I'm coding a "wind" thing for a game where if you run a certain wind command, it blows people away in a radius around you.
x is the maximum distance a player can be from the wind source
y is the actual distance a player is from the source of the wind
z is some number between 0 and 10 where if the player is
right next to the wind source z would equal 0 and if
the player is 30 blocks away it would equal 10.
15 blocks away would make z = 5, etc.
x = 30
z = y / x * 10
all this works fine, but I need the z to be opposite. I need z to be 10 when the player is near and 0 when the player is at 30 blocks. 15 blocks away should be 5, etc
My math is failing me on how I can invert these numbers in an easy fashion
Does
z=(1-y/x)*10
work for you?
Related
Im quite bad at maths, and need help moving the player forward for a tool im working on for a game, but the only information i have is what direction the player is facing, and i need to translate that into x and y coordinate increments or decrements.
So if we say M is the direction the player is facing and M goes from 0.00000 to 5.9999999 and then wraps back to 0.000, with the following being correct:
0 = North
1.5 = West
3 = South
4.5 = East
If i want to move the player north, i would do y + amount, south would be y - amount, and if i want to move the player east, i would do x - amount, and west would be x + amount.
So moving the player forward is easy when they are facing an absolute direction, e.g M is 0 so i just add say 5 to the y coordinate. But if the player is facing say 1.2 which is nearly west, what would i add to X and Y to move them forwards exactly, presumably i would add say 5 to x, and some percentage of 5 to y.
Looking for the help of anyone with a knack for this kind of stuff and any help is greatly appreciated. Psuedo code and help of any kind is appreciated, thank you all!
If x and y are the current coordinates, dir is the current direction in your 1-6 units, and amount is the distance to move, your new coordinates would be
angle = dir * pi / 3
newx = x + amount * sin(angle)
newy = y + amount * cos(angle)
If you truly just want the decrements, just remove the x and the y from the formulas.
Note that this uses trigonometry. Most computer languages need the angle to be in radians, so the first line converts the given direction angle to radians.
Also note that your directions for the direction angle values and for your directions for increasing x and y coordinates are non-standard. Therefore those who know trig may be confused at using cos with the x-coordinate and sin for the y-coordinate, since these are not standard. But that is what is needed in your case. As #HighPerformanceMark just pointed out in a comment, you should consider changing your direction angles and your x- and y-coordinates to something more standard. The one that he suggests, 0 degrees for north and 90 degrees for east, is standard in navigation. Another standard, used in trigonometry, is 0 degrees or radians for east and pi/2 radians or 90 degrees for north.
This is probably something silly and simple in vectors or something, but I can't figure it out with my remedial Algebra. (Sorry for the initial confusion, I didn't fully explain this as I didn't think the 2nd half of my operation was relevant.)
I have a variable between 0 and 10. I want to find its opposite in that same scale, but I also want to change the "depth" of what that opposite means.
Variables:
X = User input variable between 0-10 (really 0-1.0)
Y = User input Depth between 0-10 (really 0-1.0)
Z = My result I'm looking for.
Example if my depth (Y) is Full (10), X would be:
X=0's opposite would be 10
X=1's opposite would be 9
X=2's opposite would be 8
etc..
Example if my depth (Y) is None (0), X would be:
X=0's opposite would be 0
X=1's opposite would be 1
X=2's opposite would be 2
etc..
I'm trying to accomplish this in Reaktor, a program for designing musical synthesizers. Specifically designing a "depth" parameter on a Chorus effect that inverts the left and right signal delay. So that the "rate" (X in this example) for the left signal is the opposite of the "rate" for the right signal, and the difference of how opposite they are is controlled by the "depth" (Y).
If x is your number, then what you're looking for is simply (10 - x).
edit One functional form that satisfies your updated spec is (x + y - (x * y) / 5.0). This is designed for values of x and y between 0 and 10.
X = 10 - Y where Y is input and X is output
0's opposite is 10: 10 = 10-0
1's opposite is 9: 9 = 10-1
2's opposite is 8: 8 = 10-2
I am new to this forum and not a native english speaker, so please be nice! :)
Here is the challenge I face at the moment:
I want to calculate the (approximate) relative coordinates of yet unknown points in a 3D euclidean space based on a set of given distances between 2 points.
In my first approach I want to ignore possible multiple solutions, just taking the first one by random.
e.g.:
given set of distances: (I think its creating a pyramid with a right-angled triangle as a base)
P1-P2-Distance
1-2-30
2-3-40
1-3-50
1-4-60
2-4-60
3-4-60
Step1:
Now, how do I calculate the relative coordinates for those points?
