Abstract base class for inspector panel sections. More...

#include <IInspectorSection.h>

Inheritance diagram for IInspectorSection:

Collaboration diagram for IInspectorSection:

Public Member Functions
virtual	~IInspectorSection ()=default
	Virtual destructor for proper cleanup of derived classes.

virtual void	load (SceneObject *object)=0
	Loads and binds this section to a scene object.

virtual void	unload ()=0
	Unloads the current object and clears section state.

virtual void	refresh ()=0
	Updates UI widgets from the current object's state.

Protected Member Functions
	IInspectorSection (QWidget *parent=nullptr)
	Protected constructor enforces use as base class only.

Detailed Description

Abstract base class for inspector panel sections.

IInspectorSection defines the contract for UI panels that display and edit properties of selected scene objects. Each section is responsible for a specific aspect of an object (transform, physics, forces, etc.).

Architecture:

Inherits from QWidget to integrate with Qt's UI system
Manages its own UI components (labels, spinboxes, checkboxes, etc.)
Binds to a scene object's properties via getter/setter lambdas
Updates automatically via periodic refresh() calls

Special Cases:

Object-specific sections (Transform, Physics, Forces): Show/hide based on object selection and applicability
Global sections (Globals): May display settings independent of selection, implementing inverse visibility (visible when no object selected). These sections may ignore the object parameter in load() and remain visible during unload().

Note: Sections should handle nullptr gracefully in refresh() in case the object is deleted while loaded.

See also: InspectorWidget; TransformInspectorWidget; PhysicsInspectorWidget; GlobalsInspectorWidget; ForcesInspectorWidget; InspectorRow

Definition at line 43 of file IInspectorSection.h.

Constructor & Destructor Documentation

◆ ~IInspectorSection()

virtual IInspectorSection::~IInspectorSection ( )

virtualdefault

Virtual destructor for proper cleanup of derived classes.

◆ IInspectorSection()

IInspectorSection::IInspectorSection ( QWidget * parent = nullptr )

inlineexplicitprotected

Protected constructor enforces use as base class only.

Parameters

parent Parent widget for Qt's object tree and memory management. Typically the InspectorWidget that owns this section.

Definition at line 141 of file IInspectorSection.h.

Member Function Documentation

◆ load()

virtual void IInspectorSection::load ( SceneObject * object )

pure virtual

Loads and binds this section to a scene object.

Called when an object is selected in the scene. Implementations should:

Store the object pointer for property access
Show the section if applicable to this object type
Initialize UI widgets with current object values via refresh()

The object pointer is guaranteed to be non-null. For clearing the selection, use unload() instead.

Parameters

object The scene object to inspect. Must not be nullptr.

Note: If the section doesn't apply to this object type (e.g., physics section for non-physics objects), the implementation should hide itself via setVisible(false).

See also: unload(); refresh(); InspectorWidget::loadObject()

Implemented in ForcesInspectorWidget, GlobalsInspectorWidget, PhysicsInspectorWidget, ThermalInspectorWidget, and TransformInspectorWidget.

◆ refresh()

virtual void IInspectorSection::refresh ( )

pure virtual

Updates UI widgets from the current object's state.

Called periodically (typically every 100ms via QTimer) to keep the UI synchronized with the object's properties, which may change due to:

Physics simulation updates
Interactive gizmo manipulation
Numerical solver operations
Direct property modifications from code

Implementations should:

Check if an object is loaded (guard against nullptr)
Read current property values from the object
Update UI widgets using QSignalBlocker to prevent feedback loops

This is a read-only operation - it should not modify the object, only reflect its current state in the UI.

Note: Must be safe to call even if no object is loaded (should no-op).; Must use QSignalBlocker when updating widgets to prevent triggering change handlers that would write back to the object.

Example:

void MySection::refresh() {
    if (!selectedObject) return; // Safe no-op when unloaded
 
    for (auto& row : rows) {
        row.refresh(); // InspectorRow handles signal blocking
    }
}