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Topic: math problem - 3d slope? (Read 464 times) |
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Ethan
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math problem - 3d slope?
« on: Nov 18th, 2004, 11:47pm » |
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How do you express a slope in 3d? In 2d it's y2-y1/x2-x1, right?
But let me describe the actual problem I have:
Basically I need a function that takes four arguments:
- a distance to travel
the trajectory expressed as:
- change in x
- change in y
- change in z
I would like the function to give me back the change in x, y and z that would be required to move the given distance along the given trajectory....
Does that make sense? I'm sure it's possible, I just can't figure out how to actually code it.
Many thanks...
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Ethan
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Re: math problem - 3d slope?
« Reply #1 on: Nov 20th, 2004, 1:06am » |
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Haven't quite figured it out.
For the benefit of anyone else wondering about this kind of stuff:
I think it's a question of understanding vectors. Here's a tutorial in the basics: http://chortle.ccsu.edu/VectorLessons/vectorIndex.html
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bsr
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Re: math problem - 3d slope?
« Reply #2 on: Nov 20th, 2004, 1:44am » |
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that's a fantastic resource, thanks for the link.
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http://hippocamp.net
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Ethan
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Re: math problem - 3d slope?
« Reply #3 on: Nov 20th, 2004, 11:56pm » |
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Sure.. n/p (hippocamp.net is a great site as well)
I finally got it.
What I was calling a 'trajectory' should be a normalized vector: http://chortle.ccsu.edu/VectorLessons/vch06/vch06_10.html
That's a vector that's scaled so that it's length = 1. Then I just need to multiply the distance I want to travel, by each coord of my normalized vector... and that's it.
hope my little monologue helps a few ppl
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| « Last Edit: Nov 21st, 2004, 12:02am by Ethan » |
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