *&base, SoType expectedtype)
static void setInstancePrefix (const SbString &c)
static void setTraceRefs (SbBool trace)
static SbBool getTraceRefs (void)
static SbBool connectRoute (SoInput *input, const SbName &fromnodename,
    const SbName &fromfieldname, const SbName &tonodename, const SbName
    &tofieldname)
static SbBool readRoute (SoInput *input)

👑 Public Attributes 👑

SoMFFloat screenArea — yes bestie, this is THE field. A multi-float of screen areas. It's the whole point of this node, don't sleep on it.

🧚 Protected Member Functions 🧚

virtual const SoFieldData * getFieldData (void) const — grabs the field data.
virtual ~SoLevelOfDetail () — the destructor. Protected, so it's an inside-job kind of thing.

🌈 Protected Member Functions inherited from `SoGroup` 🌈

virtual ~SoGroup ()
virtual SbBool readInstance (SoInput *in, unsigned short flags)
virtual SbBool readChildren (SoInput *in)
virtual void copyContents (const SoFieldContainer *from, SbBool
    copyconnections)

🦋 Protected Member Functions inherited from `SoNode` 🦋

SoNode (void)
virtual ~SoNode ()

🫶 Protected Member Functions inherited from `SoFieldContainer` 🫶

SoFieldContainer (void)
virtual ~SoFieldContainer ()

💜 Protected Member Functions inherited from `SoBase` 💜

SoBase (void)
virtual ~SoBase ()
virtual void destroy (void)
SbBool hasMultipleWriteRefs (void) const
SbBool writeHeader (SoOutput *out, SbBool isgroup, SbBool isengine)
    const
void writeFooter (SoOutput *out) const
virtual const char * getFileFormatName (void) const

💫 Static Protected Member Functions 💫

static const SoFieldData ** getFieldDataPtr (void) — pointer to the field data pointer. Iconic indirection ✨

⭐ Static Protected Member Functions inherited from `SoGroup` ⭐

static const SoFieldData ** getFieldDataPtr (void)

🌸 Static Protected Member Functions inherited from `SoNode` 🌸

static const SoFieldData ** getFieldDataPtr (void)
static void setNextActionMethodIndex (int index)
static int getNextActionMethodIndex (void)
static void incNextActionMethodIndex (void)
static void setCompatibilityTypes (const SoType &nodetype, const
    uint32_t bitmask)

💜 Static Protected Member Functions inherited from `SoBase` 💜

static uint32_t getCurrentWriteCounter (void)
static void staticDataLock (void)
static void staticDataUnlock (void)

🎁 Additional Inherited Members 🎁

the little extras that got handed down through the generations, no cap

💅 Public Types inherited from `SoNode` 💅

enum NodeType { INVENTOR = 0x0000, VRML1 = 0x0001, VRML2 = 0x0002,
    INVENTOR_1 = 0x0004, INVENTOR_2_0 = 0x0008, INVENTOR_2_1 = 0x0010,
    INVENTOR_2_5 = 0x0020, INVENTOR_2_6 = 0x0040, COIN_1_0 = 0x0080,
    COIN_2_0 = 0x0100, EXTENSION = 0x0200, COIN_2_2 = 0x0400, COIN_2_3 =
    0x0800, COIN_2_4 = 0x1000, INVENTOR_5_0 = 0x2000, COIN_2_5 = 0x4000,
    COIN_3_0 = 0x8000, INVENTOR_6_0 = 0x10000 }

🌈 Protected Types inherited from `SoBase` 🌈

enum BaseFlags { IS_ENGINE = 0x01, IS_GROUP = 0x02 }

🎀 Protected Attributes inherited from `SoGroup` 🎀

SoChildList * children

🦋 Protected Attributes inherited from `SoNode` 🦋

uint32_t uniqueId

🫶 Protected Attributes inherited from `SoFieldContainer` 🫶

SbBool isBuiltIn

⭐ Static Protected Attributes inherited from `SoNode` ⭐

static uint32_t nextUniqueId = 1
static int nextActionMethodIndex = 0

✨ Detailed Description ✨

okay so bestie, let's get into it 💅

The SoLevelOfDetail class is used to choose a child based on projected size. that's the whole job. that's it.

