---
name: "SoElapsedTime"
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/SoElapsedTime"
---

# SoElapsedTime(3)

The SoElapsedTime class is a controllable time source engine.

## NAME

SoElapsedTime - The **SoElapsedTime** class is a controllable time source engine.

## SYNOPSIS

\#include \<Inventor/engines/SoElapsedTime.h\>

Inherits **SoEngine**.

### Public Member Functions

virtual **SoType** **getTypeId** (void) const\
 virtual const **SoFieldData** \* **getFieldData** (void) const\
 virtual const **SoEngineOutputData** \* **getOutputData** (void) const\
 **SoElapsedTime** (void)\

Public Member Functions inherited from **SoEngine** void **evaluateWrapper** (void)\
 virtual int **getOutputs** (**SoEngineOutputList** &l) const\
 **SoEngineOutput** \* **getOutput** (const **SbName** &outputname) const\
 SbBool **getOutputName** (const **SoEngineOutput** \*output, **SbName** &outputname) const\
 SbBool **isNotifying** (void) const\
 virtual void **notify** (**SoNotList** \*nl)\
 **SoEngine** \* **copy** (void) const\
 virtual **SoFieldContainer** \* **copyThroughConnection** (void) const\
 SbBool **shouldCopy** (void) const\

Public Member Functions inherited from **SoFieldContainer** void **setToDefaults** (void)\
 SbBool **hasDefaultValues** (void) const\
 SbBool **fieldsAreEqual** (const **SoFieldContainer** \*container) const\
 void **copyFieldValues** (const **SoFieldContainer** \*container, SbBool copyconnections=FALSE)\
 SbBool **set** (const char \*const fielddata)\
 void **get** (**SbString** &fielddata)\
 virtual int **getFields** (**SoFieldList** &l) const\
 virtual int **getAllFields** (**SoFieldList** &l) const\
 virtual **SoField** \* **getField** (const **SbName** &name) const\
 virtual **SoField** \* **getEventIn** (const **SbName** &name) const\
 virtual **SoField** \* **getEventOut** (const **SbName** &name) const\
 SbBool **getFieldName** (const **SoField** \*const field, **SbName** &name) const\
 SbBool **enableNotify** (const SbBool flag)\
 SbBool **isNotifyEnabled** (void) const\
 SbBool **set** (const char \*fielddata, **SoInput** \*input)\
 void **get** (**SbString** &fielddata, **SoOutput** \*out)\
 virtual SbBool **validateNewFieldValue** (**SoField** \*field, void \*newval)\
 virtual void **addWriteReference** (**SoOutput** \*out, SbBool isfromfield=FALSE)\
 SbBool **getIsBuiltIn** (void) const\
 virtual void **copyContents** (const **SoFieldContainer** \*from, SbBool copyconnections)\
 virtual void **getFieldsMemorySize** (size\_t &managed, size\_t &unmanaged) const\
 void **setUserData** (void \*userdata) const\
 void \* **getUserData** (void) const\

Public Member Functions inherited from **SoBase** void **ref** (void) const\
 void **unref** (void) const\
 void **unrefNoDelete** (void) const\
 int32\_t **getRefCount** (void) const\
 void **touch** (void)\
 SbBool **isOfType** (**SoType** type) const\
 Returns TRUE if the type of this object is either of the same type or inherited from *type*.  virtual **SbName** **getName** (void) const\
 virtual void **setName** (const **SbName** &newname)\
 virtual void **startNotify** (void)\
 void **addAuditor** (void \*const auditor, const **SoNotRec::Type** type)\
 void **removeAuditor** (void \*const auditor, const **SoNotRec::Type** type)\
 const **SoAuditorList** & **getAuditors** (void) const\
 SbBool **shouldWrite** (void)\
 void **assertAlive** (void) const\

### Static Public Member Functions

static **SoType** **getClassTypeId** (void)\
 static void \* **createInstance** (void)\
 static void **initClass** (void)\
 Sets up initialization for data common to all instances of this class, like submitting necessary information to the Coin type system.

