ecmascript:

// Create nodes directly in the parent scene

function initialize()
{
    scene = Browser.currentScene;

    // Look through proto declarations for ColoredSphere
    protoDecls = scene.protoDeclarations;

    var protoDecl;

    for(i=0; i < protoDecls.length; i++) {
        if (protoDecls[i].name == 'ColoredSphere')
            protoDecl = protoDecls[i];
    }

    // Create an instance of RedSphere
    instance = protoDecl.newInstance();

    // Set the color field to Red
    instance.color = new SFColor(1,0,0);

    // Add the created proto to the scene
    scene.rootNodes[0] = instance;
}