Generating Default Normals

If you define your own vertex-based shape class and the parent class does not generate default normals, you need to generate default normals for rendering with the Phong lighting model and for generating primitives. SoVertexShape provides the generateDefaultNormals() method, which you can override for use when normal binding is DEFAULT. Although the specifics depend on the shape itself, SoNormalBundle provides methods to facilitate this process.

If you define a node class that creates a node sensor attached to itself or a field sensor attached to one of its fields, you'll need to redefine readInstance() so that the sensor doesn't fire when the node is read from a file. Your readInstance() method needs to detach the sensor, call the readInstance() method of the parent class, and then reattach the sensor. Node kits provide the setUpConnections() method to make and break these connections (see Creating a Node Kit).