---
name: "SoPickAction"
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/SoPickAction"
---

# SoPickAction(3)

The SoPickAction class is the base class for picking actions.

## NAME

SoPickAction - The **SoPickAction** class is the base class for picking actions.

## SYNOPSIS

\#include \<Inventor/actions/SoPickAction.h\>

Inherits **SoAction**.

Inherited by **SoRayPickAction**.

### Public Member Functions

virtual **SoType** **getTypeId** (void) const\
 void **setViewportRegion** (const **SbViewportRegion** &newregion)\
 const **SbViewportRegion** & **getViewportRegion** (void) const\
 void **enableCulling** (const SbBool flag)\
 SbBool **isCullingEnabled** (void) const\

Public Member Functions inherited from **SoAction** virtual **~SoAction** (void)\
 virtual SbBool **isOfType** (**SoType** type) const\
 virtual void **apply** (**SoNode** \*root)\
 virtual void **apply** (**SoPath** \*path)\
 virtual void **apply** (const **SoPathList** &pathlist, SbBool obeysrules=FALSE)\
 void **apply** (**SoAction** \*beingApplied)\
 virtual void **invalidateState** (void)\
 **AppliedCode** **getWhatAppliedTo** (void) const\
 **SoNode** \* **getNodeAppliedTo** (void) const\
 **SoPath** \* **getPathAppliedTo** (void) const\
 const **SoPathList** \* **getPathListAppliedTo** (void) const\
 const **SoPathList** \* **getOriginalPathListAppliedTo** (void) const\
 SbBool **isLastPathListAppliedTo** (void) const\
 **PathCode** **getPathCode** (int &numindices, const int \*&indices)\
 void **traverse** (**SoNode** \*const node)\
 SbBool **hasTerminated** (void) const\
 const **SoPath** \* **getCurPath** (void)\
 **SoState** \* **getState** (void) const\
 **PathCode** **getCurPathCode** (void) const\
 virtual **SoNode** \* **getCurPathTail** (void)\
 void **usePathCode** (int &numindices, const int \*&indices)\
 void **pushCurPath** (const int childindex, **SoNode** \*node=NULL)\
 void **popCurPath** (const **PathCode** prevpathcode)\
 void **pushCurPath** (void)\
 void **popPushCurPath** (const int childindex, **SoNode** \*node=NULL)\
 void **popCurPath** (void)\
 void **switchToPathTraversal** (**SoPath** \*path)\
 void **switchToNodeTraversal** (**SoNode** \*node)\

### Static Public Member Functions

static **SoType** **getClassTypeId** (void)\
 static void **addMethod** (const **SoType** type, SoActionMethod method)\
 static void **enableElement** (const **SoType** type, const int stackindex)\
 static void **initClass** (void)\

Static Public Member Functions inherited from **SoAction** static void **initClass** (void)\
 static void **initClasses** (void)\
 static **SoType** **getClassTypeId** (void)\
 static void **nullAction** (**SoAction** \*action, **SoNode** \*node)\

### Protected Member Functions

virtual const **SoEnabledElementsList** & **getEnabledElements** (void) const\
 **SoPickAction** (const **SbViewportRegion** &viewportregion)\
 virtual **~SoPickAction** (void)\
 virtual void **beginTraversal** (**SoNode** \*node)\

Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoAction** **SoAction** (void)\
 virtual void **endTraversal** (**SoNode** \*node)\
 void **setTerminated** (const SbBool flag)\
 virtual SbBool **shouldCompactPathList** (void) const\

### Static Protected Member Functions

static **SoEnabledElementsList** \* **getClassEnabledElements** (void)\
 static **SoActionMethodList** \* **getClassActionMethods** (void)\

Static Protected Member Functions inherited from **SoAction** static **SoEnabledElementsList** \* **getClassEnabledElements** (void)\
 static **SoActionMethodList** \* **getClassActionMethods** (void)\

