OpenGL Math Library

[gator]

Can you guess what the #1 thing on my list that is missing from OpenGL?

That's right, a math library specific to OpenGL. Most of these functions we call
like glMatrix, glRotate, glScale, glTranslate, etc... use math to some degree, so I think
there should be at least a math library for OpenGL (like D3DX for DirectX).

I'm sick and tired and putting together my own math library. It's bits and pieces of
other math functions I've found on the web. I need something that is not only consistent,
but covers everything from vectors, matrices, and quaternions, basic operations and
conversions.

[madmortigan]

Welcome to the jungle!

[Obli]

While I can see the usefulness of an "OpenGL math library", I would not like it. It's not strictly necessary so it should not be included to mantain the GL as small and simple as possible.
By the way, I guess it's pretty difficult to do a library which is well-behaved to all the applications GL has. Going to the lowest common denominator wouldn't solve the problem.

[gator]

Just to avoid any confusion, I mean more like a compiled .lib as a math library.
I don't want a math library built into the 'gl' interface.

[gator]

One of the areas that I get into trouble are conversions to/from the following:
Euler angles, matrices, quaternions, and axis/angle.

Euler angle->matrix
Euler angle->quaternion
Euler angle->axis/angle

Matrix->euler angle
Matrix->quaternion
Matrix->axis/angle

Quaternion->euler angle
Quaternion->matrix
Quaternion->axis/angle

Axis/Angle->euler angle
Axis/Angle->matrix
Axis/Angle->quaternion

[Cyranose]

Originally posted by gator:
One of the areas that I get into trouble are conversions to/from the following:
Euler angles, matrices, quaternions, and axis/angle.

That's fixed in C++ easily enough by creating special unit-knowing types like Degrees and Radians instead of floats. The compiler can do one implicit conversion automatically, so you could have a function that takes Radians and pass it a Degree (with appropriate operator const Radians) and it will convert for you. This sort of type-checking can catch most of those errors, including axis/angle.

I agree we need a standard lib and I'm happy to help write one in my free time. God knows most companies have crap math libs due to the pain-in-the-ass factor. All the time wasted debugging some client's pre/post matrix multiply routines could be better spent writing a solid math lib.

Avi

[madmortigan]

There are good reasons why providing this sort of standard is not a trivial issue. Most of these reasons have to do with the fact that developers usually taylor the math libs down to the needs of specific applications. They have to pull all these tricks in favor of stability and performance.

One could always rip off math libs from some successful open source 3d engines. After all, this is what open source is all about.

Having said that, how would we know the math lib we just got is a good one? What would be really useful is to establish a set of tests which a successful math library should be able to pass.

[gator]

That's a good idea, but I've never encountered any math lib testing tools before?

And even if I grabbed some open source math lib, I'm sure there has to be an easy way
to interface it with the testing part?

[gator]

I would probably use #define macros to interface the testing part. Maybe could also use
Mathematica, Matlab, Excel to get good values, instead of writing it around an existing
math library? But I don't have any math software.

[Dr Dogg]

The DirectX math lib can actually be used with OpenGL too. (Just be carefull as the coordinate systems have the z axis reversed)

I know that sounds frankly dodgy but it links into your code without any external dependencies.

If your after cross platform compatibility, hmm, as madmortigan said, welcome to the jungle.

Personally I liked the challenge of writing my own maths lib but I realise that's not for everyone. Just for a reference, the Quake III mod lib has a math section with most of the complex core functions such as SLERP which is quite good to learn from.