I Need More Math Skills. Can Anyone Recommend Some Resources?


bustaballs

Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
196
So, yeah. Every time I check out more advanced graphics programming, I see crap like cos and sin. Well, I was good at math in school but I never did get far into algebra or geometry before I left school. Can anyone recommend some good resources to help me introduced to this stuff so I'll be ready when I start messing with graphics/game libraries later on?

Thanks.
 
You're the man.

Edit: *moments later* Okay, so now I know the formulas and will continue to dive further into this stuff but what use does this have in real life and what role do they play in graphics programming? Will I just figure it out as I progress in my programming study or will I have to break from it to study deeper into trig?

Edit2: After some more quick research, I understand more about the role it plays in real life, physics, and 3D graphics but I'm still not so sure about what it's purpose is in 2D graphics.
 
A simple use of COS and SIN in a 2D game would be something like moving the tail on the alien (Dobkeratops) from R-Type

Rtype-Krell.jpg



Another use in the same game is moving the worm body parts

rtype-9.png


And again here -

rtypering.jpg



Other games use them for alien attack wave patterns/movement.

Cybernoid (from the CPC and other 8bit computers) used COS and SIN to rotate a ball around the player ship as a weapon/shield.

cybernoid6.gif



Basically SIN and COS can be used for movement or rotation of sprites when given any position and angle value. The movement will not be random and will follow a predictive path.
 

Attachments

  • Rtype-Krell.jpg
    Rtype-Krell.jpg
    43.2 KB · Views: 103
  • rtype-9.png
    rtype-9.png
    40 KB · Views: 103
  • rtypering.jpg
    rtypering.jpg
    17.6 KB · Views: 84
  • cybernoid6.gif
    cybernoid6.gif
    27 KB · Views: 93
Ah. That's really cool. It's above my head as to how to apply it (I assume that's why there's an entire subject dedicated to it) but it doesn't seem like I need to know it right off the bat for my personal uses in 2D games. I'll definitely be studying up on it so I can apply it to projects I work on much later. Thanks for the examples.
 
bustaballs said:
So, yeah. Every time I check out more advanced graphics programming, I see crap like cos and sin. Well, I was good at math in school but I never did get far into algebra or geometry before I left school. Can anyone recommend some good resources to help me introduced to this stuff so I'll be ready when I start messing with graphics/game libraries later on?

Thanks.

Here's a couple of books I've come across in my travels that may be of use to you...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=math+game+developer&x=0&y=0 (not an endorsement of Amazon.com as much as a convenient link)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top