---
name: "SoIndexedShape"
section: "3iv"
platform: "linux"
package: "inventor-doc"
version: "2.1.6+ds-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/SoIndexedShape/3iv"
---

# SoIndexedShape(3iv)

abstract base class for all indexed vertex-based shapes

## NAME

SoIndexedShape — abstract base class for all indexed vertex-based shapes

## INHERITS FROM

SoBase \> SoFieldContainer \> SoNode \> SoShape \> SoVertexShape \> SoIndexedShape

## SYNOPSIS

**#include \<Inventor/nodes/SoIndexedShape.h\>**

Fields from class SoIndexedShape:

**SoMFInt32**	**coordIndex**\
 **SoMFInt32**	**materialIndex**\
 **SoMFInt32**	**normalIndex**\
 **SoMFInt32**	**textureCoordIndex**

Fields from class SoVertexShape:

**SoSFNode**	**vertexProperty**

Methods from class SoIndexedShape:

**static SoType**	**getClassTypeId()**

Methods from class SoNode:

**void**	**setOverride(SbBool state)**\
 **SbBool**	**isOverride() const**\
 **SoNode \***	**copy(SbBool copyConnections = FALSE) const**\
 **virtual SbBool**	**affectsState() const**\
 **static SoNode \***	**getByName(const SbName &name)**\
 **static int**	**getByName(const SbName &name, SoNodeList &list)**

Methods from class SoFieldContainer:

**void**	**setToDefaults()**\
 **SbBool**	**hasDefaultValues() const**\
 **SbBool**	**fieldsAreEqual(const SoFieldContainer \*fc) const**\
 **void**	**copyFieldValues(const SoFieldContainer \*fc, SbBool copyConnections = FALSE)**\
 **SbBool**	**set(const char \*fieldDataString)**\
 **void**	**get(SbString &fieldDataString)**\
 **virtual int**	**getFields(SoFieldList &resultList) const**\
 **virtual SoField \***	**getField(const SbName &fieldName) const**\
 **SbBool**	**getFieldName(const SoField \*field, SbName &fieldName) const**\
 **SbBool**	**isNotifyEnabled() const**\
 **SbBool**	**enableNotify(SbBool flag)**

Methods from class SoBase:

**void**	**ref()**\
 **void**	**unref() const**\
 **void**	**unrefNoDelete() const**\
 **void**	**touch()**\
 **virtual SoType**	**getTypeId() const**\
 **SbBool**	**isOfType(SoType type) const**\
 **virtual void**	**setName(const SbName &name)**\
 **virtual SbName**	**getName() const**

## DESCRIPTION

**This node is the abstract base class for all vertex-based shapes that are constructed from indices, including SoIndexedFaceSet**, **SoIndexedTriangleStripSet**, and **SoIndexedLineSet**. **SoIndexedShape** defines fields that are used in all of its subclasses.

All subclasses of **SoNonIndexedShape** construct objects by using the coordinates specified by the **vertexProperty** field (from **SoVertexShape**), or the current inherited coordinates. The **coordIndex** field defined by this class contains the indices into the current coordinates of the vertices of the shape. These indices are also used for materials, normals, or texture coordinates when the appropriate binding is **PER\_VERTEX\_INDEXED**.

Material and normal bindings are interpreted as follows for each subclass:

```
OVERALL		One material for the entire shape.
PER_PART		Specific to the subclass.
PER_PART_INDEXED	Same as PER_PART, using indices from the
			materialIndex or normalIndex field.
PER_FACE		Specific to the subclass.
PER_FACE_INDEXED	Same as PER_FACE, using indices from the
			materialIndex or normalIndex field.
PER_VERTEX		One material per vertex.
PER_VERTEX_INDEXED	One material per vertex, using indices from the
			materialIndex or normalIndex field.
```

When any **\_INDEXED** binding is used for materials or normals, the **materialIndex** or **normalIndex** field is used to determine the indices for the materials or normals. If this field contains a single value of -1 (the default), the coordinate indices from the **coordIndex** field are used as well for materials or normals. When the binding is **PER\_VERTEX\_INDEXED**, indices in these fields that correspond to negative indices in **coordIndex** are skipped; for other index bindings all the values in the fields are used, in order.

Explicit texture coordinates (as defined by **SoTextureCoordinate2**) may be bound to vertices of an indexed shape consecutively (if the texture coordinate binding is **PER\_VERTEX**) or by using the indices in the **textureCoordIndex** field (if the binding is **PER\_VERTEX\_INDEXED**). As with all vertex-based shapes, if there is a current texture but no texture coordinates are specified, a default texture coordinate mapping is calculated using the bounding box of the shape.

Be sure that the indices contained in the **coordIndex**, **materialIndex**, **normalIndex**, and **textureCoordIndex** fields are valid with respect to the current state, or errors will occur.

## FIELDS

**SoMFInt32**	**coordIndex**\
 The indices of the coordinates that the shape uses as its vertices. The coordinates connect to form faces, lines, or other shapes. Each subclass defines special negative indices to use to indicate separation between faces, lines, and so on.

**SoMFInt32**	**materialIndex**\
 **SoMFInt32**	**normalIndex**\
 **SoMFInt32**	**textureCoordIndex**\
 The indices of the materials, normals, and texture coordinates that are used for the shape. These fields are used only when the appropriate binding is one of the **\_INDEXED** bindings. By default, the values of these fields indicate that the coordinate indices should be used for materials, normals, or texture coordinates as well.

## METHODS

**static SoType**	**getClassTypeId()**\
 Returns type identifier for this class.

## FILE FORMAT/DEFAULTS

This is an abstract class. See the reference page of a derived class for the format and default values.

## SEE ALSO

**SoIndexedFaceSet, SoIndexedLineSet, SoIndexedTriangleStripSet, SoMaterialBinding, SoNonIndexedShape, SoNormalBinding, SoShapeHints, SoTextureCoordinateBinding**