This node defines one or more strings of 3D text. In contrast with SoText2, 3D text can be rotated, scaled, lighted, and textured, just like all other 3D shapes. Each character in a 3D text string is created by extruding an outlined version of the character (in the current typeface) along the current profile, as defined by nodes derived from SoProfile. The default text profile, if none is specified, is a straight line segment one unit long.

The text origin is at (0,0,0) after applying the current transformation. The scale of the text is affected by the size field of the current SoFont as well as the current transformation.

SoText3 uses the current set of materials when rendering. If the material binding is OVERALL, then the whole text is drawn with the first material. If it is PER_PART or PER_PART_INDEXED, the front part of the text is drawn with the first material, the sides with the second, and the back with the third.

Textures are applied to 3D text as follows. On the front and back faces of the text, the texture origin is at the base point of the first string; the base point is at the lower left for justification LEFT, at the lower right for RIGHT, and at the lower center for CENTER. The texture is scaled equally in both S and T dimensions, with the font height representing 1 unit. S increases to the right on the front faces and to the left on the back faces. On the sides, the texture is scaled the same as on the front and back. S is equal to 0 at the rear edge of the side faces. The T origin can occur anywhere along each character, depending on how that character's outline is defined.