Mathematical constants should be shortcuts, not functions
"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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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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