Viz Messages

This document lists all possible messages that the Viz server will accept. The messages are divided into four categories:

Admin: administration messages. Messages to control the viewing modalities, communication, animation and misc.
Render Core: core of the rendering messages. They control the 3D scene and its objects being rendered.
Mode: mode messages. They control the Viz modes.
Query: queries. They allow clients to query about Viz.

The documentation about the animation control messages is in a separate document.
Click here for a detailed description on how to add or load an object into Viz.

Admin Messages

Message name	Description	Arguments	Output
attachViewpoint	Attach camera viewpoint to object	viewer number(int);object name(string);pos(float[3]);dir(float[3])	Nones
changeViewerMode	Change Viewer mode	mode(int)	None
changeViewerType	Change the type of a viewer	viewer(int); type(int)	None
changeViewParam	Change viewer parameters	Lots of parameters: consult changeViewerParam.x	Nones
changeWinGeom	Change Viz window geometry	width(int); height(int); xoffset(int); yoffset(int)	None
outputControl	Subscribe/unsubscribe to output msg	msg(string, use "all" for all messages); on/off(int:1/0)	None
printToFile	Take snapshot of selected viewer and save to file.	viewer(int); type(string:'rgb' or 'ps'); imgWidth(int); imgHeight(int); fileName(string); background(rgb:float[3]); dpiX(int); dpiY(int)	None
quit	Cause Viz to finish	None	None
saveSceneGraph	Save scene graph into Inventor file	fileName(string); rootName(string); asciiObin(string:"ascii" or "bin")	None
setSeekMode	Set viewer in Seek mode on/off	viewer(int); onOrOff(int:1/0)	None
setSwitch	Select switch node child to render	name(string); whichChild(int)	None

Mode Messages

Message name	Description	Arguments	Output
setPolyline	Set Viz into polyline drawing mode. Automatically subscribe to `polyline` msg.	points(int); open/close(int:1/0)	None
setSelect	Set Viz into Selection mode. Automatically subscribe to `selection` msg.	None	None
setBasic	Set Viz into Basic mode: no interaction with world, except view.	None	Nones

RenderCore Messages

Message name	Description	Arguments	Output
add (see detailed description)	Add new object in world (see reserved names, see URL description).	name(string); parent(string); URL(string); pos(float[3]); dir(float[3]); visible/invisible(int:1/0)	object_added
changeAlpha	Change alpha blending (transparency) of object	name(string); alpha(float)	None
changeColor	Change (diffuse) color of object	name (string); rgb (float[3])	None
changeFont	Change 2D or 3D text font	name (string); font_string(string)	None
changeOrient	Change object orientation (Euler)	name (string); dir (float [3])	None
changeParent	Assign object to new parent	name (string); parent (string)	None
changePos	Change object position	name (string); pos (float[3])	None
changeScale	Change object scale	name (string); scale (float[3])	None
changeText	Change string of 2D or 3D text	name(string); text_string(string)	None
hide	Hide an object	name (string)	None
show	Show object (previously hidden)	name (string)	None
remove	Remove object	name (string)	None

Queries

Query name	Query description	Arguments	Output message
queryPolyline	Get polyline points coords and normals	None	polyline
queryScene	Get object names of the scene graph	Subset of scene root name (use 'world' for all)	scene_objects
queryViewerParam	Get viewer parameters	Viewer number	viewer_param
queryRayPick	Viz performs a ray pick	Origin coords, vector	ray_pick
queryPickRegion	Viz performs series of vertical ray picks inside a region defined by the polyline.	Spacing between samples, default elevation is there's a hole and Viz can't raypick.	pick_region
queryState	Get Viz state variables	None	state
queryPose	Query pose of an object	Object name (reserved name for camera)	pose