---
name: "SbColor4f"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "coin"
version: "1:4.0.10-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/SbColor4f"
---

# SbColor4f(3)

The SbColor4f class contains the red, green, blue and alpha components which make up a color value.

## NAME

SbColor4f - The **SbColor4f** class contains the red, green, blue and alpha components which make up a color value.

## SYNOPSIS

\#include \<Inventor/SbColor4f.h\>

Inherits **SbVec4f**.

### Public Member Functions

**SbColor4f** (void)\
 **SbColor4f** (const **SbColor** &rgb, const float alpha=1.0f)\
 **SbColor4f** (const **SbVec4f** &v)\
 **SbColor4f** (const float \*const rgba)\
 **SbColor4f** (const float r, const float g, const float b, const float a=1.0f)\
 void **setValue** (const float r, const float g, const float b, const float a=1.0f)\
 void **setValue** (const float col\[4\])\
 const float \* **getValue** () const\
 void **getValue** (float &r, float &g, float &b, float &a)\
 **SbColor4f** & **setRGB** (const **SbColor** &col)\
 void **getRGB** (**SbColor** &color)\
 **SbColor4f** & **setHSVValue** (float h, float s, float v, float a=1.0f)\
 **SbColor4f** & **setHSVValue** (const float hsv\[3\], float alpha=1.0f)\
 void **getHSVValue** (float &h, float &s, float &v) const\
 void **getHSVValue** (float hsv\[3\]) const\
 **SbColor4f** & **setPackedValue** (const uint32\_t rgba)\
 uint32\_t **getPackedValue** () const\
 float **operator\[\]** (const int idx) const\
 float & **operator\[\]** (const int idx)\
 **SbColor4f** & **operator\*=** (const float d)\
 **SbColor4f** & **operator/=** (const float d)\
 **SbColor4f** & **operator+=** (const **SbColor4f** &c)\
 **SbColor4f** & **operator-=** (const **SbColor4f** &c)\

Public Member Functions inherited from **SbVec4f** **SbVec4f** (void)\
 **SbVec4f** (const float v\[4\])\
 **SbVec4f** (float x, float y, float z, float w)\
 **SbVec4f** (const **SbVec4d** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** (const **SbVec4b** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** (const **SbVec4s** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** (const **SbVec4i32** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** & **setValue** (const float v\[4\])\
 **SbVec4f** & **setValue** (float x, float y, float z, float w)\
 **SbVec4f** & **setValue** (const **SbVec4d** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** & **setValue** (const **SbVec4b** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** & **setValue** (const **SbVec4s** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** & **setValue** (const **SbVec4i32** &v)\
 const float \* **getValue** (void) const\
 void **getValue** (float &x, float &y, float &z, float &w) const\
 float & **operator\[\]** (int i)\
 const float & **operator\[\]** (int i) const\
 SbBool **equals** (const **SbVec4f** &v, float tolerance) const\
 float **dot** (const **SbVec4f** &v) const\
 void **getReal** (**SbVec3f** &v) const\
 float **length** (void) const\
 float **sqrLength** (void) const\
 void **negate** (void)\
 float **normalize** (void)\
 **SbVec4f** & **operator\*=** (float d)\
 **SbVec4f** & **operator/=** (float d)\
 **SbVec4f** & **operator+=** (const **SbVec4f** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** & **operator-=** (const **SbVec4f** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** **operator-** (void) const\
 void **print** (FILE \*fp) const\

### Additional Inherited Members

Protected Attributes inherited from **SbVec4f** float **vec** \[4\]\

Related Symbols inherited from **SbVec4f** **SbVec4f** **operator\*** (const **SbVec4f** &v, float d)\
 **SbVec4f** **operator\*** (float d, const **SbVec4f** &v)\
 **SbVec4f** **operator/** (const **SbVec4f** &v, float d)\
 **SbVec4f** **operator+** (const **SbVec4f** &v1, const **SbVec4f** &v2)\
 **SbVec4f** **operator-** (const **SbVec4f** &v1, const **SbVec4f** &v2)\
 int **operator==** (const **SbVec4f** &v1, const **SbVec4f** &v2)\
 int **operator!=** (const **SbVec4f** &v1, const **SbVec4f** &v2)\

## Detailed Description

The **SbColor4f** class contains the red, green, blue and alpha components which make up a color value.

This class is used internally within other classes in Coin. It contains a 4 component vector as a position in the RGB cube with an additional transparency value.

