Creating an Element

• Overview
• Deriving a Class from an Existing Element
• The initClass() Method
• Destructor
• The init() Method
• The set() and get() Methods
• The print() Method
• Additional Methods
• Special Considerations for Caching
• Pushing and Popping Elements
• Creating a New Element

If you want to create nodes that have effects not covered by the set of standard Open Inventor elements, you may need to create a new element class. Be sure you are familiar with the information in Chapters 1, 2, and 4 before you read this chapter.

The first part of this chapter offers an overview of the steps required to create a new element class. When necessary, additional sections explain key concepts in further detail and list relevant macros. The chapter example shows creating a new element, the temperature element, which is derived from SoFloatElement.