I figured that the first point goes to 0,0,0 so the second one is 30,0,0.
After that the third points can be calculated by finding the crossing of the 2 circles from points 1 and 2 with their distances to point 3 (50 and 40 respectively). How do I do that mathematically? (though I took these simple numbers for an easy representation of the situation in my mind). Besides I do not know how to get to the answer in a correct mathematical way the third point is at 30,40,0 (or 30,0,40 but i will ignore that).
But getting the fourth point is not as easy as that. I thought I have to use 3 spheres in calculate the crossing to get the point, but how do I do that?
Step2:
After I figured out how to calculate this "simple" example I want to use more unknown points... For each point there is minimum 1 given distance to another point to "link" it to the others. If the coords can not be calculated because of its degrees of freedom I want to ignore all possibilities except one I choose randomly, but with respect to the known distances.
Step3:
Now the final stage should be this: Each measured distance is a bit incorrect due to real life situation. So if there are more then 1 distances for a given pair of points the distances are averaged. But due to the imprecise distances there can be a difficulty when determining the exact (relative) location of a point. So I want to average the different possible locations to the "optimal" one.
Can you help me going through my challenge step by step?
You need to use trigonometry - specifically, the 'cosine rule'. This will give you the angles of the triangle, which lets you solve the 3rd and 4th points.
The rules states that
c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2abCosC
where a, b and c are the lengths of the sides, and C is the angle opposite side c.
In your case, we want the angle between 1-2 and 1-3 - the angle between the two lines crossing at (0,0,0). It's going to be 90 degrees because you have the 3-4-5 triangle, but let's prove:
50^2 = 30^2 + 40^2 - 2*30*40*CosC
CosC = 0
C = 90 degrees
This is the angle between the lines (0,0,0)-(30,0,0) and (0,0,0)- point 3; extend along that line the length of side 1-3 (which is 50) and you'll get your second point (0,50,0).
Finding your 4th point is slightly trickier. The most straightforward algorithm that I can think of is to firstly find the (x,y) component of the point, and from there the z component is straightforward using Pythagoras'.
Consider that there is a point on the (x,y,0) plane which sits directly 'below' your point 4 - call this point 5. You can now create 3 right-angled triangles 1-5-4, 2-5-4, and 3-5-4.
You know the lengths of 1-4, 2-4 and 3-4. Because these are right triangles, the ratio 1-4 : 2-4 : 3-4 is equal to 1-5 : 2-5 : 3-5. Find the point 5 using trigonometric methods - the 'sine rule' will give you the angles between 1-2 & 1-4, 2-1 and 2-4 etc.
The 'sine rule' states that (in a right triangle)
a / SinA = b / SinB = c / SinC
So for triangle 1-2-4, although you don't know lengths 1-4 and 2-4, you do know the ratio 1-4 : 2-4. Similarly you know the ratios 2-4 : 3-4 and 1-4 : 3-4 in the other triangles.
I'll leave you to solve point 4. Once you have this point, you can easily solve the z component of 4 using pythagoras' - you'll have the sides 1-4, 1-5 and the length 4-5 will be the z component.
I'll initially assume you know the distances between all pairs of points.
As you say, you can choose one point (A) as the origin, orient a second point (B) along the x-axis, and place a third point (C) along the xy-plane. You can solve for the coordinates of C as follows:
given: distances ab, ac, bc
assume
A = (0,0)
B = (ab,0)
C = (x,y) <- solve for x and y, where:
ac^2 = (A-C)^2 = (0-x)^2 + (0-y)^2 = x^2 + y^2
bc^2 = (B-C)^2 = (ab-x)^2 + (0-y)^2 = ab^2 - 2*ab*x + x^2 + y^2
-> bc^2 - ac^2 = ab^2 - 2*ab*x
-> x = (ab^2 + ac^2 - bc^2)/2*ab
-> y = +/- sqrt(ac^2 - x^2)
For this to work accurately, you will want to avoid cases where the points {A,B,C} are in a straight line, or close to it.
Solving for additional points in 3-space is similar -- you can expand the Pythagorean formula for the distance, cancel the quadratic elements, and solve the resulting linear system. However, this does not directly help you with your steps 2 and 3...
Unfortunately, I don't know a well-behaved exact solution for steps 2 and 3, either. Your overall problem will generally be both over-constrained (due to conflicting noisy distances) and under-constrained (due to missing distances).
You could try an iterative solver: start with a random placement of all your points, compare the current distances with the given ones, and use that to adjust your points in such a way as to improve the match. This is an optimization technique, so I would look up books on numerical optimization.
If you know the distance between the nodes (fixed part of system) and the distance to the tag (mobile) you can use trilateration to find the x,y postion.
