HeaterCoolerNode

There is no HeatCoolControl export in scenerystack/scenery-phet — the real class backing a bidirectional heat/cool control is HeaterCoolerNode. It draws a stove-like bucket with a flame/ice graphic (split into HeaterCoolerBack and HeaterCoolerFront so other Nodes can be layered inside the opening for a 3D effect) and an embedded vertical slider that drives a single heatCoolAmountProperty from -1 (max cooling) through 0 (off) to +1 (max heating). It's used in sims like States of Matter and Energy Forms and Changes wherever the user needs to add or remove heat from a system.

import { HeaterCoolerNode } from 'scenerystack/scenery-phet';
import { NumberProperty } from 'scenerystack/axon';

A minimal example

const heatCoolAmountProperty = new NumberProperty( 0, {
  range: new Range( -1, 1 )
} );

const heaterCoolerNode = new HeaterCoolerNode( heatCoolAmountProperty, {
  tandem: tandem.createTandem( 'heaterCoolerNode' )
} );

Step your model's heat/cool logic off heatCoolAmountProperty directly (e.g. heatCoolAmountProperty.value * maxHeatingRate); HeaterCoolerNode only reflects and lets the user drag the value, it does not apply any heating/cooling itself.

Constructor

new HeaterCoolerNode(
  heatCoolAmountProperty: NumberProperty,
  providedOptions?: HeaterCoolerNodeOptions
)

Options

Option	Default	Effect
baseColor	HeaterCoolerBack.DEFAULT_BASE_COLOR	Color of the stove body, applied consistently to both the front and back parts
frontOptions	—	Options forwarded to the internal HeaterCoolerFront (which owns the labels, stove body, and slider)
backOptions	—	Options forwarded to the internal HeaterCoolerBack (the opening and flame/ice graphics)

Both frontOptions and backOptions reject an explicit baseColor — HeaterCoolerNode asserts against it, since it sets baseColor on both children itself from the top-level option.

Members

Member	Description
heatCoolAmountProperty	The NumberProperty passed to the constructor, ranging -1 to +1
slider	The internal VSlider (from scenerystack/sun) that drives heatCoolAmountProperty; public so PhET-iO/Studio and edge-case client code can reach it directly

slider is exposed, but treat it as read-mostly

HeaterCoolerNode deliberately makes its internal VSlider public (the source comment reads "with public visibility annotation comes great power — use it wisely") so tooling can instrument or inspect it. Reaching in to change its layout or behavior couples you to HeaterCoolerFront's internals; prefer driving everything through heatCoolAmountProperty and the top-level options instead.