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

# SoLevelOfDetail(3iv)

level-of-detail switching group node

## NAME

SoLevelOfDetail — level-of-detail switching group node

## INHERITS FROM

SoBase \> SoFieldContainer \> SoNode \> SoGroup \> SoLevelOfDetail

## SYNOPSIS

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

Fields from class SoLevelOfDetail:

**SoMFFloat**	**screenArea**

Methods from class SoLevelOfDetail:

	**SoLevelOfDetail()**\
 **static SoType**	**getClassTypeId()**

Methods from class SoGroup:

**void**	**addChild(SoNode \*child)**\
 **void**	**insertChild(SoNode \*child, int newChildIndex)**\
 **SoNode \***	**getChild(int index) const**\
 **int**	**findChild(const SoNode \*child) const**\
 **int**	**getNumChildren() const**\
 **void**	**removeChild(int index)**\
 **void**	**removeChild(SoNode \*child)**\
 **void**	**removeAllChildren()**\
 **void**	**replaceChild(int index, SoNode \*newChild)**\
 **void**	**replaceChild(SoNode \*oldChild, SoNode \*newChild)**

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

**The children of this node typically represent the same object or objects at varying levels of detail, from highest detail to lowest. The size of the objects when projected into the viewport is used to determine** **which version to use (i.e., which child to traverse).**

**The size is computed as the area of the screen rectangle enclosing the projection of the 3D bounding box that encloses all of the children. When rendering,** **this size is compared to the values in the screenArea** field. If the size is greater than the first value, child 0 is traversed. If it is smaller than the first, but greater than the second, child 1 is traversed, and so on. If there are fewer children than are required by this rule, the last child is traversed. The **screenArea** field contains just 0 by default, so the first child is always traversed.

The size calculation takes the current complexity into account. If the complexity is 0 or is of type **BOUNDING\_BOX**, the last child is always traversed. If the complexity is less than .5, the computed size is scaled down appropriately to use (possibly) a less detailed representation. If the complexity is greater than .5, the size is scaled up. At complexity 1, the first child is always used.

Note that the **SoLOD** node is similar to **SoLevelOfDetail**, except the switching between levels in the **SoLOD** node is based on distance from the camera, which is faster than using screen area.

## FIELDS

**SoMFFloat**	**screenArea**\
 Areas to use for comparison

## METHODS

	**SoLevelOfDetail()**\
 Creates a level-of-detail node with default settings.

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

## ACTION BEHAVIOR

**SoGLRenderAction, SoRayPickAction, SoCallbackAction**\
 Only the child with the appropriate level of detail is traversed.

**SoGetBoundingBoxAction**\
 The box that encloses all children is computed. (This is the box that is needed to compute the projected size.)

**others**\
 All implemented as for **SoGroup**.

## FILE FORMAT/DEFAULTS

```
LevelOfDetail {
screenArea	0
}
```

## SEE ALSO

**SoLOD, SoComplexity, SoSwitch, SoGroup**