How can I use vectors and trig functions to find rotations for alignment?

In summary, the conversation is about one person seeking help with their script involving finding rotations to align a vector to a surface normal of an object. Suggestions were made to use direction cosines and Euler angles for this task.
  • #1
onegun
1
0
Hey all,
Im hoping this is going in the correct place.

Im actually working on a script and realized that I've forgotten a majority of the calculus and other math i once knew :)

What I am trying to do is write a script where i query the surface normal of an object and find the rotations to align another vector to that normal.

Looking through, i found references to direction cosines and using other trig/inverse trig functions to do this, but they arent returning the results i need.

Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Guys
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF!

Hey onegun! Welcome to PF! :wink:

I'm not sure what you're trying to do …

but does this help … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler_angles" ? :smile:
 
Last edited by a moderator:

1. What is rotation from vectors?

Rotation from vectors is a mathematical process that describes the movement of an object or point around a fixed axis, represented by a vector. It involves using vector operations, such as dot products and cross products, to determine the angle and direction of rotation.

2. How is rotation from vectors different from rotation from angles?

Rotation from vectors and rotation from angles are two different ways of describing the same rotational movement. Rotation from vectors uses vector operations and coordinates to determine the rotation, while rotation from angles uses trigonometric functions and angles.

3. What is the difference between clockwise and counterclockwise rotation from vectors?

Clockwise and counterclockwise rotation are two opposite directions of rotation around a fixed axis. Clockwise rotation is in the direction of the hands of a clock, while counterclockwise rotation is in the opposite direction. The direction of rotation can be determined by the orientation of the vector representing the axis of rotation.

4. How is the angle of rotation calculated from vectors?

The angle of rotation can be calculated using the dot product and cross product of two vectors. The dot product gives the cosine of the angle between the two vectors, while the cross product gives the sine of the angle. The angle can then be calculated using inverse trigonometric functions.

5. Can rotation from vectors be applied to 3D objects?

Yes, rotation from vectors can be applied to 3D objects. In fact, it is often used in computer graphics and animation to rotate objects in three dimensions. The same principles of vector operations and coordinates can be applied to determine the angle and direction of rotation in 3D space.

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