---
name: "SoLightElement"
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/SoLightElement"
---

# SoLightElement(3)

The SoLightElement class manages the currently active light sources.

## NAME

SoLightElement - The **SoLightElement** class manages the currently active light sources.

## SYNOPSIS

\#include \<Inventor/elements/SoLightElement.h\>

Inherits **SoAccumulatedElement**.

### Public Member Functions

virtual void **init** (**SoState** \*state)\
 virtual void **push** (**SoState** \*state)\

Public Member Functions inherited from **SoAccumulatedElement** virtual SbBool **matches** (const **SoElement** \*element) const\

Public Member Functions inherited from **SoElement** const **SoType** **getTypeId** (void) const\
 int **getStackIndex** (void) const\
 virtual void **pop** (**SoState** \*state, const **SoElement** \*prevTopElement)\
 void **setDepth** (const int **depth**)\
 int **getDepth** (void) const\
 virtual void **print** (FILE \*file=stdout) const\
 virtual **~SoElement** ()\

### Static Public Member Functions

static **SoType** **getClassTypeId** (void)\
 static int **getClassStackIndex** (void)\
 static void \* **createInstance** (void)\
 static void **initClass** (void)\
 static void **add** (**SoState** \*const state, **SoLight** \*const light, const **SbMatrix** &matrix)\
 static const **SoNodeList** & **getLights** (**SoState** \*const state)\
 static const **SbMatrix** & **getMatrix** (**SoState** \*const state, const int index)\

Static Public Member Functions inherited from **SoAccumulatedElement** static **SoType** **getClassTypeId** (void)\
 static int **getClassStackIndex** (void)\
 static void **initClass** (void)\

Static Public Member Functions inherited from **SoElement** static void **initClass** (void)\
 static **SoType** **getClassTypeId** (void)\
 static int **getClassStackIndex** (void)\
 static void **initElements** (void)\
 static int **getNumStackIndices** (void)\
 static **SoType** **getIdFromStackIndex** (const int **stackIndex**)\

### Protected Member Functions

**SoLightElement** (void)\
 virtual **~SoLightElement** ()\

Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoAccumulatedElement** virtual **~SoAccumulatedElement** ()\
 void **clearNodeIds** (void)\
 void **addNodeId** (const **SoNode** \*const node)\
 void **setNodeId** (const **SoNode** \*const node)\
 void **copyNodeIds** (const **SoAccumulatedElement** \*copyfrom)\
 virtual **SoElement** \* **copyMatchInfo** (void) const\
 virtual void **captureThis** (**SoState** \*state) const\

Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoElement** **SoElement** (void)\
 void **capture** (**SoState** \*const state) const\
 void **setTypeId** (const **SoType** **typeId**)\
 void **setStackIndex** (const int index)\
 **SoElement** \* **getNextInStack** (void) const\
 **SoElement** \* **getNextFree** (void) const\

### Protected Attributes

**SoNodeList** **lights**\
 **SbList**\< **SbMatrix** \> \* **matrixlist**\

Protected Attributes inherited from **SoAccumulatedElement** **SbList**\< SbUniqueId \> **nodeIds**\

Protected Attributes inherited from **SoElement** **SoType** **typeId**\
 int **stackIndex**\
 int **depth**\

### Additional Inherited Members

Static Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoElement** static **SoElement** \* **getElement** (**SoState** \*const state, const int **stackIndex**)\
 static const **SoElement** \* **getConstElement** (**SoState** \*const state, const int **stackIndex**)\
 static int **createStackIndex** (const **SoType** id)\

Static Protected Attributes inherited from **SoElement** static int **classStackIndex**\
 static **SoTypeList** \* **stackToType**\

## Detailed Description

The **SoLightElement** class manages the currently active light sources.

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

### SoLightElement::SoLightElement (void ) \[protected\]

Constructor.

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

Destructor.

## Member Function Documentation

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

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

### int SoLightElement::getClassStackIndex (void ) \[static\]

This static method returns the state stack index for the class.

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

*This API member is considered internal to the library, as it is not likely to be of interest to the application programmer.*\

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

### void SoLightElement::initClass (void ) \[static\]

Initialize relevant common data for all instances, like the type system.

### void SoLightElement::init (SoState \* state) \[virtual\]

This function initializes the element type in the given **SoState**. It is called for the first element of each enabled element type in **SoState** objects.

Reimplemented from **SoAccumulatedElement**.

### void SoLightElement::push (SoState \* state) \[virtual\]

This method is called every time a new element is required in one of the stacks. This happens when a writable element is requested, using **SoState::getElement()** or indirectly **SoElement::getElement()**, and the depth of the current element is less than the state depth.

Override this method if your element needs to copy data from the previous top of stack. The **push()** method is called on the new element, and the previous element can be found using **SoElement::getNextInStack()**.

Reimplemented from **SoAccumulatedElement**.

### void SoLightElement::add (SoState \*const state, SoLight \*const light, const SbMatrix & matrix) \[static\]

Adds *light* to the list of active lights. *matrix* should transform the light from the world coordinate system to the view reference coordinate system.

### const SoNodeList & SoLightElement::getLights (SoState \*const state) \[static\]

Returns the list of light nodes.

### const SbMatrix & SoLightElement::getMatrix (SoState \*const state, const int index) \[static\]

Get matrix which transforms light *index* from the world coordinate system to the view reference system.

## Member Data Documentation

### SoNodeList SoLightElement::lights \[protected\]

List of current light nodes.

### SbList\<SbMatrix\>\* SoLightElement::matrixlist \[protected\]

List of matrices to map from world coordinates to view reference coordinates. To avoid getting a hugs element (sizeof), this list is only allocated in the bottom element, and the pointer to this list is passed along to the other elements.

## Author

Generated automatically by Doxygen for Coin from the source code.