[vtk-developers] Re: Dashboard results

[David Gobbi]

On Thu, 7 Dec 2000, Will Schroeder wrote:

> Hi David-
>
> Send the vtk/python/install.py to Ken and I.
>
> At 10:59 AM 12/7/2000 -0500, David Gobbi wrote:
>
> >3) rename 'RotateWXYZ' to 'Rotate' (a la OpenGL), but leave the old
> >    RotateWXYZ in place of course.
>
> I'm having trouble understanding the reason for the rename.  Could you
> try harder to convince me?

Well, here goes.  The main issue I have with 'WXYZ' is that it suggests
that you are applying a quaternion transformation, which is not really the
case: the 'w' in a quaternion is not an angle.

Also, 'RotateWXYZ' is longer than 'Rotate' and the 'WXYZ' doesn't add
any significant additional meaning.  When I see 'WXYZ' I don't immediately
think 'angle + axis,' there is nothing in 'W' that signifies 'angle' and
'XYZ' usually signifies a point rather than an axis.
If anything, I think 'quaternion' which, as I said earlier, is not
the same thing.

So,  Rotate(double angle, const double axis[3])
or   RotateWXYZ(double angle, const double axis[3])

my preference is for the former.

 - David