SoVRMLBillboard(3)

📦
version 4.0.10 · 4 versions
, in fedora 43, fedora 44

okay so bestie, we're cracking open the Coin manual page for SoVRMLBillboard(3) and honestly? it's giving ✨geometry that stares directly at you✨. Buckle up, this is part one, and there's more coming, so don't you dare close the tab 🫶

🌸 NAME 🌸

SoVRMLBillboard — the class that rotates geometry towards the viewpoint. yes literally, it turns stuff to face you. main character behaviour fr 💅

🌈 SYNOPSIS 🌈

#include <Inventor/VRMLnodes/SoVRMLBillboard.h>

Inherits SoVRMLParent. it's a whole family tree situation, and this baby is sitting right under SoVRMLParent 🧚

💖 Public Member Functions 💖

  • virtual SoType getTypeId (void) const
  • SoVRMLBillboard (void)
  • SoVRMLBillboard (int numchildren)
  • virtual void doAction (SoAction *action)
  • virtual void callback (SoCallbackAction *action)
  • virtual void GLRender (SoGLRenderAction *action)
  • virtual void getBoundingBox (SoGetBoundingBoxAction *action)
  • virtual void getMatrix (SoGetMatrixAction *action)
  • virtual void pick (SoPickAction *action)
  • virtual void search (SoSearchAction *action)
  • virtual void GLRenderBelowPath (SoGLRenderAction *action)
  • virtual void GLRenderInPath (SoGLRenderAction *action)
  • virtual void GLRenderOffPath (SoGLRenderAction *action)
  • virtual void notify (SoNotList *list)

🎀 Public Member Functions inherited from SoVRMLParent 🎀

  • virtual SbBool affectsState (void) const
  • virtual void addChild (SoNode *child)
  • virtual void insertChild (SoNode *child, int idx)
  • virtual SoNode * getChild (int idx) const
  • virtual int findChild (const SoNode *child) const
  • virtual int getNumChildren (void) const
  • virtual void removeChild (int idx)
  • virtual void removeChild (SoNode *child)
  • virtual void removeAllChildren (void)
  • virtual void replaceChild (int idx, SoNode *child)
  • virtual void replaceChild (SoNode *old, SoNode *child)
  • virtual SoChildList * getChildren (void) const
  • virtual void write (SoWriteAction *action)
  • virtual void getPrimitiveCount (SoGetPrimitiveCountAction *action)

🦋 Public Member Functions inherited from SoGroup 🦋

  • SoGroup (void)
  • SoGroup (int nchildren)
  • virtual void handleEvent (SoHandleEventAction *action)
  • virtual void audioRender (SoAudioRenderAction *action)
  • virtual void addWriteReference (SoOutput *out, SbBool isfromfield=FALSE)

✨ 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 void rayPick (SoRayPickAction *action)
  • virtual void grabEventsSetup (void)
  • virtual void grabEventsCleanup (void)
  • virtual void startNotify (void)
  • SbUniqueId 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)
  • 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 — returns TRUE if the type of this object is either of the same type or inherited from type.
  • 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)
  • static void initClass (void)

🌸 Static Public Member Functions inherited from SoVRMLParent 🌸

  • static SoType getClassTypeId (void)
  • static void initClass (void)
  • static void updateChildList (const SoNode *const *nodes, const int numnodes, SoChildList &cl)
  • static void updateChildList (SoNode *nodewithsfnode, SoChildList &cl)

🎀 Static Public Member Functions inherited from SoGroup 🎀

  • static SoType getClassTypeId (void)
  • static void initClass (void) — sets up initialization for data common to all instances of this class, like submitting necessary information to the Coin type system.

🦋 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) — sets up initialization for data common to all instances of this class, like submitting necessary information to the Coin type system.
  • static void initClasses (void)
  • static SbUniqueId 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) — sets up initialization for data common to all instances of this class, like submitting necessary information to the Coin type system.
  • static SoType getClassTypeId (void) — this static method returns the SoType object associated with objects of this class.
  • 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) — sets up initialization for data common to all instances of this class, like submitting necessary information to the Coin type system.
  • static SoType getClassTypeId (void) — this static method returns the SoType object associated with objects of this class.
  • 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 🔥

  • SoSFVec3f axisOfRotation
  • SoSFVec3f bboxCenter
  • SoSFVec3f bboxSize

🌈 Public Attributes inherited from SoVRMLParent 🌈

  • SoMFNode children

🫶 Protected Member Functions 🫶

  • virtual const SoFieldData * getFieldData (void) const
  • virtual ~SoVRMLBillboard ()

🎀 Protected Member Functions inherited from SoVRMLParent 🎀

  • SoVRMLParent (void)
  • SoVRMLParent (int approxchildren)
  • virtual ~SoVRMLParent ()
  • virtual SbBool readInstance (SoInput *in, unsigned short flags)
  • virtual void copyContents (const SoFieldContainer *from, SbBool copyConn)

