Re: Dynamically finding distances and angles between user-specified points
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg125140] Re: Dynamically finding distances and angles between user-specified points
- From: "djmpark" <djmpark at comcast.net>
- Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:56:53 -0500 (EST)
- Delivered-to: l-mathgroup@mail-archive0.wolfram.com
- References: <20462297.102235.1329995808308.JavaMail.root@m06>
This is the way I would do it in Presentations.
<< Presentations`
DynamicModule[
{(* Fixed points *)
ptA = {1, 1}, ptD = {1, -1}, ptF = {-1, -1}, ptC = {-1, 1},
(* Dynamic points *)
ptB = {0, 0.5}, ptE = {0, -0.5},
(* Secondary Dynamic variables *)
angleABC, angleDEF, angleABE, lengthAB, lengthBE,
calcAll},
(* Routine to calculate secondary variables *)
calcAll[b_, e_] :=
(angleABC = VectorAngle[ptA - ptB, ptC - ptB];
angleDEF = VectorAngle[ptD - ptE, ptF - ptE];
lengthAB = Norm[ptA - ptB];
lengthBE = Norm[ptB - ptE];);
(* Initialize *)
calcAll[ptB, ptE];
(* Display *)
panelpage[
phrase[
(* Diagram *)
Draw2D[
{Dynamic@
{Line[{ptA, ptB, ptC}],
Line[{ptD, ptE, ptF}],
AbsoluteThickness[2],
Line[{ptB, ptE}],
MapThread[
Text[#1, (Norm[#2] + 0.07) Normalize[#2]] &, {{"B",
"E"}, {ptB, ptE}}]},
MapThread[
Text[#1, 1.07 #2] &, {{"A", "C", "D", "F"}, {ptA, ptC, ptD,
ptF}}],
CirclePoint[#, 3, Black, Red] & /@ {ptA, ptC, ptD, ptF},
Locator[Dynamic[ptB, (ptB = #; calcAll[ptB, ptE]) &],
CirclePointLocator[3, Blue]],
Locator[Dynamic[ptE, (ptE = #; calcAll[ptB, ptE]) &],
CirclePointLocator[3, Blue]]
},
PlotRange -> {{-1.2, 1.2}, {-1.2, 1.2}},
Frame -> True,
ImageSize -> 300],
Spacer[10],
(* Geometric values *)
Dynamic@
pagelet[
phrase["B: ", NumberForm[ptB, {5, 3}]],
phrase["E: ", NumberForm[ptE, {5, 3}]],
"",
phrase["\[Angle]ABC: ", angleABC/Degree, "\[Degree]"],
phrase["\[Angle]DEF: ", angleDEF/Degree, "\[Degree]"],
phrase["|AB|: ", lengthAB],
phrase["|BE|: ", lengthBE]
]
](* phrase *),
Style["Presentation for Andrew DeYoung", 16],
paneWidth -> 470
](* panelpage *)
]
CirclePoints make better locators for geometric diagrams than the Wolfram
gun-sight.
VectorAngle is a convenient method to obtain the angle between two vectors.
But it always returns the smaller of the two angles. Presentations has a
vectorSign routine that helps you distinguish if that's important.
A Frame is better than an Axis (which stomps all over the diagram).
I wouldn't use a Slider here.
The idea of combining a diagram with metric numerical values, as you have
done, is a very effective technique for conveying information and tying
geometry to analysis.
In this dynamic presentation, ptB and ptE are primary dynamic variables set
by the locators, angleABC, angleDEF, lengthAB and lengthBE are secondary
dynamic variables that are calculated by the calcAll routine, which in turn
is called in the second argument to Dynamic in the Locators.
It would be nice if Delimiter could be used in Column to provide a width
filling separater line.
David Park
djmpark at comcast.net
http://home.comcast.net/~djmpark/index.html
From: Andrew DeYoung [mailto:adeyoung at andrew.cmu.edu]
Hi,
I wish to create a simple Manipulate-type interactive "applet" in which the
user can control the (x,y) coordinates of two points, which I will call
points B and E. (Suppose that B has coordinates (xB,yB) and E has
coordinates (xE,yE).) Now suppose there are points A, C, D, and F which are
fixed in space. A and B, B and C, B and E, D and E, and E and F are
connected by line segments. I would like to write a Manipulate-type dynamic
"applet" that prints the values of various line segments (for example, of
line segments AB and BE) and of various angles (for example, of angles ABC,
DEF, and ABE), preferably updated dynamically.
I have posted a figure showing these points and their relation to one
another:
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/adeyoung/feb22/figure.gif
I made the above posted figure with the following commands:
(* Begin code *)
r = 0.03;
a = 1;
b = 1;
p1 = {a, b};
p2 = {-a, b};
p3 = {-a, -b};
p4 = {a, -b};
p5 = {0, 0.5};
p6 = {0, -0.5};
Show[{
Graphics[{Red, Table[Disk[i, r], {i, {p1, p2, p3, p4}}]},
Axes -> True, AxesLabel -> {"x", "y"}, AspectRatio -> 1],
Graphics[{Black, Table[Disk[i, r], {i, {p5, p6}}]}],
Graphics[{
Text[Style["(xB, yB)", 18], p5, {-1.2, 0}],
Text[Style["(xE, yE)", 18], p6, {-1.2, 0}],
Text[Style["A", Red, 18], p1, {-1.8, 0}],
Text[Style["C", Red, 18], p2, {1.8, 0}],
Text[Style["F", Red, 18], p3, {1.8, 0}],
Text[Style["D", Red, 18], p4, {-1.8, 0}],
Text[Style["B", 18], p5, {-1, -1}],
Text[Style["E", 18], p6, {-1, 1.5}],
Line[{p1, p5, p2}],
Line[{p3, p6, p4}],
{Thickness[0.01], Line[{p5, p6}]},
Text[Style["\[Angle]ABC = ?", 14], {0.6, 0.6}, {-1, 0}],
Text[Style["\[Angle]DEF = ?", 14], {0.6, 0.5}, {-1, 0}],
Text[Style["\[Angle]ABE = ?", 14], {0.6, 0.4}, {-1, 0}],
Text[Style["AB = ?", 14], {0.6, 0.3}, {-1, 0}],
Text[Style["BE = ?", 14], {0.6, 0.2}, {-1, 0}]
}]
}]
(* End code *)
My question is, do you have any advice for computing the distances and
angles dynamically? Do you recommend that I use a Locator or a Slider2D
control object? Also, do you think that I can compute the angles
dynamically using the following vector relation?
pvector (dot product) qvector = Norm[pvector]*Norm[qvector]*Cos[\ [Theta]]
where \[Theta] is the angle between pvector and qvector. So \[Theta]
is:
\[Theta] = ArcCos[Dot[pvector, qvector]/(Norm[pvector]*Norm[qvector])]
If, for example, I want to find the angle ABC, then pvector is the vector
from A to B (or from B to A) and qvector is the vector from B to C (or from
C to B).
Thanks so much for your time.
Andrew DeYoung
Carnegie Mellon University