Static Public Member Functions inherited from **SoEngine** static void **initClass** (void)\
 Sets up initialization for data common to all instances of this class, like submitting necessary information to the Coin type system.     static void **initClasses** (void)\
 static **SoType** **getClassTypeId** (void)\
 This static method returns the **SoType** object associated with objects of this class.     static **SoEngine** \* **getByName** (const **SbName** &name)\
 static int **getByName** (const **SbName** &name, **SoEngineList** &el)\

Static Public Member Functions inherited from **SoFieldContainer** static void **initClass** (void)\
 Sets up initialization for data common to all instances of this class, like submitting necessary information to the Coin type system.     static **SoType** **getClassTypeId** (void)\
 This static method returns the **SoType** object associated with objects of this class.     static void **cleanupClass** (void)\
 static void **initCopyDict** (void)\
 static void **addCopy** (const **SoFieldContainer** \*orig, const **SoFieldContainer** \*copy)\
 static **SoFieldContainer** \* **checkCopy** (const **SoFieldContainer** \*orig)\
 static **SoFieldContainer** \* **findCopy** (const **SoFieldContainer** \*orig, const SbBool copyconnections)\
 static void **copyDone** (void)\

Static Public Member Functions inherited from **SoBase** static void **initClass** (void)\
 Sets up initialization for data common to all instances of this class, like submitting necessary information to the Coin type system.  static **SoType** **getClassTypeId** (void)\
 This static method returns the **SoType** object associated with objects of this class.  static void **addName** (**SoBase** \*const base, const char \*const name)\
 static void **removeName** (**SoBase** \*const base, const char \*const name)\
 static void **incrementCurrentWriteCounter** (void)\
 static void **decrementCurrentWriteCounter** (void)\
 static **SoBase** \* **getNamedBase** (const **SbName** &name, **SoType** type)\
 static int **getNamedBases** (const **SbName** &name, **SoBaseList** &baselist, **SoType** type)\
 static SbBool **read** (**SoInput** \*input, **SoBase** \*&base, **SoType** expectedtype)\
 static void **setInstancePrefix** (const **SbString** &c)\
 static void **setTraceRefs** (SbBool trace)\
 static SbBool **getTraceRefs** (void)\
 static SbBool **connectRoute** (**SoInput** \*input, const **SbName** &fromnodename, const **SbName** &fromfieldname, const **SbName** &tonodename, const **SbName** &tofieldname)\
 static SbBool **readRoute** (**SoInput** \*input)\

### Public Attributes

**SoSFTime** **timeIn**\
 **SoSFFloat** **speed**\
 **SoSFBool** **on**\
 **SoSFBool** **pause**\
 **SoSFTrigger** **reset**\
 **SoEngineOutput** **timeOut**\

### Protected Member Functions

virtual **~SoElapsedTime** (void)\
 virtual void **writeInstance** (**SoOutput** \*out)\

Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoEngine** **SoEngine** (void)\
 virtual **~SoEngine** (void)\
 virtual SbBool **readInstance** (**SoInput** \*in, unsigned short flags)\
 void **writeOutputTypes** (**SoOutput** \*out)\

Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoFieldContainer** **SoFieldContainer** (void)\
 virtual **~SoFieldContainer** ()\

Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoBase** **SoBase** (void)\
 virtual **~SoBase** ()\
 SbBool **hasMultipleWriteRefs** (void) const\
 SbBool **writeHeader** (**SoOutput** \*out, SbBool isgroup, SbBool isengine) const\
 void **writeFooter** (**SoOutput** \*out) const\
 virtual const char \* **getFileFormatName** (void) const\
 virtual **SoNotRec** **createNotRec** (void)\

### Static Protected Member Functions

static const **SoFieldData** \*\* **getInputDataPtr** (void)\
 static const **SoEngineOutputData** \*\* **getOutputDataPtr** (void)\

Static Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoEngine** static const **SoFieldData** \*\* **getInputDataPtr** (void)\
 static const **SoEngineOutputData** \*\* **getOutputDataPtr** (void)\

Static Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoBase** static uint32\_t **getCurrentWriteCounter** (void)\
 static void **staticDataLock** (void)\
 static void **staticDataUnlock** (void)\

### Additional Inherited Members

Protected Types inherited from **SoBase** enum **BaseFlags** { **IS\_ENGINE** = 0x01, **IS\_GROUP** = 0x02 }\

Protected Attributes inherited from **SoFieldContainer** SbBool **isBuiltIn**\

## Detailed Description

The **SoElapsedTime** class is a controllable time source engine.