🦋 Protected Member Functions inherited from SoGroup 🦋

  • virtual ~SoGroup ()
  • virtual SbBool readChildren (SoInput *in)
  • virtual SoNotRec createNotRec (void)
  • void setOperation (const SoNotRec::OperationType opType=SoNotRec::UNSPECIFIED, const SoNode *cc=NULL, const SoNode *pc=NULL, const int ci=-1)

✨ 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)

🌸 Static Protected Member Functions inherited from SoVRMLParent 🌸

  • static const SoFieldData ** getFieldDataPtr (void)

🎀 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 ✨

Okay bestie, this is the little family tree section 💖 — everything SoVRMLBillboard picked up from its ancestors, so you don't have to go digging through ten other manpages. You're welcome.

Public Types inherited from SoNode

The whole enum, verbatim, no notes:

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, COIN_4_0 = 0x20000 }

Protected Types inherited from SoBase

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

Protected Attributes inherited from SoVRMLParent

  • SoMFNode addChildren
  • SoMFNode removeChildren

Protected Attributes inherited from SoGroup

  • SoChildList * children

Protected Attributes inherited from SoNode

  • SbUniqueId uniqueId

Protected Attributes inherited from SoFieldContainer

  • SbBool isBuiltIn

Static Protected Attributes inherited from SoNode

  • static SbUniqueId nextUniqueId = 1
  • static int nextActionMethodIndex = 0

💫 Detailed Description 💫

The SoVRMLBillboard class is used for rotating geometry towards the viewpoint.

Real talk for a sec: the detailed class documentation is taken verbatim from the VRML97 standard (ISO/IEC 14772-1:1997). It's copyright The Web3D Consortium, and it's used by permission of the Consortium. So like, this part is sacred text, I'm just the messenger 🫡

Billboard {
  eventIn      MFNode   addChildren
  eventIn      MFNode   removeChildren
  exposedField SFVec3f  axisOfRotation 0 1 0     # (-inf, inf)
  exposedField MFNode   children       []
  field        SFVec3f  bboxCenter     0 0 0     # (-inf, inf)
  field        SFVec3f  bboxSize       -1 -1 -1  # (0, inf) or -1,-1,-1
}

The Billboard node is a grouping node which modifies its coordinate system so that the Billboard node's local Z-axis turns to point at the viewer. The Billboard node has children which may be other children nodes. The axisOfRotation field specifies which axis to use to perform the rotation. This axis is defined in the local coordinate system. When the axisOfRotation field is not (0, 0, 0), the following steps describe how to rotate the billboard to face the viewer:

  • a. Compute the vector from the Billboard node's origin to the viewer's position. This vector is called the billboard-to-viewer vector.
  • b. Compute the plane defined by the axisOfRotation and the billboard-to-viewer vector.
  • c. Rotate the local Z-axis of the billboard into the plane from b., pivoting around the axisOfRotation.

When the axisOfRotation field is set to (0, 0, 0), the special case of viewer-alignment is indicated. In this case, the object rotates to keep the billboard's local Y-axis parallel with the Y-axis of the viewer. This special case is distinguished by setting the axisOfRotation to (0, 0, 0). The following steps describe how to align the billboard's Y-axis to the Y-axis of the viewer:

  • d. Compute the billboard-to-viewer vector.
  • e. Rotate the Z-axis of the billboard to be collinear with the billboard-to-viewer vector and pointing towards the viewer's position.
  • f. Rotate the Y-axis of the billboard to be parallel and oriented in the same direction as the Y-axis of the viewer.
🚨 Okay so this next bit is the UNDEFINED BEHAVIOUR part and I need you to actually read it, bestie. If the axisOfRotation and the billboard-to-viewer line are coincident, the plane cannot be established and the resulting rotation of the billboard is undefined. For example, if the axisOfRotation is set to (0,1,0) (Y-axis) and the viewer flies over the billboard and peers directly down the Y-axis, the results are undefined. Not "a little weird". Undefined. 💀

Multiple instances of Billboard nodes (DEF/USE) operate as expected: each instance rotates in its unique coordinate system to face the viewer. Subclause 4.6.5, Grouping and children nodes (http://www.web3d.org/documents/specifications/14772/V2.0/part1/concepts.html#4.6.5), provides a description of the children, addChildren, and removeChildren fields and eventIns. The bboxCenter and bboxSize fields specify a bounding box that encloses the Billboard node's children. This is a hint that may be used for optimization purposes. The results are undefined if the specified bounding box is smaller than the actual bounding box of the children at any time. A default bboxSize value, (-1, -1, -1), implies that the bounding box is not specified and if needed shall be calculated by the browser. A description of the bboxCenter and bboxSize fields is contained in 4.6.4, Bounding boxes (http://www.web3d.org/documents/specifications/14772/V2.0/part1/concepts.html#4.6.4),

