SOTRANSFORMMANIP(3iv)

✨ SoTransformManip ✨ — the manual page, but make it a group chat

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, because this is SoTransformManip(3IV) and it's genuinely one of the most fun pages in the whole Inventor lineup. it's a base class for all transform Nodes with built-in 3D user interfaces 💅 like, the little handles you grab in the 3D viewer? yeah. that's this whole family.

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💖 NAME 💖

SoTransformManip — the base class for every transform Node that comes with a built-in 3D user interface. she's the blueprint, the mother of the manips, the moment 🎀

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🦋 INHERITS FROM 🦋

SoBase > SoFieldContainer > SoNode > SoTransformation > SoTransform >
SoTransformManip

that's her whole ancestry line, from the most basic base up to her. royalty only 👑

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <Inventor/manips/SoTransformManip.h>

Fields from class SoTransform:

SoSFVec3f           translation
SoSFRotation        rotation
SoSFVec3f           scaleFactor
SoSFRotation        scaleOrientation
SoSFVec3f           center

Methods from class SoTransformManip:

                    SoTransformManip()
SoDragger *         getDragger()
SbBool              replaceNode(SoPath *p )
SbBool              replaceManip(SoPath *p, SoTransform *newOne ) const
static SoType       getClassTypeId()

Methods from class SoTransform:

void                pointAt(const SbVec3f &fromPoint, const SbVec3f
                         &toPoint)
void                getScaleSpaceMatrix(SbMatrix &mat, SbMatrix &inv)
                         const
void                getRotationSpaceMatrix(SbMatrix &mat, SbMatrix &inv)
                         const
void                getTranslationSpaceMatrix(SbMatrix &mat, SbMatrix
                         &inv) const
void                multLeft(const SbMatrix &mat)
void                multRight(const SbMatrix &mat)
void                combineLeft(SoTransformation *nodeOnRight)
void                combineRight(SoTransformation *nodeOnLeft)
void                setMatrix(const SbMatrix &mat)
void                recenter(const SbVec3f &newCenter)

Methods from class SoNode:

void                setOverride(SbBool state)
SbBool              isOverride() const
SoNode *            copy(SbBool copyConnections = FALSE) const
virtual SbBool      affectsState() const
static SoNode *     getByName(const SbName &name)
static int          getByName(const SbName &name, SoNodeList &list)

Methods from class SoFieldContainer:

void                setToDefaults()
SbBool              hasDefaultValues() const
SbBool              fieldsAreEqual(const SoFieldContainer *fc) const
void                copyFieldValues(const SoFieldContainer *fc, SbBool
                         copyConnections = FALSE)
SbBool              set(const char *fieldDataString)
void                get(SbString &fieldDataString)
virtual int         getFields(SoFieldList &resultList) const
virtual SoField *   getField(const SbName &fieldName) const
SbBool              getFieldName(const SoField *field, SbName &fieldName)
                         const
SbBool              isNotifyEnabled() const
SbBool              enableNotify(SbBool flag)

Methods from class SoBase:

void                ref()
void                unref() const
void                unrefNoDelete() const
void                touch()
virtual SoType      getTypeId() const
SbBool              isOfType(SoType type) const
virtual void        setName(const SbName &name)
virtual SbName      getName() const

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

so. SoTransformManip is the base class for all SoTransform nodes that have a built-in 3D user interface. and because she's derived from SoTransform, literally any change you make to her fields results in the rotation, scaling, and/or translation of the nodes that come after her in the scene graph. she has consequences. she's a main character 💅

typically you'll want to swap a regular SoTransform out for an SoTransformManip — like when the user selects an object to be moved 🫶 — or the other way around, when the object gets deselected and the motion interface should just go away. use the replaceNode() method to insert a manipulator into a scene graph, and the replaceManip() method to remove it when you're done. those two are your besties for this. no cap.

every subclass of SoTransformManip utilizes a dragger of some sort to provide a 3D interface. (heads up: this class does not have a dragger; but all the subclasses do.) but here's the thing bestie, a manipulator is not the same as a dragger — she influences other objects in the scene, because as an SoTransform she alters the state. the field values and movement of a dragger, on the other hand, affect only the dragger itself. the dragger is living in her own little world 🙈

each SoTransformManip subclass utilizes its dragger by adding it as a hidden child. when an action gets applied to the manipulator — rendering, handling events, whatever — the manipulator first traverses the dragger, and then the manipulator adds its transformation matrix to the state. when you click-drag-release over the manipulator, it passes those events down to the dragger, which moves as a result ("I can't help it, I'm a dragger!"). iconic behavior honestly 😭