The additional functionality provided by this engine versus just connecting to the realTime global field is the ability to control the speed of the time source plus logic to reset, stop and restart it.

Simple usage example, combined with **SoComposeRotation**:

```
#Inventor V2.1 ascii
Separator {
   Transform {
      rotation =
      ComposeRotation { axis 0 1 0  angle =
         ElapsedTime { }.timeOut
      }.rotation
   }
   Cube { }
}
```

**See also**

**SoTimeCounter**

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

### SoElapsedTime::SoElapsedTime (void )

Default constructor.

### SoElapsedTime::~SoElapsedTime (void ) \[protected\], \[virtual\]

Destructor.

## Member Function Documentation

### SoType SoElapsedTime::getClassTypeId (void ) \[static\]

This static method returns the **SoType** object associated with objects of this class.

### SoType SoElapsedTime::getTypeId (void ) const \[virtual\]

Returns the type identification of an object derived from a class inheriting **SoBase**. This is used for runtime type checking and "downward" casting.

Implements **SoBase**.

### const SoFieldData \*\* SoElapsedTime::getInputDataPtr (void ) \[static\], \[protected\]

Returns the **SoFieldData** class which holds information about inputs in this engine.

### const SoEngineOutputData \*\* SoElapsedTime::getOutputDataPtr (void ) \[static\], \[protected\]

Returns the **SoEngineOutputData** class which holds information about the outputs in this engine.

### const SoFieldData \* SoElapsedTime::getFieldData (void ) const \[virtual\]

Returns the **SoFieldData** class which holds information about inputs in this engine.

Reimplemented from **SoFieldContainer**.

### const SoEngineOutputData \* SoElapsedTime::getOutputData (void ) const \[virtual\]

Returns the **SoEngineOutputData** class which holds information about the outputs in this engine.

Implements **SoEngine**.

### void \* SoElapsedTime::createInstance (void ) \[static\]

Creates a new instance of the class type corresponding to the **SoType** object.

### void SoElapsedTime::writeInstance (SoOutput \* out) \[protected\], \[virtual\]

Writes all the fields contained in this instance to the output stream within *out*.

This method is solely called from the write methods of fields.

Either from **SoField** if the write is done because of a field-to-field connection, or from one of the fields which may actually write **SoFieldContainer** instances, i.e. **SoSFNode**, **SoMFNode**, **SoSFEngine**, **SoMFEngine**, **SoSFPath** and **SoMFPath**.

This method, in addition to the ordinary write() method of **SoNode**, needs to be present since the fields don't have a write action instance in their writeValue() method, and **writeInstance()** will create a new **SoWriteAction** and call continueToApply() on it.

Reimplemented from **SoEngine**.

## Member Data Documentation

### SoSFTime SoElapsedTime::timeIn

Input time value. Default connected to the global realTime field.

### SoSFFloat SoElapsedTime::speed

Decides how fast the timer should run, measured versus "real time" from the timeIn field. Default value is 1.0.

A negative value makes the time go backward.

### SoSFBool SoElapsedTime::on

Shuts timer on and off. Will restart at the same position.

### SoSFBool SoElapsedTime::pause

Shuts timer on and off. Will restart at the position it would have been if not paused (i.e. doesn't "lose time").

### SoSFTrigger SoElapsedTime::reset

Restart timer at 0.

### SoEngineOutput SoElapsedTime::timeOut

(**SoSFTime**) Output time value. Starts at 0.

## Author

Generated automatically by Doxygen for Coin from the source code.