processing.core
Class PVector

java.lang.Object
  processing.core.PVector

public class PVector
extends java.lang.Object

A class to describe a two or three dimensional vector.

The result of all functions are applied to the vector itself, with the exception of cross(), which returns a new PVector (or writes to a specified 'target' PVector). That is, add() will add the contents of one vector to this one. Using add() with additional parameters allows you to put the result into a new PVector. Functions that act on multiple vectors also include static versions. Because creating new objects can be computationally expensive, most functions include an optional 'target' PVector, so that a new PVector object is not created with each operation.

Initially based on the Vector3D class by Dan Shiffman.

x

public float x

The x component of the vector.

y

public float y

The y component of the vector.

z

public float z

The z component of the vector.

PVector

public PVector()

Constructor for an empty vector: x, y, and z are set to 0.

PVector

public PVector(float x,
               float y,
               float z)

Constructor for a 3D vector.

Parameters:

x - the x coordinate.

y - the y coordinate.

z - the y coordinate.

PVector

public PVector(float x,
               float y)

Constructor for a 2D vector: z coordinate is set to 0.

Parameters:

x - the x coordinate.

y - the y coordinate.

set

public void set(float x,
                float y,
                float z)

Set x, y, and z coordinates.

Parameters:

x - the x coordinate.

y - the y coordinate.

z - the z coordinate.

set

public void set(PVector v)

Set x, y, and z coordinates from a Vector3D object.

Parameters:

v - the PVector object to be copied

set

public void set(float[] source)

Set the x, y (and maybe z) coordinates using a float[] array as the source.

Parameters:

source - array to copy from

get

public PVector get()

Get a copy of this vector.

get

public float[] get(float[] target)

mag

public float mag()

Calculate the magnitude (length) of the vector

Returns:

the magnitude of the vector

add

public void add(PVector v)

Add a vector to this vector

Parameters:

v - the vector to be added

add

public void add(float x,
                float y,
                float z)

add

public static PVector add(PVector v1,
                          PVector v2)

Add two vectors

Parameters:

v1 - a vector

v2 - another vector

Returns:

a new vector that is the sum of v1 and v2

add

public static PVector add(PVector v1,
                          PVector v2,
                          PVector target)

Add two vectors into a target vector

Parameters:

v1 - a vector

v2 - another vector

target - the target vector (if null, a new vector will be created)

Returns:

a new vector that is the sum of v1 and v2

sub

public void sub(PVector v)

Subtract a vector from this vector

Parameters:

v - the vector to be subtracted

sub

public void sub(float x,
                float y,
                float z)

sub

public static PVector sub(PVector v1,
                          PVector v2)

Subtract one vector from another

Parameters:

v1 - a vector

v2 - another vector

Returns:

a new vector that is v1 - v2

sub

public static PVector sub(PVector v1,
                          PVector v2,
                          PVector target)

mult

public void mult(float n)

Multiply this vector by a scalar

Parameters:

n - the value to multiply by

mult

public static PVector mult(PVector v,
                           float n)

Multiply a vector by a scalar

Parameters:

v - a vector

n - scalar

Returns:

a new vector that is v1 * n

mult

public static PVector mult(PVector v,
                           float n,
                           PVector target)

Multiply a vector by a scalar, and write the result into a target PVector.

Parameters:

v - a vector

n - scalar

target - PVector to store the result

Returns:

the target vector, now set to v1 * n

mult

public void mult(PVector v)

Multiply each element of one vector by the elements of another vector.

Parameters:

v - the vector to multiply by

mult

public static PVector mult(PVector v1,
                           PVector v2)

Multiply each element of one vector by the individual elements of another vector, and return the result as a new PVector.

mult

public static PVector mult(PVector v1,
                           PVector v2,
                           PVector target)

Multiply each element of one vector by the individual elements of another vector, and write the result into a target vector.

Parameters:

v1 - the first vector

v2 - the second vector

target - PVector to store the result

div

public void div(float n)

Divide this vector by a scalar

Parameters:

n - the value to divide by

div

public static PVector div(PVector v,
                          float n)

Divide a vector by a scalar and return the result in a new vector.

Parameters:

v - a vector

n - scalar

Returns:

a new vector that is v1 / n

div

public static PVector div(PVector v,
                          float n,
                          PVector target)

div

public void div(PVector v)

Divide each element of one vector by the elements of another vector.

div

public static PVector div(PVector v1,
                          PVector v2)

Multiply each element of one vector by the individual elements of another vector, and return the result as a new PVector.

div

public static PVector div(PVector v1,
                          PVector v2,
                          PVector target)

Divide each element of one vector by the individual elements of another vector, and write the result into a target vector.

Parameters:

v1 - the first vector

v2 - the second vector

target - PVector to store the result

dist

public float dist(PVector v)

Calculate the Euclidean distance between two points (considering a point as a vector object)

Parameters:

v - another vector

Returns:

the Euclidean distance between

dist

public static float dist(PVector v1,
                         PVector v2)

Calculate the Euclidean distance between two points (considering a point as a vector object)

Parameters:

v1 - a vector

v2 - another vector

Returns:

the Euclidean distance between v1 and v2

dot

public float dot(PVector v)

Calculate the dot product with another vector

Returns:

the dot product

dot

public float dot(float x,
                 float y,
                 float z)

cross

public PVector cross(PVector v)

Return a vector composed of the cross product between this and another.

cross

public PVector cross(PVector v,
                     PVector target)

Perform cross product between this and another vector, and store the result in 'target'. If target is null, a new vector is created.

cross

public static PVector cross(PVector v1,
                            PVector v2,
                            PVector target)

normalize

public void normalize()

Normalize the vector to length 1 (make it a unit vector)

normalize

public PVector normalize(PVector target)

Normalize this vector, storing the result in another vector.

Parameters:

target - Set to null to create a new vector

Returns:

a new vector (if target was null), or target

limit

public void limit(float max)

Limit the magnitude of this vector

Parameters:

max - the maximum length to limit this vector

heading2D

public float heading2D()

Calculate the angle of rotation for this vector (only 2D vectors)

Returns:

the angle of rotation

angleBetween

public static float angleBetween(PVector v1,
                                 PVector v2)

Calculate the angle between two vectors, using the dot product

Parameters:

v1 - a vector

v2 - another vector

Returns:

the angle between the vectors

toString

public java.lang.String toString()

Overrides:

toString in class java.lang.Object

array

public float[] array()

Return a representation of this vector as a float array. This is only for temporary use. If used in any other fashion, the contents should be copied by using the get() command to copy into your own array.