ScalarInterpolator

The ScalarInterpolator node is an interpolator which takes a list of floating point values in the field keyValue.

For a list of the events of this node see interpolator.

Syntax:

ScalarInterpolator {

key [ ]

keyValue[ ]

}

You can use this interpolator with any single floating point value exposed field. Examples:

change the speed at which a movie or sound is played.

change the shininess or transparency of a Material.

change the visibility Range of the Fog node, etc...

A complete example is now presented. A red Shape is drawn with a default transparency of 0.0 . The ScalarInterpolator will gradually change it to 1.0 and back to 0.2. The cycle is repeated forever.

First one needs the to define a Group with a Shape, a TimeSensor, and a ScalarInterpolator.

Example:

#VRML V2.0 utf8

Group {

children [

Shape {

appearance Appearance {

material DEF mat Material { diffuseColor 1 0 0 }

}

geometry Sphere {}

}

DEF ci ScalarInterpolator {

key [ 0 0.5 1 ]

keyValue [ 0 1 0]

}

DEF ts TimeSensor {

cycleInterval 2

loop TRUE

}

]

}

Now the only thing which is missing is routing the events.

We need to get the eventOut fraction_changed generated by the TimeSensor. This event outputs a value between 0 and 1. We can use this value to set a key for the ScalarInterpolator by routing the fraction_changed eventOut from the TimeSensor to the set_fraction eventIn from the ScalarInterpolator.

A new fraction being set in an interpolator causes the keyValue to be changed. As a consequence the interpolator will generate the fraction_changed eventOut. Because the interpolator used is a ScalarInterpolator, this event outputs a floating point value.

Finally we use this eventOut to set the transparency in the Material node. Because the transparency is an exposed field of the Material node we can use the eventIn set_transparency to change it. To do this we route the fraction_changed eventOut of the ScalarInterpolator to the set_transparency eventIn of the Material node.

The ROUTE statements to do this are:

ROUTE ts.fraction_changed TO ci.set_fraction

ROUTE ci.value_changed TO mat.set_transparency

Note that the nodes being routed are given a name using the DEF statement. This is because a name is required in a ROUTE statement.