path: root/tcllib/modules/math/math_geometry.man

[comment {-*- tcl -*- doctools manpage}]
[manpage_begin math::geometry n 1.1.3]
[keywords angle]
[keywords distance]
[keywords line]
[keywords math]
[keywords {plane geometry}]
[keywords point]
[copyright {2001 by Ideogramic ApS and other parties}]
[copyright {2004 by Arjen Markus}]
[copyright {2010 by Andreas Kupries}]
[copyright {2010 by Kevin Kenny}]
[moddesc   {Tcl Math Library}]
[titledesc {Geometrical computations}]
[category  Mathematics]
[require Tcl [opt 8.3]]
[require math::geometry [opt 1.1.3]]

[description]
[para]
The [package math::geometry] package is a collection of functions for
computations and manipulations on two-dimensional geometrical objects,
such as points, lines and polygons.

[para]
The geometrical objects are implemented as plain lists of coordinates.
For instance a line is defined by a list of four numbers, the x- and
y-coordinate of a first point and the x- and y-coordinates of a second
point on the line.

[para]
The various types of object are recognised by the number of coordinate
pairs and the context in which they are used: a list of four elements
can be regarded as an infinite line, a finite line segment but also
as a polyline of one segment and a point set of two points.

[para]
Currently the following types of objects are distinguished:
[list_begin itemized]
[item]
[emph point] - a list of two coordinates representing the x- and
y-coordinates respectively.

[item]
[emph line] - a list of four coordinates, interpreted as the x- and
y-coordinates of two distinct points on the line.

[item]
[emph "line segment"] - a list of four coordinates, interpreted as the
x- and y-coordinates of the first and the last points on the line
segment.

[item]
[emph "polyline"] - a list of an even number of coordinates,
interpreted as the x- and y-coordinates of an ordered set of points.

[item]
[emph "polygon"] - like a polyline, but the implicit assumption is that
the polyline is closed (if the first and last points do not coincide,
the missing segment is automatically added).

[item]
[emph "point set"] - again a list of an even number of coordinates, but
the points are regarded without any ordering.

[list_end]

[section "PROCEDURES"]

The package defines the following public procedures:

[list_begin definitions]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::+] [arg point1] [arg point2]]

Compute the sum of the two vectors given as points and return it.
The result is a vector as well.

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::-] [arg point1] [arg point2]]

Compute the difference (point1 - point2) of the two vectors
given as points and return it. The result is a vector as well.

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::p] [arg x] [arg y]]

Construct a point from its coordinates and return it as the
result of the command.

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::distance] [arg point1] [arg point2]]

Compute the distance between the two points and return it as the
result of the command. This is in essence the same as

[example {
    math::geometry::length [math::geomtry::- point1 point2]
}]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::length] [arg point]]

Compute the length of the vector and return it as the
result of the command.

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::s*] [arg factor] [arg point]]

Scale the vector by the factor and return it as the
result of the command. This is a vector as well.

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::direction] [arg angle]]

Given the angle in degrees this command computes and returns
the unit vector pointing into this direction. The vector for
angle == 0 points to the right (up), and for angle == 90 up (north).

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::h] [arg length]]

Returns a horizontal vector on the X-axis of the specified length.
Positive lengths point to the right (east).

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::v] [arg length]]

Returns a vertical vector on the Y-axis of the specified length.
Positive lengths point down (south).

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::between] [arg point1] [arg point2] [arg s]]

Compute the point which is at relative distance [arg s] between the two
points and return it as the result of the command. A relative distance of
[const 0] returns [arg point1], the distance [const 1] returns [arg point2].
Distances < 0 or > 1 extrapolate along the line between the two point.

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::octant] [arg point]]

Compute the octant of the circle the point is in and return it as the result
of the command. The possible results are

[list_begin enum]
[enum] east
[enum] northeast
[enum] north
[enum] northwest
[enum] west
[enum] southwest
[enum] south
[enum] southeast
[list_end]

Each octant is the arc of the circle +/- 22.5 degrees from the cardinal direction
the octant is named for.

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::rect] [arg nw] [arg se]]

Construct a rectangle from its northwest and southeast corners and return
it as the result of the command.

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::nwse] [arg rect]]

Extract the northwest and southeast corners of the rectangle and return
them as the result of the command (a 2-element list containing the
points, in the named order).

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::angle] [arg line]]

Calculate the angle from the positive x-axis to a given line
(in two dimensions only).

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list line] Coordinates of the line
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::calculateDistanceToLine] [arg P] [arg line]]

Calculate the distance of point P to the (infinite) line and return the
result

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P] List of two numbers, the coordinates of the point

[arg_def list line] List of four numbers, the coordinates of two points
on the line
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::calculateDistanceToLineSegment] [arg P] [arg linesegment]]

Calculate the distance of point P to the (finite) line segment and
return the result.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P] List of two numbers, the coordinates of the point

[arg_def list linesegment] List of four numbers, the coordinates of the
first and last points of the line segment
[list_end]

[para]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::calculateDistanceToPolyline] [arg P] [arg polyline]]

Calculate the distance of point P to the polyline and
return the result. Note that a polyline needs not to be closed.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P] List of two numbers, the coordinates of the point

[arg_def list polyline] List of numbers, the coordinates of the
vertices of the polyline
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::calculateDistanceToPolygon] [arg P] [arg polygon]]

