glmath

Pure Typescript port of glMatrix for modern browsers

Why?

glMatrix is a great succient library focused on low level graphic constructs, but there are some sore spots given its age. Went to update the @types defs for it and noticed a lot of little changes that snowballed into it be easier to rewrite to first principled is latest Typescript.

What's different?

Float32Array

All types extend Float32Array as its fast and available in all modern browsers.

Simpler API

All methods that aren't static effect the current object, all static methods create new Float32Arrays. By not having a seperate out example usage became much clearer. For example

 describe("from a normal matrix looking 'backward'", function() {
      beforeEach(function() {
        matr = mat3.create()
        mat3.transpose(
          matr,
          mat3.invert(matr, mat3.fromMat4(matr, mat4.lookAt(mat4.create(), [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1], [0, 1, 0]))),
        )
        result = quat.fromMat3(out, matr)
      })

      it('should return out', function() {
        expect(result).toBe(out)
      })

      it('should produce the same transformation as the given matrix', function() {
        expect(vec3.transformQuat([], [3, 2, -1], quat.normalize(out, out))).toBeEqualish(
          vec3.transformMat3([], [3, 2, -1], matr),
        )
      })
    })

and with the new version

 describe("from a normal matrix looking 'backward'", () => {
      beforeEach(() => {
        const lookAt = Mat4.lookAt(new Vec3(0, 0, 0), new Vec3(0, 0, 1), new Vec3(0, 1, 0))
        matr = Mat3.fromMat4(lookAt)
          .invert()
          .transpose()
        result = Quat.fromMat3(matr).normalize()
      })

      it('should produce the same transformation as the given matrix', () => {
        expect(new Vec3(3, 2, -1).transformQuat(result).equalsApproximately(new Vec3(3, 2, -1).transformMat3(matr)))
      })
    })

Faster InvSqrt

Inverse square root and square root happen all the time, especially in rotations and culling. This version uses Quake3's Fast Inverse Square Root

Tests?

All relevent tests have been ported over from the original. Quite a few where able to be removed due to static typing and simplified API.

Status

Functionally done but still working on cleaning up the API.