* transfer, respectively.
*
*
+ * @section{Support points}
+ *
+ * Since a @ref{FiniteElement} does not have information on the actual
+ * grid cell, it can only provide support points on the unit
+ * cell. Support points on the actual grid cell must be computed by
+ * mapping these points. The class used for this kind of operation is
+ * @ref{FEValues}. In most cases, code of the following type will
+ * serve to provide the mapped support points.
+ *
+ * @begin{verbatim}
+ * Quadrature<dim> dummy_quadrature (fe.get_unit_support_points());
+ * FEValues<dim> fe_values (mapping, fe, dummy_quadrature,
+ * update_q_points);
+ * fe_values.reinit (cell);
+ * Point<dim>& mapped_point = fe_values.quadrature_point (i);
+ * @end{verbatim}
+ *
+ * Alternatively, the points can be transformed one-by-one:
+ * @begin{verbatim}
+ * const vector<Point<dim> >& unit_points =
+ * fe.get_unit_support_points();
+ *
+ * Point<dim> mapped_point =
+ * mapping.transform_unit_to_real_cell (cell, unit_points[i]);
+ * @end{verbatim}
+ * This is a shortcut, and as all shortcuts should be used cautiously.
+ * If the mapping of all support points is needed, the first variant should
+ * be preferred for efficiency.
+ *
* \subsection{Finite elements in one dimension}
*
* Finite elements in one dimension need only set the @p{restriction}
* introduced from the two sides are unique; it is able to handle the fact
* that the constraints for some of the dofs are entered more than once.
*
- * @author Wolfgang Bangerth, 1998, Guido Kanschat, 2001
+ * @author Wolfgang Bangerth, 1998, Ralf Hartmann, Guido Kanschat, 2001
*/
template <int dim>
class FiniteElementBase : public Subscriptor,
* returned by the
* @p{cell->get_dof_indices}
* function.
+ *
+ * See the class documentation
+ * for details on support points.
*/
const std::vector<Point<dim> > & get_unit_support_points () const;
* that returned by the
* @p{cell->get_dof_indices}
* function.
+ *
+ * See the class documentation
+ * for details on support points.
*/
const std::vector<Point<dim-1> > & get_unit_face_support_points () const;