Re: [ggt-devel] API oddities

[Kevin M. <ke...@vr...>]

yes. :)

On Fri, 18 Apr 2003, Patrick Hartling wrote:

> So what's the consensus on this?  If I'm going to change the API, I'd 
> like to do what people want.
> 
> Regarding the suggestion to rename one of the gmtl::cross() overloads to 
> gmtl::makeCross(), should it go in Generate.h?
> 
>   -Patrick
> 
> Allen Bierbaum wrote:
> > Ben Scott wrote:
> > 
> >> He means the prenormalization length.
> >>
> >> I agree with Kevin's comments. :)
> > 
> > 
> > I agreed with Kevin's comments, but then I thought some more and now I 
> > am not sure.
> > 
> > I do understand why we return the pre normalized length out the backend. 
> >  Doing this can help in some algorithms.  (I think dist from point to 
> > plane may be able to use this, but I don't remember).
> > 
> > But thinking about it why can't the user just do this:
> > 
> > float len = lengthSqr(vec);
> > if (not isEqual(len, 1.0, epsilon))
> >    len = Math::sqr(len);
> > vec /= len;
> > 
> > This can be easily written in any algorithm that wants to take advantage 
> > of the performance gain.
> > 
> > I am not insisting on doing it this way or anything, but it seems that 
> > making the API more complex for something that "might" be useful but can 
> > easily be done by the user really doesn't fit with our ideas.
> > 
> > (Also when you take into account that the method where we return the 
> > float from normalize() actually introduces another temporary for the 
> > return value it isn't even as optimal as the hand coded one above).
> > 
> > Thats what I am thinking right now at least... give me another couple 
> > minutes and I will have completely changed my mind and think we should 
> > just use templates, python, or some other crazy crap for all of it. :)
> > 
> > -Allen
> > 
> >>
> >> cheers,
> >> -ben
> >>
> >> Justin Hare wrote:
> >>
> >>>> normalizeAndGetLength( vec );  // reads well, and shows the special opt
> >>>> normalize( vec );            // standard method, ret vec out back
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Wouldn't the length of the vector after normalization always be the 
> >>> same?
> >>> Or do you mean to return the pre-normalization length?
> 
> 
> 
> 

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Kevin Meinert                         /_/                  
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