the manipulator maintains consistency between the fields of the dragger and its own fields. let's say you use the mouse to rotate the dragger. callbacks insure that the rotation field of the manipulator will change by the same amount, resulting in the rotation of nodes which follow in the scene graph. similarly, if you set any of the SoTransformManip fields, the manipulator will move the dragger accordingly. you can use this feature to impose contraints on a manipulator: if the user moves the manipulator so that a field value becomes too large, you can set the field back to your desired maximum, and the whole thing will move back to where you specified. she listens. she's respectful. 💜

since each SoTransformManip uses a dragger to provide its interface, you will generally be told to look at the dragger's reference page for details of how it moves and what the different parts are for. the interface for the dragger and the manipulator will always be exactly the same. usually, a SoTransformManip will surround the objects that it influences (i.e., those that move along with it). this is because the manipulator turns on the surroundScale part of its dragger; so the dragger geometry expands to envelope the other objects (see the reference page for SoSurroundScale). she's a hugger 🫶

because the dragger is a hidden child, you can see the dragger on screen and interact with it, but the dragger does not show up when you write the manipulator to file. also, any SoPath will end at the manipulator. (see the Actions section of this reference page for a complete description of when the dragger is traversed).

if you want to get a pointer to the dragger you can get it from the manipulator using the getDragger() method. you will need to do this if you want to change the geometry of a manipulator, since the geometry actually belongs to the dragger. queen of delegation 👑

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🎀 METHODS 🎀

• SoTransformManip() — Constructor. that's it, that's the whole vibe ✨
• SoDragger * getDragger() — Returns a pointer to the dragger being used by this manipulator. given this pointer, you can customize the dragger just like you would any other dragger. you can change geometry using the setPart() method, or add callbacks using the methods found in the SoDragger reference page. go off 💅
• SbBool replaceNode(SoPath *p ) — Replaces the tail of the path with this manipulator. the tail of the path must be an SoTransform node (or subclass thereof). if the path has a nodekit, this will try to use setPart() to insert the manipulator. otherwise, the manipulator requires that the next to last node in the path chain be a group.

the field values from the transform node will be copied to this manipulator, and the transform will be replaced.

important, bestie, don't skip this: the manipulator will not call ref() on the node it is replacing. the old node will disappear if it has no references other than from the input path p and its parent, since this manipulator will be replacing it in both of those places. nor will the manipulator make any changes to field connections of the old node. the calling process is thus responsible for keeping track of its own nodes and field connections. you are the adult here 😭

• SbBool replaceManip(SoPath *p, SoTransform *newOne ) const — Replaces the tail of the path, which must be this manipulator, with the given SoTransform node. if the path has a nodekit, this will try to use setPart() to insert the new node. otherwise, the manipulator requires that the next to last node in the path chain be a group.

the field values from the manipulator will be copied to the transform node, and the manipulator will be replaced.

again, real talk: the manipulator will not call ref() or unref() on the node which is replacing it, nor will it make any changes to field connections. the calling process is thus responsible for keeping track of its own nodes and field connections. no cap 💀

• static SoType getClassTypeId() — Returns type identifier for this class. ⭐

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🔥 ACTION BEHAVIOR 🔥

• SoGLRenderAction, SoCallbackAction, SoGetBoundingBoxAction, SoGetMatrixAction, SoHandleEventAction — First, traverses the dragger the way an SoGroup would. all draggers place themselves in space, but leave the current transformation unchanged when finished. then the SoTransformManip accumulates a transformation into the current transformation just like its base class, SoTransform. teamwork, fr fr 🫶
• SoSearchAction — Searches just like an SoTransform. does not search the dragger, which is a hidden child. she's private like that 🙈
• SoWriteAction — Writes out just like an SoTransform. does not write the dragger, which is a hidden child. if you really need to write valuable information about the dragger, such as customized geometry, you can retrieve the dragger with the getDragger() method and then write it out separately. workaround slay ✨

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🌈 FILE FORMAT/DEFAULTS 🌈

TransformManip {
    translation       0 0 0
    rotation          0 0 1  0
    scaleFactor       1 1 1
    scaleOrientation  0 0 1  0
    center            0 0 0
}

those are the defaults and they are so neutral, so demure, so default-coded 💅

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• SoDragger
• SoTransform
• SoCenterballManip
• SoHandleBoxManip
• SoJackManip
• SoSurroundScale
• SoTabBoxManip
• SoTrackballManip
• SoTransformBoxManip
• SoTransformerManip

the whole friend group, go read their pages, iykyk 🦋

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and that's the whole page bestie!! this was SoTransformManip(3IV) from the Inventor man pages — version/date slot on the footer is literally just SoTransformManip(3IV)() with nothing in the parens, so consider this the sign-off: SoTransformManip(3IV)() 💖 you understood the assignment, now go replaceNode() something. periodt. 🎀✨