Circle geometry, polygons...

[gwenael]

The thread actually started in the following discussion http://www.html5gamedevs.com/topic/2571-the-wingnut-chronicles/?p=37911 but here the right place to talk about the subject.

[gwenael]

'CreatePolygon' is a great idea but we need something smarter than a generic algorithm. A switch...case must be needed. Maybe the circle will be created with a vertex at its center which will be shared by the triangles and if we use the same logic for a quad we would get 4 triangles for a quad whereas only 2 are enough.

[Wingnut]

Thanks gwenael, for all. Excellent explanations.  I appreciate that.  And I did not mean to nitpick on the spelling of tessellation.  I was trying to save you some steps if you accidentally spelled it wrong in some code or in some documentation.

 

To be truthful, I do not understand primitives real well, especially thoughts about portential properties on them... such as .tessellation, .subdivisions, .size, .diameter, .width, .height, .length, .anything.  Primitives seemingly never, or rarely, have properties.  I guess that is normal.

 

Good point about users possibly not knowing to use CreatePolygon to create a circle.

 

I don't know if the name 'CreatePolygon' is good or not.  It was only an example.  This is all Dad72's idea.  I just had some questions.

 

Our CreatePlane does not currently follow 3D Max default orientation upon creation.  This is why I ask about creation orientation.

 

Was our CreateGround established... due to an under-powered and oddly-rotated CreatePlane?  If our CreatePlane would have been first created... allowing a width, length, tessellation, and been defaulted to facing positiveY, would we have ever established a CreateGround?

 

I'm sure it is too late to adjust CreatePlane to be more powerful and thus eliminate CreateGround.  But still...  CreatePlane seems... strange. Possibly under-powered, possibly mis-oriented, and soon to become inconsistent with CreateCircle, CreateTriangle, CreateHexagon, CreateOctagon, and the 40 other CreateXXX about to be added to the Mesh API.  Why am I feeling sick about all these additions? 

 

Maybe I feel sick because Temechon is apparently gone, and maybe he is gone because... the API got out of control and un-maintainable.  The tutorials seem sure to follow.  CreateCircle is a perfectly fine idea, but its 'precedent setting' represents something that can get out of control... maybe.  *shrug*

[Dad72]

Maybe I feel sick because Temechon is apparently gone, and maybe he is gone because... the API got out of control and un-maintainable. 

 

I see Temechon spend on the forum there is 3 or 4 day. but he said nothing about the documentation.  I think that this will be more updated

 

We must replace this documentation by another. but the ideal would be an official documentation that is not made by members, because if a member leaves, the documentation is more updated.

[Temechon]

What what what ? I'm not gone at all

 

I spend more time to read this forum than to answer it, that's true. But be sure I read all of your posts my dear Wingnut

I had a lot of work this month (and the next month will be worse, I'm pretty sure of it), so I took a lot of time to update the documentation... Sorry for that o/

 

I'll try to do better the next time.

[Wingnut]

Ohhhh... it is good to hear from you!  YAY!!  I do not care about slow API updating or slow response frequency.  Any speed is fine.  I am just SUPER happy that you are still nearby and not feeling abused or overwhelmed by the insanely-fast-moving API.  (You're a hero of mine, ya know?)

 

Phew.  Good deal!  Temechon is alive and well!  Hooray!!  Now I can sleep again. 

[Wingnut]

Okay, moving right along... and talking about vertex in the center... a guy could ask himself... "Is wireframe a type of art?"

 

 

Both ways are art, I guess.  Sea shell is more efficient by a small amount, and Star Burst is more symmetrical and thus a bit prettier because it looks the same from any angle.  Flower... side view, or flower... top view.   

 

I "made-up" the 'sea shell' and 'star burst' terms, by the way.  There is probably an official name for them.

 

Our cylinders currently use sea shell for their end caps, and have no option to NOT cap.  We also have no option for an uncapped box... but 4 planes makes a perfectly fine uncapped box.

 

Ok, as usual, I really have nothing important to say.  I am just wasting time so I don't have to do more difficult tasks (procrastinating doing physical labor - blech).  I hope everyone is well.