Vectors (Maths for Game Developers)

Edit on Github | Updated: 16th March 2024

Introduction to Vectors

Vectors in game developer are really just a structure with 2 or more elements in it, with each element representing something like a coordinate.

Concepts in games that are commonly represented with Vectors:

  • Position
  • Gravity
  • Velocity
  • Normals

Functions that you can apply to vectors

  • Dot Product
  • Cross Product
  • Distance (e.g between 2 positions)
  • Add/Subtract/Scale
  • Linearly interpolates between two points (Lerp)
  • Normalise (set length to 1 but keep direction)

Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS Operating System has a basic Matrix library defined by the header file IrisVEC.h. This file was leaked as part of the September 2020 “Platinum leak” as it is part of the Nintendo DS Boot ROM.

Here are the types it provides to the developer:

#define vl volatile

// 10-bit (slightly unusual to use 10-bits!)
typedef struct {
    s32 x:10;
    s32 y:10;
    s32 z:10;
} Vec10, Pos10, TestVec;
typedef  vl Pos10     vPos10;
typedef  vl Vec10     vVec10;

// 16-bit 
typedef struct {
    s16 x;
    s16 y;
    s16 z;
    s16 w;   
} Vec16, Vec, Pos16, TestPos;
typedef  vl Pos16     vPos16;
typedef  vl Vec16     vVec16;
typedef  vl Vec       vVec;

// 32-bit
typedef struct {
    s32 x;
    s32 y;
    s32 z;
} Vec32, Pos32, Pos;
typedef  vl Vec32     vVec32;
typedef  vl Pos32     vPos32;
typedef  vl Pos       vPos;

Here are a few of the functions it provides:

void VEC_Copy2Vec10(const Vec   *srcp, Vec10 *dstp);
void VEC_Copy2Vec32(const Vec   *srcp, Vec32 *dstp);
void VEC32_Copy2Vec(const Vec32 *srcp, Vec   *dstp);

void VEC_AlignPoint2Vec10(const Vec   *srcp, Vec10 *dstp);
void VEC10_AlignPoint2Vec(const Vec10 *srcp, Vec   *dstp);

s32  VEC_DotProduct(      const Vec   *a, const Vec   *b);
s32  VEC32_DotProduct(    const Vec32 *a, const Vec32 *b);
s32  VEC32_DotProductFast(const Vec32 *a, const Vec32 *b);
s32  VEC32VEC_DotProduct( const Vec32 *a, const Vec   *b);
#define VEC2D_DotProduct(ax, ay, bx, by)    (((ax) * (bx) + (ay) * (by)) >>V_SFT)

void VEC_CrossProduct(      Vec   *a, Vec   *b, Vec   *axb);
void VEC32_CrossProduct(    Vec32 *a, Vec32 *b, Vec32 *axb);
void VEC32_CrossProductFast(Vec32 *a, Vec32 *b, Vec32 *axb);
#define VEC2D_CrossProduct(ax, ay, bx, by)    (((ax) * (by) - (ay) * (bx)) >>V_SFT)

void VEC_Normalize(      Vec   *srcp, Vec   *dstp);
void VEC32_Normalize(    Vec32 *srcp, Vec32 *dstp);
void VEC32_Normalize2Vec(Vec32 *srcp, Vec   *dstp);

void VEC_Add(Vec *a, Vec *b, Vec *ab);

void VEC_Sub(Vec *a, Vec *b, Vec *a_b);

void VEC_Scale(Vec *srcp, Vec *dstp, s32 scale);

void VEC_Reverse(const Vec *srcp, Vec *dstp);

u32  VEC_Magnitude(const Vec *v);

u32  VEC_SquareMagnitude(const Vec *v);

u32  VEC_Distance(const Vec *a, const Vec *b);
u32  VEC_SquareDistance(const Vec *a, const Vec *b);

void VEC_Lerp(Vec *a, Vec *b, Vec *d, s32 t);
void VEC32_Lerp(Vec32 *a, Vec32 *b, Vec32 *d, s32 t);
void VEC32_LerpFast(Vec32 *a, Vec32 *b, Vec32 *d, s32 t);