Calculate the distance of point P to the polygon and
return the result. If the list of coordinates is not closed (first and last
points differ), it is automatically closed.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P] List of two numbers, the coordinates of the point

[arg_def list polygon] List of numbers, the coordinates of the
vertices of the polygon
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::findClosestPointOnLine] [arg P] [arg line]]

Return the point on a line which is closest to a given point.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P] List of two numbers, the coordinates of the point

[arg_def list line] List of four numbers, the coordinates of two points
on the line
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::findClosestPointOnLineSegment] [arg P] [arg linesegment]]

Return the point on a [emph "line segment"] which is closest to a given
point.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P] List of two numbers, the coordinates of the point

[arg_def list linesegment] List of four numbers, the first and last
points on the line segment
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::findClosestPointOnPolyline] [arg P] [arg polyline]]

Return the point on a [emph "polyline"] which is closest to a given
point.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P] List of two numbers, the coordinates of the point

[arg_def list polyline] List of numbers, the vertices of the polyline
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::lengthOfPolyline] [arg polyline]]

Return the length of the [emph "polyline"] (note: it not regarded as a
polygon)

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list polyline] List of numbers, the vertices of the polyline
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::movePointInDirection] [arg P] [arg direction] [arg dist]]

Move a point over a given distance in a given direction and return the
new coordinates (in two dimensions only).

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P] Coordinates of the point to be moved
[arg_def double direction] Direction (in degrees; 0 is to the right, 90
upwards)
[arg_def list dist] Distance over which to move the point
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::lineSegmentsIntersect] [arg linesegment1] [arg linesegment2]]

Check if two line segments intersect or coincide. Returns 1 if that is
the case, 0 otherwise (in two dimensions only). If an endpoint of one segment lies on
the other segment (or is very close to the segment), they are considered to intersect

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list linesegment1] First line segment
[arg_def list linesegment2] Second line segment
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::findLineSegmentIntersection] [arg linesegment1] [arg linesegment2]]

Find the intersection point of two line segments. Return the coordinates
or the keywords "coincident" or "none" if the line segments coincide or
have no points in common (in two dimensions only).

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list linesegment1] First line segment
[arg_def list linesegment2] Second line segment
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::findLineIntersection] [arg line1] [arg line2]]

Find the intersection point of two (infinite) lines. Return the coordinates
or the keywords "coincident" or "none" if the lines coincide or
have no points in common (in two dimensions only).

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list line1] First line
[arg_def list line2] Second line
[list_end]

See section [sectref References] for details on the algorithm and math behind it.

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::polylinesIntersect] [arg polyline1] [arg polyline2]]

Check if two polylines intersect or not (in two dimensions only).

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list polyline1] First polyline
[arg_def list polyline2] Second polyline
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::polylinesBoundingIntersect] [arg polyline1] [arg polyline2] [arg granularity]]

Check whether two polylines intersect, but reduce
the correctness of the result to the given granularity.
Use this for faster, but weaker, intersection checking.
[para]
How it works:
[para]
Each polyline is split into a number of smaller polylines,
consisting of granularity points each. If a pair of those smaller
lines' bounding boxes intersect, then this procedure returns 1,
otherwise it returns 0.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list polyline1] First polyline
[arg_def list polyline2] Second polyline
[arg_def int granularity] Number of points in each part (<=1 means check
every edge)

[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::intervalsOverlap] [arg y1] [arg y2] [arg y3] [arg y4] [arg strict]]

Check if two intervals overlap.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def double y1,y2] Begin and end of first interval
[arg_def double y3,y4] Begin and end of second interval
[arg_def logical strict] Check for strict or non-strict overlap
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::rectanglesOverlap] [arg P1] [arg P2] [arg Q1] [arg Q2] [arg strict]]

Check if two rectangles overlap.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P1] upper-left corner of the first rectangle
[arg_def list P2] lower-right corner of the first rectangle
[arg_def list Q1] upper-left corner of the second rectangle
[arg_def list Q2] lower-right corner of the second rectangle
[arg_def list strict] choosing strict or non-strict interpretation
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::bbox] [arg polyline]]

Calculate the bounding box of a polyline. Returns a list of four
coordinates: the upper-left and the lower-right corner of the box.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list polyline] The polyline to be examined
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::pointInsidePolygon] [arg P] [arg polyline]]

Determine if a point is completely inside a polygon. If the point
touches the polygon, then the point is not completely inside the
polygon.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P] Coordinates of the point
[arg_def list polyline] The polyline to be examined
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::rectangleInsidePolygon] [arg P1] [arg P2] [arg polyline]]

Determine if a rectangle is completely inside a polygon. If polygon
touches the rectangle, then the rectangle is not complete inside the
polygon.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list P1] Upper-left corner of the rectangle
[arg_def list P2] Lower-right corner of the rectangle
[para]
[arg_def list polygon] The polygon in question
[list_end]

[para]

[call [cmd ::math::geometry::areaPolygon] [arg polygon]]

Calculate the area of a polygon.

[list_begin arguments]
[arg_def list polygon] The polygon in question
[list_end]

[list_end]

[section References]

[list_begin enumerated]
[enum] [uri http:/wiki.tcl.tk/12070 {Polygon Intersection}]
[enum] [uri http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line-line_intersection]
[enum] [uri http://local.wasp.uwa.edu.au/~pbourke/geometry/lineline2d/]
[list_end]

[vset CATEGORY {math :: geometry}]
[include ../doctools2base/include/feedback.inc]
[manpage_end]