A level-of-detail mechanism is typically used by application programmers to assist the library in speeding up the rendering. think of it as doing the library a lil favor so it can go faster 🏃‍♀️💨

The way a level-of-detail mechanism works is basically like this:

Several versions of varying complexity of the same geometry / shape is provided by the application programmer in sorted order from "most complex" to "least complex" — and ngl, "complex" in this context should be taken to mean more or less detailed in the number of polygons / shapes used for rendering it. so like, heavy vs. light, but make it geometry.

The run-time rendering system then, upon scenegraph traversal, will on-the-fly calculate either the distance from the camera to the 3D-model in question, or the number of pixels in the screen projection of the 3D-model. That value is then used to decide which version of the model to actually render: as the model is moved farther away from the camera, a less detailed version of the model is used. And vice versa, as the model moves closer to the camera, more and more detailed versions of it are rendered. 🦋

This is under many different circumstances a very effective way to let the application programmer assist to profoundly optimize the rendering of her 3D-scene. periodt. 👑

Now the part nobody likes but we gotta say it: there is of course a trade-off with the level-of-detail technique. more versions of the same 3D model means the scenegraph will use up more application memory resources. Also, generating the set of less and less detailed versions of a 3D model from the original is often not a trivial task to do properly. The process is often assisted by software like what Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies offers in their Rational Reducer package (http://www.rational-reducer.com).

The SoLevelOfDetail node implements the "projected size" variety level-of-detail technique (as opposed to the "object distance" technique, as done by the SoLOD node).

The node works by comparing the current projected size of the smallest rectangle covering the bounding box of its child geometry. tiny rectangle, big responsibilities 🎀

Along with this set of models of the same shape, a specification of when to switch between them is also provided.

Example scenegraph layout:

LevelOfDetail {
  screenArea [ 2000, 500, 50 ]
  DEF version-0 Separator {
    # most complex / detailed / heavy version of subgraph
  }
  DEF version-1 Separator {
    # less complex version of subgraph
  }
  DEF version-2 Separator {
    # even less complex version of subgraph
  }
  DEF version-3 Separator {
    # simplest / "lightest" version of subgraph
  }
}

The way the above sub-scenegraph would work would be the following: if the rectangular area around the model's projected bounding box covers more than 2000 pixels (meaning it will be up pretty close to the camera), the most complex version of the model (version-0) would be traversed (and rendered, of course). If the projected area would be between 500 and 2000 pixels, the version-1 model would be used. Ditto if the projected area was between 50 and 500 pixels, the version-2 version of the model would be used. Finally, if the projected bounding box area would be less than 50 square pixels, the presumably least detailed version of the model would be used. ✨

(A common "trick" is to let the last of the SoLevelOfDetail node's children be just an empty subgraph, so no geometry will be rendered at all if the model is sufficiently far away. This will of course have a positive effect on the total rendering time for the complete scenegraph.) lowkey genius honestly 🧚

Note that the SoLevelOfDetail::screenArea vector will be influenced by preceding SoComplexity nodes in the following way: if SoComplexity::value is set from 0.0 up to 0.5, lower detail levels than normal will be selected for traversal. If SoComplexity::value is above 0.5, higher level details than normal will be used. An SoComplexity::value equal to 1.0 will cause the first child of SoLevelOfDetail to always be used.

As mentioned above, there is one other level-of-detail node in the Coin library: SoLOD. The difference between that one and this is just that instead of projected bounding box area, SoLOD uses the distance between the camera and the object to find out when to switch between the different model versions. Using SoLOD is faster, since figuring out the projected bounding box area needs a certain amount of calculations. But using SoLevelOfDetail is often "better", in the sense that it's really a model's size and visibility in the viewport that determines whether we could switch to a less complex version without losing enough detail that it gives a noticable visual degradation. so like. slower but wiser. 🦋

📁 FILE FORMAT/DEFAULTS 📁

LevelOfDetail {
    screenArea 0
}

👀 See also 👀

SoLOD

🎀 Constructor & Destructor Documentation 🎀

🌟 `SoLevelOfDetail::SoLevelOfDetail (void )`

Default constructor. the classic. no notes. 💖

🌟 `SoLevelOfDetail::SoLevelOfDetail (int numchildren)`

Constructor.

The argument should be the approximate number of children which is expected to be inserted below this node. The number need not be exact, as it is only used as a hint for better memory resource allocation. so don't stress about getting it pixel-perfect bestie, it's a vibe check not a final exam 🫶

🌟 `SoLevelOfDetail::~SoLevelOfDetail () [protected], [virtual]`

Destructor. bye babe 💅

🔥 Member Function Documentation 🔥

🌟 `SoType SoLevelOfDetail::getTypeId (void ) const [virtual]`

Returns the type identification of an object derived from a class inheriting SoBase. This is used for run-time type checking and "downward" casting.