The red, green and blue values should be between 0.0 and 1.0, where 0.0 is interpreted as minimum intensity, and 1.0 is maximum intensity. The transparency value is also between 0.0 and 1.0.

**SbColor4f** contains methods for convenient handling of setting and getting color values as 32 bit packed values or as HSV values.

Note: this class is not part of Open Inventor, but is an extension to the API. Don't use it if you want your code to be compatible with Open Inventor.

**See also**

**SbColor**

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

### SbColor4f::SbColor4f (void )

Default constructor. The color value will be uninitialized until explicitly set.

### SbColor4f::SbColor4f (const SbColor & rgb, const float alpha = 1.0f)

Construct and initialize an **SbColor4f** with the red, green and blue components from the **SbColor** rgb, and the alpha value from the supplied alpha argument.

### SbColor4f::SbColor4f (const SbVec4f & v)

Construct and initialize an **SbColor4f** with the red, green, blue and alpha values given by the v vector.

### SbColor4f::SbColor4f (const float \*const rgba)

Construct and initialize an **SbColor4f** with the red, green, blue and alpha taken from given rgba array

### SbColor4f::SbColor4f (const float r, const float g, const float b, const float a = 1.0f)

Construct and initialize an **SbColor4f** with the given red, green, blue and alpha values.

## Member Function Documentation

### void SbColor4f::setValue (const float r, const float g, const float b, const float a = 1.0f)

Set a new color.

### void SbColor4f::setValue (const float col\[4\])

Set a new color. The elements of the array will be read in turned as red, green, blue and transparency.

### const float \* SbColor4f::getValue (void ) const

Return pointer to array of 4 float values representing the red, green, blue and transparency values of the color.

### void SbColor4f::getValue (float & r, float & g, float & b, float & a)

Return components of the stored color.

### SbColor4f & SbColor4f::setRGB (const SbColor & col)

Sets the RGB components of the color. The alpha component is left unchanged.

### void SbColor4f::getRGB (SbColor & color)

Returns the RGB components of this color.

### SbColor4f & SbColor4f::setHSVValue (float hue, float saturation, float value, float alpha = 1.0f)

Set the color as a hue, saturation, value triplet. The hue component should be normalized to within \[0, 1\] before you call this method, where a value of 0 corresponds to 0 degrees and a value of 1 corresponds to 360 degrees.

**See also**

**getHSVValue()**.

### SbColor4f & SbColor4f::setHSVValue (const float hsv\[3\], float a = 1.0f)

Set the color as a hue, saturation, value triplet. The hue component should be normalized to within \[0, 1\] before you call this method, where a value of 0 corresponds to 0 degrees and a value of 1 corresponds to 360 degrees.

**See also**

**getHSVValue()**.

### void SbColor4f::getHSVValue (float & h, float & s, float & v) const

Return the color as a hue, saturation, value triplet. Alpha component is ignored.

**See also**

**setHSVValue()**.

### void SbColor4f::getHSVValue (float hsv\[3\]) const

Return the color as a hue, saturation, value triplet. Alpha component is ignored.

**See also**

**setHSVValue()**.

### SbColor4f & SbColor4f::setPackedValue (const uint32\_t rgba)

Set the color value as a 32 bit combined red/green/blue/alpha value. Each component is 8 bit wide (i.e. from 0x00 to 0xff), and the red value should be stored leftmost, like this: 0xRRGGBBAA.

**See also**

**getPackedValue()**.

### uint32\_t SbColor4f::getPackedValue () const

Return color as a 32 bit packed integer in the form 0xRRGGBBAA.

**See also**

**setPackedValue()**.

### float SbColor4f::operator\[\] (const int idx) const

Returns the color component represented by the given index *idx*. 0 is red, 1 is green, 2 is blue and 3 is the transparency value.

### float & SbColor4f::operator\[\] (const int idx)

Returns the color component represented by the given index *idx*. 0 is red, 1 is green, 2 is blue and 3 is the transparency value.

### SbColor4f & SbColor4f::operator\*= (const float d)

Multiplies the RGB components by d. The alpha component is left unchanged.

### SbColor4f & SbColor4f::operator/= (const float d)

Divides the RGB components by d. The alpha component is left unchanged.

### SbColor4f & SbColor4f::operator+= (const SbColor4f & c)

Adds the RGB components. Alpha is ignored.

### SbColor4f & SbColor4f::operator-= (const SbColor4f & c)

Subtracts the RGB components. Alpha is ignored.

## Author

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