Mathematical constants should be shortcuts, not functions

TheBeardyMan 21 de noviembre de 2022 13:26 - Editado

"Logic Pi function on Calculator" has just appeared in the Upcoming Updates column of the Trello, replacing the degrees / radians calculator tweak item in the In the works column.

But using a function of the Calculator for a mathematical constant is a step in the wrong direction. The Calculator gadget isn't the only place where mathematical constants would be useful - we might want to use them in a number tweak on another gadget and use the modulate blend mode to multiply them by an incoming value from a wire. We can already do that if we know the value of the constant, and it doesn't use an extra gadget - but making constants into Calculator functions will encourage creators to use more gadgets than necessary.

So a better place for mathematical constants would be shortcuts when typing a number - the virtual numerical keypad could have a list of constants, with each entry displaying the constant's name, its value, and a tooltip explaining what it's for. The following constants would all be useful, some of them for game development in general, some of them specific to Dreams:

• sqrt(2)
• sqrt(3)
• sqrt(2) / 2
• sqrt(3) / 2
• e
• phi
• 2 * pi
• pi
• pi / 2
• pi / 4
• 180 / pi
• pi / 180
• pi / 270

The last one pi / 270 probably needs an explanation - it's the magic number to which you have to set a Puppet's Motion Sensor Movement tweak if you want to connect a rotation fat wire to the Puppet Interface's lean tweak.

And it would be even better if the user could add more constants to the shortcuts - some projects will need to use unusual constants that have little use elsewhere.

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  TAPgiles

  • 22 de noviembre de 2022 08:35

  

  Only thing that may be an obstacle to that is, Mm don't have any control over the number input. That's built in to the console's OS, so that's a Sony thing. Not sure how they'd be able to add it.

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