Usage example:

void foo(SoNode * node)
{
  if (node->getTypeId() == SoFile::getClassTypeId()) {
    SoFile * filenode = (SoFile *)node;  // safe downward cast, knows the type
  }
}

For application programmers wanting to extend the library with new nodes, engines, nodekits, draggers or others: this method needs to be overridden in all subclasses. This is typically done as part of setting up the full type system for extension classes, which is usually accomplished by using the pre-defined macros available through for instance Inventor/nodes/SoSubNode.h (SO_NODE_INIT_CLASS and SO_NODE_CONSTRUCTOR for node classes), Inventor/engines/SoSubEngine.h (for engine classes) and so on. 🛠️

For more information on writing Coin extensions, see the class documentation of the toplevel superclasses for the various class groups.

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

🌟 `const SoFieldData * SoLevelOfDetail::getFieldData (void ) const [protected], [virtual]`

Returns a pointer to the class-wide field data storage object for this instance. If no fields are present, returns NULL. 🫙

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

🌟 `void SoLevelOfDetail::doAction (SoAction * action) [virtual]`

This function performs the typical operation of a node for any action. like, the default behavior, the blueprint, the moment ✨

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

🌟 `void SoLevelOfDetail::callback (SoCallbackAction * action) [virtual]`

Action method for SoCallbackAction.

Simply updates the state according to how the node behaves for the render action, so the application programmer can use the SoCallbackAction for extracting information about the scene graph. gossip about your scenegraph, basically 💅

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

🌟 `void SoLevelOfDetail::GLRender (SoGLRenderAction * action) [virtual]`

Action method for the SoGLRenderAction.

This is called during rendering traversals. Nodes influencing the rendering state in any way or who wants to throw geometry primitives at OpenGL overrides this method. yeet that geometry at OpenGL 🔥

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

🌟 `void SoLevelOfDetail::rayPick (SoRayPickAction * action) [virtual]`

Action method for SoRayPickAction.

Checks the ray specification of the action and tests for intersection with the data of the node.

Nodes influencing relevant state variables for how picking is done also overrides this method.

Reimplemented from SoNode.

🌟 `void SoLevelOfDetail::getBoundingBox (SoGetBoundingBoxAction * action) [virtual]`

Action method for the SoGetBoundingBoxAction.

Calculates bounding box and center coordinates for node and modifies the values of the action to encompass the bounding box for this node and to shift the center point for the scene more towards the one for this node.

Nodes influencing how geometry nodes calculates their bounding box also overrides this method to change the relevant state variables.

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

🌟 `void SoLevelOfDetail::audioRender (SoAudioRenderAction * action) [virtual]`

Action method for SoAudioRenderAction.

Does common processing for SoAudioRenderAction action instances. yes girl, the node can do sound too 🔊✨

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

🌟 `void SoLevelOfDetail::notify (SoNotList * l) [virtual]`

Notifies all auditors for this instance when changes are made. it's giving "hey everyone, something changed, eyes up" 📣

Reimplemented from SoNode.

💜 Member Data Documentation 💜

🌟 `SoMFFloat SoLevelOfDetail::screenArea`

The screen area limits for the children. See usage example in main class documentation of SoLevelOfDetail for an explanation of how this vector should be set up correctly.

By default this vector just contains a single value 0.0f.

👑 Author 👑

Generated automatically by Doxygen for Coin from the source code. (yes bestie, the robots wrote this one, we're just here for the vibes and the documentation 🫶)

and that's the whole page babes, no cap 💖 this was Coin Version 3.1.3, SoLevelOfDetail(3) — go forth and let your geometry get ✨appropriately detailed✨ 🦋🎀

📦 where this page comes from

fedora 43: Coin3-devel 3.1.3-40.fc43 · GPL-2.0-only
fedora 43: Coin3-devel 3.1.3-40.fc43 · GPL-2.0-only
fedora 44: Coin3-devel 3.1.3-42.fc44 · GPL-2.0-only
fedora 44: Coin3-devel 3.1.3-42.fc44 · GPL-2.0-only
💖 girlified by deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash on 2026-10-14: a language model's rewrite of the original, under its terms

SoLevelOfDetail(3)