Lerping vectors

I have often found it useful lately to LERP both buffers and vectors. Perhaps this has merit inside the library?

This method would be helpful:


vector.LERP(percent,vector2);


etc...

Vector3f contains an interpolate method.



What do you mean by "buffers"? Accept a FloatBuffer as an argument into the vector interpolate method?

More like two buffers could be interpolated.

I feel like an ass, completely missed the interpolate method. All though it is local only which means I have to create an empty vector first which is a bit clumsy sometimes.

I would like:


Vector3f vect= Vector3f.interpolate(.5f,vectA,vectB);

might be good to have as an option, but usually not preferred memorywise…

I can do this


Quaternion rotation = new Quaternion().slerp(from.getRotation(), to.getRotation(), percent);



but not this...


Vector3f translate = new Vector3f ().interpolate(from.getTranslate (), to.getTranslate(), percent);



instead i have to do this...


Vector3f translate = (Vector3f) from.getTranslate().clone();
translate.interpolate(to.getTranslate(), percent);



Also FastMath.lerp has the signature:
public static float LERP(float percent, float startValue, float endValue) ;

Where the percent change comes first and the values second, why is this different with both the Vector interpolation and the quaternion?

I have been using this code:


public static Vector3f vector3fLERP( final float percent , final Vector3f from , final Vector3f to ) {
final Vector3f vector3f = new Vector3f(
FastMath.LERP(percent, from.x, to.x),
FastMath.LERP(percent, from.y,to.y),
FastMath.LERP(percent, from.z, to.z));

      return vector3f;
   }


This has the advantage of:
1) providing a new vector and
2) more subtle, it doesn't return an invalid vector if both the vectors have the same value.

you can do like this though:


Vector3f translate = new Vector3f();
translate.interpolate(from.getTranslate(), to.getTranslate(), percent);



but returning "this" from the method might be a change we could do

This does bring up a good point, though. One of the tasks we need to do before 1.0 is check for consistency.

definitely

FastMath.lerp()



does this check:


 if (startValue == endValue) return startValue;



Therefore I believe the interpolate method for vector should as well.