Yes I looked at the reference material. I keep seeing Vector3.magnitude, but I can’t figure out what it does or is for. Can anyone provide an explanation in plain english?
In simple terms it gives you the length of the vector. An example, [3, 0, 0] is 3 units long, the magnitude is 3. I hope it made sense.
I’m guessing you’re quite young if you never heard of a vector.
When you get to linear algebra in high school, pay close attention when they start discussing vector spaces and matrices. It’s required knowledge not just for 3d graphics, but for physics as well. For example, a vector having both a direction and a magnitude obviously is a great tool for representing forces on an object.
When you get out of high school and forget everything you learned, Leonard Suskind’s courses on Quantum Mechanics and Entanglement make a great refresher. He spends considerable time going over the topics in each course. Fast forward to the 1 hour mark for a good overview in the above video.
Thanks for the video it looks interesting. No I’m not that young, I live in the United States and here you could poll 1000 people in my city and only a couple would know what a vector is.
I consider myself of average intelligence, I just try harder than the average person to learn things, which is still more than most people seem to do from my experience.
If you asked 100 people at random in my city what 40*65 is, I bet only 5 would be able to answer properly before 30 seconds (If at all). So I really don’t think they’re going to know anything about vectors
Understanding vectors is a lot easier, at least to me, than memorization of rulesets for quick calculation in the brain, using imagined symbols and movement. The skill you listed above is rather useless in an age of always-available pocket computers; the understanding of what multiplication is, is the key. Similarly, you let Unity do the number cruching, using Vector3.magnitude. You just need to know what Vector3s are, and what magnitude is.
Vectors are something I was introduced to in high school Physics class, and found immediately intuitive. I think being able to understand them is an aptitude, meaning that you can understand the concept right away, when you are introduced to them properly. That said, I found vectors basically useless outside of that class, and had to relearn vector math, about a decade later, when vectors became helpful to me again, with Unity.
We evolved an instinctive understanding of vectors. Throwing a rock or a spear, dragging the slab of mammoth meat back to camp…very important that we did. Even a cat or a dog understands vectors, but will be just as confused as us when it comes to matrix multiplication!