I have done this using the Nanotron radio modules which have a ranging capability.
I have been given some work to do with the fractal visualisation of the Mandelbrot set.
I'm not looking for a complete solution (naturally), I'm asking for help with regard to the orbits of complex numbers.
Say I have a given Complex number derived from a point on the complex plane. I now need to iterate over its orbit sequence and plot points according to whether the orbits increase by orders of magnitude or not.
How do I gather the orbits of a complex number? Any guidance is much appreciated (links etc). Any pointers on Math functions needed to test the orbit sequence e.g. Math.pow()
I'm using Java but that's not particularly relevant here.
Thanks again,
Alex
When you display the Mandelbrot set, you simply translate the real and imaginaty planes into x and y coordinates, respectively.
So, for example the complex number 4.5 + 0.27i translates into x = 4.5, y = 0.27.
The Mandelbrot set is all points where the equation Z = Z² + C never reaches a value where |Z| >= 2, but in practice you include all points where the value doesn't exceed 2 within a specific number of iterations, for example 1000. To get the colorful renderings that you usually see of the set, you assign different colors to points outside the set depending on how fast they reach the limit.
As it's complex numbers, the equation is actually Zr + Zi = (Zr + Zi)² + Cr + Ci. You would divide that into two equations, one for the real plane and one for the imaginary plane, and then it's just plain algebra. C is the coordinate of the point that you want to test, and the initial value of Z is zero.
Here's an image from my multi-threaded Mandelbrot generator :)
Actually the Mandelbrot set is the set of complex numbers for which the iteration converges.
So the only points in the Mandelbrot set are that big boring colour in the middle. and all of the pretty colours you see are doing nothing more than representing the rate at which points near the boundary (but the wrong side) spin off to infinity.
In mathspeak,
M = {c in C : lim (k -> inf) z_k = 0 } where z_0 = c, z_(k+1) = z_k^2 + c
ie pick any complex number c. Now to determine whether it is in the set, repeatedly iterate it z_0 = c, z_(k+1) = z_k^2 + c, and z_k will approach either zero or infinity. If its limit (as k tends to infinity) is zero, then it is in. Otherwise not.
It is possible to prove that once |z_k| > 2, it is not going to converge. This is a good exercise in optimisation: IIRC |Z_k|^2 > 2 is sufficient... either way, squaring up will save you the expensive sqrt() function.
Wolfram Mathworld has a nice site talking about the Mandelbrot set.
A Complex class will be most helpful.
Maybe an example like this will stimulate some thought. I wouldn't recommend using an Applet.
You have to know how to do add, subtract, multiply, divide, and power operations with complex numbers, in addition to functions like sine, cosine, exponential, etc. If you don't know those, I'd start there.
The book that I was taught from was Ruel V. Churchill "Complex Variables".
/d{def}def/u{dup}d[0 -185 u 0 300 u]concat/q 5e-3 d/m{mul}d/z{A u m B u
m}d/r{rlineto}d/X -2 q 1{d/Y -2 q 2{d/A 0 d/B 0 d 64 -1 1{/f exch d/B
A/A z sub X add d B 2 m m Y add d z add 4 gt{exit}if/f 64 d}for f 64 div
setgray X Y moveto 0 q neg u 0 0 q u 0 r r r r fill/Y}for/X}for showpage
Math escapes me today.
How do I find the X speed and the Y speed of an object if it is going at a defined speed (say, 5 pixels/second) at a 45 degree angle?
So always 5 pixels/sec and always 45 degrees?
The general case is
velx=cos(a)*vel;
vely=sin(a)*vel;
a is angle, usually in radians, so convert from degrees, and the signs (positive/negative) will depend on your coordinate system.
Crazy fact from the 1980s: In the old days, we used lookup tables for sin and cos!
Edited: Made my axes more conventional thanks to comment below. x is positive to your right. y is positive up. 45 degrees is to the northeast. If you have something else, let me know.
It will be
Vx=VCos#
Vy=Vsin#
So in your case it will be Vx=5*cos45 and Vy=5*sin45
At 45 angle value of Cos & Sin is same i.e 1/root 2.
Note: If you are doing any math stuff in programming then have a look at Vecmath lib.
At a 45 degree angle, an object is going sqrt(2)/2 of the speed along each axis. Generally, you can do it with sin and cosine, but for specific angles like this you can do it just by knowing pythagorean triangles.
In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. You know the hypotenuse is V. You also know that the other two sides equal each other. That means that V^2 = Vx^2 * 2. This means that Vx = sqrt(V^2/2), which equals V * sqrt(1/2).