Distance command

[BigBonga]

Hi there.
Does the distance command return a 2d or a 3d distance?
I have read in some places that it returns the 2d distance (ignoring z-axis) but in other places i read that it returns a 3d distance!
Which is correct?!
Thanks!

[C0LDSt33L]

It takes the z-axis into account

[Raptorsaurus]

Yup, 3D. X,Y and Z coordinates are all used.  If you want 2D position only there are a few functions that have been writen that can be useful.  Here is one that I did, called DisOverGnd which finds the 2D distance between two objects using only the X and Y coordinates.  You call the function like so:

_dis = [_obj1, _obj2] call DisOverGnd

The function is attached.

[THobson]

This is interetsing.  I understand that the z coordinate returned by getPos is the height above gound level, so for distance function to return the true 3D distance it must work with a different z coordinate.

I will have a play around withthis when I get the time.

The 2D distance is not complicated it is just:

Sqrt((x1-x2)^2 +(y1-y2)^2)

using whatever OFP uses for square root and power

[BigBonga]

Right, so does the distance command return a distance based in heights above sealevel or a (rather useless) distance between two objects based upon their height above, the non uniform, ground level?
Glad it does 3d though - calculating it in 2d is simple pythagoras, as thobson suggests

[THobson]

3D is also simple pythagoras, just include the z component

3D distance = Sqrt((x1-x2)^2 + (y1-y2)^2 + (z1-z2)^2)

[BigBonga]

YEs, that is obvious - however the mathematics to calculate the distance in 3d is much harder by hand - as OFP doesnt take height above sealevel in the getpos function - so you haev to factor in the height of the object from a reference source.
Then it gets complicated - as i am sure you know.

[THobson]

Lol ;D - which takes us back to my first post

[BigBonga]

Nicely done, i feel - full circle!