---
name: "SbVec4f"
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/SbVec4f"
---

# SbVec4f(3)

The SbVec4f class is a 4 dimensional vector with floating point coordinates.

## NAME

SbVec4f - The **SbVec4f** class is a 4 dimensional vector with floating point coordinates.

## SYNOPSIS

\#include \<Inventor/SbVec4f.h\>

Inherited by **SbColor4f**.

### Public Member Functions

**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\

### Protected Attributes

float **vec** \[4\]\

### Related Symbols

(Note that these are not member symbols.)  **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 **SbVec4f** class is a 4 dimensional vector with floating point coordinates.

This vector class is used by many other classes in Coin. It provides storage for a 3 dimensional homogeneous vector (with the 4 components usually referred to as \<x, y, z, w\>) as well as simple floating point arithmetic operations.

**See also**

**SbVec2s**, **SbVec2f**, **SbVec2d**, **SbVec3s**, **SbVec3f**, **SbVec3d**, **SbVec4d**.

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

### SbVec4f::SbVec4f (void ) \[inline\]

The default constructor does nothing. The vector coordinates will be uninitialized until a call the **setValue()**.

### SbVec4f::SbVec4f (const float v\[4\]) \[inline\]

Constructs an **SbVec4f** instance with initial values from *v*.

### SbVec4f::SbVec4f (float x, float y, float z, float w) \[inline\]

Constructs an **SbVec4f** instance with the initial homogeneous vector set to *\<x*,y,z,w\>.

### SbVec4f::SbVec4f (const SbVec4d & v) \[inline\], \[explicit\]

Constructs an **SbVec4f** instance from an **SbVec4d** instance.

### SbVec4f::SbVec4f (const SbVec4b & v) \[inline\], \[explicit\]

Constructs an **SbVec4f** instance from an **SbVec4b** instance.

**Since**

Coin 2.5

### SbVec4f::SbVec4f (const SbVec4s & v) \[inline\], \[explicit\]

Constructs an **SbVec4f** instance from an **SbVec4s** instance.

**Since**

Coin 2.5

### SbVec4f::SbVec4f (const SbVec4i32 & v) \[inline\], \[explicit\]

Constructs an **SbVec4f** instance from an **SbVec4i32** instance.

**Since**

Coin 2.5

## Member Function Documentation

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::setValue (const float v\[4\]) \[inline\]

Set new coordinates for the vector from *v*. Returns reference to self.

**See also**

**getValue()**.

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::setValue (float x, float y, float z, float w) \[inline\]

Set new coordinates for the vector. Returns reference to self.

**See also**

**getValue()**.

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::setValue (const SbVec4d & v)

Sets the value from an **SbVec4d** instance.

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::setValue (const SbVec4b & v)

**Since**

Coin 2.5

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::setValue (const SbVec4s & v)

**Since**

Coin 2.5

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::setValue (const SbVec4i32 & v)

**Since**

Coin 2.5

### const float \* SbVec4f::getValue (void ) const \[inline\]

Returns a pointer to an array of four floats containing the x, y, z and w coordinates of the vector.

**See also**

**setValue()**.

### void SbVec4f::getValue (float & x, float & y, float & z, float & w) const \[inline\]

Returns the x, y, z and w coordinates of the vector.

**See also**

**setValue()**.

### float & SbVec4f::operator\[\] (int i) \[inline\]

Index operator. Returns modifiable x, y, z or w component of vector.

**See also**

**getValue()** and **setValue()**.

### const float & SbVec4f::operator\[\] (int i) const \[inline\]

Index operator. Returns x, y, z or w component of vector.

**See also**

**getValue()** and **setValue()**.

### SbBool SbVec4f::equals (const SbVec4f & v, float tolerance) const

Compares the vector with *v* and returns TRUE if the distance between the vectors is smaller or equal to the square root of *tolerance*.

The comparison is done in 4D-space, i.e. the *w* component of the vector is *not* used to make x, y and z into Cartesian coordinates first.

### float SbVec4f::dot (const SbVec4f & v) const \[inline\]

Calculates and returns the result of taking the dot product of this vector and *v*.

### void SbVec4f::getReal (SbVec3f & v) const

Returns the vector as a Cartesian 3D vector in *v*. This means that the 3 first components x, y and z will be divided by the fourth, w.

### float SbVec4f::length (void ) const

Return the length of the vector in 4D space.

### float SbVec4f::sqrLength (void ) const \[inline\]

Return the square of the length of the vector in 4D space.

### void SbVec4f::negate (void ) \[inline\]

Negate the vector.

### float SbVec4f::normalize (void )

Normalize the vector to unit length. Return value is the original length of the vector before normalization.

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::operator\*= (float d) \[inline\]

Multiply components of vector with value *d*. Returns reference to self.

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::operator/= (float d) \[inline\]

Divides components of vector with value *d*. Returns reference to self.

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::operator+= (const SbVec4f & v) \[inline\]

Adds this vector and vector *v*. Returns reference to self.

### SbVec4f & SbVec4f::operator-= (const SbVec4f & v) \[inline\]

Subtracts vector *v* from this vector. Returns reference to self.

### SbVec4f SbVec4f::operator- (void ) const \[inline\]

Non-destructive negation operator. Returns a new **SbVec4f** instance which has all components negated.

**See also**

**negate()**.

### void SbVec4f::print (FILE \* fp) const

Dump the state of this object to the *fp* file stream. Only works in debug version of library, method does nothing in an optimized build.

## Friends And Related Symbol Documentation

### SbVec4f operator\* (const SbVec4f & v, float d) \[related\]

Returns an **SbVec4f** instance which is the components of vector *v* multiplied with *d*.

### SbVec4f operator\* (float d, const SbVec4f & v) \[related\]

Returns an **SbVec4f** instance which is the components of vector *v* multiplied with *d*.

### SbVec4f operator/ (const SbVec4f & v, float d) \[related\]

Returns an **SbVec4f** instance which is the components of vector *v* divided on the scalar factor *d*.

### SbVec4f operator+ (const SbVec4f & v1, const SbVec4f & v2) \[related\]

Returns an **SbVec4f** instance which is the sum of vectors *v1* and *v2*.

### SbVec4f operator- (const SbVec4f & v1, const SbVec4f & v2) \[related\]

Returns an **SbVec4f** instance which is vector *v2* subtracted from vector *v1*.

### int operator== (const SbVec4f & v1, const SbVec4f & v2) \[related\]

Returns *1* if *v1* and *v2* are equal, *0* otherwise.

**See also**

**equals()**.

### int operator!= (const SbVec4f & v1, const SbVec4f & v2) \[related\]

Returns *1* if *v1* and *v2* are not equal, *0* if they are equal.

**See also**

**equals()**.

## Author

Generated automatically by Doxygen for Coin from the source code.