# Simple vector rotation problem

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I'm trying to rotate two 3d vectors while keeping them perpendicular to each other. I first define a 3d vector y in spherical coordinates = {magnitude, angle from z-axis, angle from y-axis}. I then define a second vector x as always being perpendicular to y = {mag, y[1] + pi/2, y[2] + pi}. In this way x is always 90 degrees ahead of y in the z plane, and 180 degrees ahead of y in the xy plane. Therefore, the dot product between x and y should always be 0 as they are always perpindicular. Here is my code for creating y, x, and advancing y. My problem is the dot product becomes non zero after the first rotation!
double[] y = {10, 0, Math.PI/4}; //arbitrary start position
double[] x = {10, y[1] + Math.PI/2, y[2] + Math.PI}; //perpendicular to y

When the user drags the mouse up/down the following code to tilt the y vector in the z axis [i.e. increase angle between y and z-axis] executes:
y[1] += Math.PI/90;	//increase tilt by arbitrary increment
x[1] = yviewP[1] + Math.PI/2;
x[2] = yviewP[2] + Math.PI;

Now, when I convert x and y to Cartesian coordinates (xC and yC) using the standard method:
yC[0] = y[0]*Math.sin(y[1])*Math.cos(y[2]);
yC[1] = y[0]*Math.sin(y[1])*Math.sin(y[2]);
yC[2] = y[0]*Math.cos(y[1]);
xC[0] = x[0]*Math.sin(x[1])*Math.cos(x[2]);
xC[1] = x[0]*Math.sin(x[1])*Math.sin(x[2]);
xC[2] = x[0]*Math.cos(x[1]);

and then take the dot product of yC and xC I get nonzero results, yet I do believe I have maintained a 90 deg angle between x and y when I incremented the tilt. Can anybody see any obvious flaws in my math or code? I have been stuck here for a week. The reason I am doing this is that y and x will become my screen axis and to display 3d vectors I will project the vectors on y and x and those two results will become my 2d plot.

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How much non-zero? A tiny bit, or a lot?

If it's just a bit, then it's the rounding due to inaccuracy of floating point numbers.

If it's a lot, then there's an error in your code.

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Quote:
 Original post by AntheusHow much non-zero? A tiny bit, or a lot?If it's just a bit, then it's the rounding due to inaccuracy of floating point numbers.If it's a lot, then there's an error in your code.

Yeah it's quite a lot, like it increases by ~10 every time. The code I listed is the only code that has any effect on the dot product.

If anybody is willing to compile/run this I cleaned up the entire code. It pops up a window and when the user clicks its supposed to tilt the y axis, displaying a 3d axis system:
[msg me if want code]

[Edited by - javaguy5000 on February 9, 2008 1:16:45 PM]

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Hi.

The problem is not in your code, or rather, the problems in your code are inherited from the problems in your math.

Lets look at what happens:
double y[] = { 10, 0, pi/4 };double x[] = { 10, y[1] + pi/2, y[2] + pi }

These are indeed perpendicular, and all is good. Now lets tilt y by pi/4:
y[1] += pi/4;x[1] = y[1] + pi/2;x[2] = y[2] + pi;

Now:
y = { 10, pi/4, pi/4 }x = { 10, 3pi/4, 5pi/4 }

Lets convert them to cartesian:
y = { 5, 5, 7.071 }x = { -5, -5, -7.071 }

So we see the problem. In fact x == -y (this is coincidental by the way), which is not what we wanted.

The problem arises from the use of spherical coordinates. When you tilt y, x also tilts correctly. However when you rotate x, it rotates around the z-axis, and not around the y-vector, which is what you want, I believe.

As for how to fix this, I can't tell you. From what little I know about rotations in 3d I think you need to look in to Quaternions or Rotation Matrices.

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Quote:
 Original post by realcoreHi....So we see the problem. In fact x == -y (this is coincidental by the way), which is not what we wanted.The problem arises from the use of spherical coordinates. When you tilt y, x also tilts correctly. However when you rotate x, it rotates around the z-axis, and not around the y-vector, which is what you want, I believe.As for how to fix this, I can't tell you. From what little I know about rotations in 3d I think you need to look in to Quaternions or Rotation Matrices.

Hello, thank you for your response. You are correct and I indeed had a similar epiphany last night.

My solution is this:

double[] y = {10, 0, Math.PI/4};double[] x = {10, Math.PI/2, yviewP[2] + Math.PI/2}//Upon rotateif(rotate is up/down)    y[1] +/-= pi/180;if(rotate is left/right)   y[2] +/-= pi/180x[2] = y[2] + pi/2;

This way the x vector is always in the xy-plane and merely needs to keep ahead of y by 90 degrees in that plane.

As far as I can tell this creates a full 3d renderer equivalent to a viewing plane at the origin of the axes onto which all vectors are projected (projected x=dot(x, vector), projected y=(dot(y, vector)). When the user drags the mouse up, the plane at the origin tilts. A left-right moves similarly rotates the plane around the z-axis.

I can't tell if the x vector always being in the xyplane creates any limitations but its good enough for a basic data plotter I think.

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