The rest of this class documentation is not from the VRML97 standards documentation, but was written specifically for the Coin3D API documentation. So this is the part where we get to be cute 🎀

The following example VRML scene is a simple illustration of how SoVRMLBillboard::axisOfRotation constrains rotation around the given vector:

#VRML V2.0 utf8

Transform {
   translation -2 0 0
   children [
      Billboard {
        children [ Box { } ]
      }
   ]
}

Transform {
   translation 2 0 0
   children [
      Billboard {
        axisOfRotation 0 1 0
        children [ Box { } ]
      }
   ]
}

Transform {
   translation 0 -2 0
   children [ Box { size 10 0.1 10 } ]
}

🧚 Constructor & Destructor Documentation 🧚

SoVRMLBillboard::SoVRMLBillboard (void )

Constructor. Classic. Does exactly what it says on the tin 💅

SoVRMLBillboard::SoVRMLBillboard (int numchildren)

Constructor. numchildren is the expected number of children.

SoVRMLBillboard::~SoVRMLBillboard () [protected], [virtual]

Destructor. Rip to a real one 🫶

🔥 Member Function Documentation 🔥

SoType SoVRMLBillboard::getClassTypeId (void ) [static]

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

SoType SoVRMLBillboard::getTypeId (void ) const [virtual]

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

Reimplemented from SoVRMLParent.

const SoFieldData ** SoVRMLBillboard::getFieldDataPtr (void ) [static], [protected]

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

Returns the SoFieldData class which holds information about fields in this node.

const SoFieldData * SoVRMLBillboard::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 SoVRMLParent.

void SoVRMLBillboard::initClass (void ) [static]

(no description in the original, bestie — it's just there, being mysterious ✨)

void SoVRMLBillboard::doAction (SoAction * action) [virtual]

This function performs the typical operation of a node for any action.

Reimplemented from SoVRMLParent.

void SoVRMLBillboard::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.

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

void SoVRMLBillboard::GLRender (SoGLRenderAction * action) [virtual]

Action method for the SoGLRenderAction.

This is called during rendering traversals. Nodes influencing the rendering state in any way or want to throw geometry primitives at OpenGL override this method.

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

void SoVRMLBillboard::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 calculate their bounding box also override this method to change the relevant state variables.

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

void SoVRMLBillboard::getMatrix (SoGetMatrixAction * action) [virtual]

Action method for SoGetMatrixAction.

Updates action by accumulating with the transformation matrix of this node (if any).

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

void SoVRMLBillboard::pick (SoPickAction * action) [virtual]

Action method for SoPickAction.

Does common processing for SoPickAction action instances.

Reimplemented from SoGroup.

void SoVRMLBillboard::search (SoSearchAction * action) [virtual]

Action method for SoSearchAction.

Compares the search criteria from the action to see if this node is a match. Searching is done by matching up all criteria set up in the SoSearchAction — if any of the requested criteria is a miss, the search is not deemed successful for the node.

See also: SoSearchAction

Reimplemented from SoVRMLParent.

void SoVRMLBillboard::GLRenderBelowPath (SoGLRenderAction * action) [virtual]

Implements the SoAction::BELOW_PATH traversal method for the rendering action.

Reimplemented from SoNode.

void SoVRMLBillboard::GLRenderInPath (SoGLRenderAction * action) [virtual]

Implements the SoAction::IN_PATH traversal method for the rendering action.

Reimplemented from SoNode.

void SoVRMLBillboard::GLRenderOffPath (SoGLRenderAction * action) [virtual]

Implements the SoAction::OFF_PATH traversal method for the rendering action.

Reimplemented from SoNode.

void SoVRMLBillboard::notify (SoNotList * l) [virtual]

Notifies all auditors for this instance when changes are made.

Reimplemented from SoVRMLParent.

💎 Member Data Documentation 💎

  • SoSFVec3f SoVRMLBillboard::axisOfRotation — the axis of rotation for the geometry. This is the whole main character of this class, honestly 👑
  • SoSFVec3f SoVRMLBillboard::bboxCenter — the bounding box center hint. Default value is (0, 0, 0).
  • SoSFVec3f SoVRMLBillboard::bboxSize — the bounding box size hint. Default value is (-1, -1, -1).

🌸 Author 🌸

Generated automatically by Doxygen for Coin from the source code. (Not a human, not a vibe, just a robot doing its little robot thing 🤖✨)

And that's a wrap on SoVRMLBillboard(3), bestie!! 🎀 You made it to the end of part 2, which is honestly giving main character energy. Quick sign-off receipts so you know exactly which version of the lore you just read: this is Version 4.0.10, dated Thu Jun 25 2026 00:00:00, and the page is SoVRMLBillboard(3). Go forth and billboard responsibly, rotate that Z-axis, and pls don't set axisOfRotation to something coincident with your viewer line unless you enjoy undefined behaviour 💀💖

📦 where this page comes from