[ODE] Are the rotation matrices returned by dBodyGetRotation Column or row major

[Jon Watte (ODE)]

Yeah, that's good. "Row vector" vs "Column vector" is an age-old 
computer graphics question (kind of like left-handed vs right-handed). 
In "pure math" and most mechanics texts, you'll find that the vector 
goes on the right of the matrix, as a column. Matrices are then applied 
to the vector right-to-left. Thus, the expression:

   P R S v

This would apply first a scale to v, then a rotation to v, then a 
position (translation) to v. In this notation, the translation 
components of a matrix live in the fourth column (because matrices are 
multiplied row-into-column).

In historical computer graphics, including DirectX, the vector instead 
goes on the left, as a row vector (row into column). The same expression 
above would then read:

   v S R P

This means that the vertex v is first scaled, then rotated, then 
translated. In this case, the translation part lives in the fourth row.

Both OpenGL and DirectX expect the matrix to contain the translation 
values in offsets 12, 13 and 14 in memory, though (for a 4x4 matrix), so 
this difference in convention is often lost on people who are not paying 
attention, because in-memory layout "works." This is because DirectX 
uses row major matrices, and OpenGL uses column major matrices, so the 
storage conventions "cancel out" for a single matrix (but the ordering 
convention is still different).

ODE, on the other hand, doesn't have a specified ordering, although it 
seems column vector on left when you read it. However, in that case, ODE 
is row major, so the memory layout is the transpose of how both OpenGL 
and DirectX expect the matrix in memory.


See, another question for the FAQ :-)



Cheers,

			/ h+


Remi Ricard wrote:
> Hi Jon,
> 
>> That depends on whether you consider yourself row vector, or column 
>> vector, convention.
>>
>> The matrix is actually a 3x4 matrix, with the fourth values being 
>> undefined. Those four values live at offset 3, 7 and 11 when indexed 
>> as an array, and would contain the translation values if the matrix 
>> was a "real" 3x4.
>>
>> If you consider yourself column vector on the right, it will return 
>> ABCxDEFyGHIz, which is row major, which is the reverse of what you'd 
>> use in OpenGL (which is also column vector on the right).
>> If you consider yourself row vector on the left, it will return 
>> ADGxBEHyCFIz, which is column major, which is the reverse of what 
>> you'd use in DirectX (which is also row vector on the left).
>>
>> I don't know how many times I've explained this on this list -- can 
>> someone who knows how to update the documentation please copy & paste 
>> the question and explanation to the introductory chapter of the docs? 
>> Please? :-)
>>   
> I added your info on the FAQ of the WIKI.
> http://opende.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/FAQ#I_have_a_matrix_does_dBodygetRotation_return_ABCDEFGHI_or_ADGBEHCFI_.3F 
> 
> 
> Can you verify it everything is OK
> 
> Since I'm not sure what you mean by right of left.
> 
> Remi
> 
> 
>