### Protected Attributes

**SbViewportRegion** **vpRegion**\

Protected Attributes inherited from **SoAction** **SoState** \* **state**\
 **SoActionMethodList** \* **traversalMethods**\

### Additional Inherited Members

Public Types inherited from **SoAction** enum **AppliedCode** { **NODE** = 0, **PATH** = 1, **PATH\_LIST** = 2 }\
 enum **PathCode** { **NO\_PATH** = 0, **IN\_PATH** = 1, **BELOW\_PATH** = 2, **OFF\_PATH** = 3 }\

## Detailed Description

The **SoPickAction** class is the base class for picking actions.

The basis for all interaction features that Coin provides for the application programmer is the pick actions. Draggers, manipulators, **SoSelection** nodes, etc all make use of the functionality provided by the pick actions for selecting and manipulating scene geometry in various ways.

This class is not supposed to be used directly by the application programmer, as it is more a placeholder for the common interface of picking operations. It does not contain any actual code for doing scene graph picks.

Coin provides a fully functional picking action for the application programmer to use through the **SoRayPickAction** class (which inherits the **SoPickAction** class).

**See also**

**SoSelection**

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

### SoPickAction::SoPickAction (const SbViewportRegion & viewportregion) \[protected\]

Constructor.

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

Destructor.

## Member Function Documentation

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

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

Implements **SoAction**.

Reimplemented in **SoRayPickAction**.

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

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

### void SoPickAction::addMethod (const SoType type, SoActionMethod method) \[static\]

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

### void SoPickAction::enableElement (const SoType type, const int stackindex) \[static\]

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

### const SoEnabledElementsList & SoPickAction::getEnabledElements (void ) const \[protected\], \[virtual\]

Returns list of enabled elements.

Reimplemented from **SoAction**.

Reimplemented in **SoRayPickAction**.

### SoEnabledElementsList \* SoPickAction::getClassEnabledElements (void ) \[static\], \[protected\]

Returns list of enabled elements for this class. The enabledElements and methods variables are protected in the original OIV API. This is not such a good idea, since exposed static class member variables is a major grievance with regard to Win32 DLLs. This function is an extension for Coin, and it is not available in the original SGI Open Inventor v2.1 API.\

### SoActionMethodList \* SoPickAction::getClassActionMethods (void ) \[static\], \[protected\]

Returns list of action methods for this class. The enabledElements and methods variables are protected in the original OIV API. This is not such a good idea, since exposed static class member variables is a major grievance with regard to Win32 DLLs. This function is an extension for Coin, and it is not available in the original SGI Open Inventor v2.1 API.\

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

Initializes the runtime type system for this class, and sets up the enabled elements and action method list.

### void SoPickAction::setViewportRegion (const SbViewportRegion & newregion)

Set a new viewport region to replace the one passed in with the constructor.

### const SbViewportRegion & SoPickAction::getViewportRegion (void ) const

Returns the viewport region used by the action.

### void SoPickAction::enableCulling (const SbBool flag)

Don't calculate bounding boxes and try to do culling when picking.

This can provide a speed-up in cases where the default setting of on would be inefficient.

### SbBool SoPickAction::isCullingEnabled (void ) const

Returns the current state of the culling flag.

### void SoPickAction::beginTraversal (SoNode \* node) \[protected\], \[virtual\]

This virtual method is called from **SoAction::apply()**, and is the entry point for the actual scene graph traversal.

It can be overridden to initialize the action at traversal start, for specific initializations in the action subclasses inheriting **SoAction**.

Default method just calls **traverse()**, which any overridden implementation of the method must do too (or call **SoAction::beginTraversal()**) to trigger the scene graph traversal.

Reimplemented from **SoAction**.

Reimplemented in **SoRayPickAction**.

## Member Data Documentation

### SbViewportRegion SoPickAction::vpRegion \[protected\]

The viewport region used by pick actions.

## Author

Generated automatically by Doxygen for Coin from the source code.