Complete Maya Programming Volume II

3

Vectors

A vector has both a direction and a

magnitude.

The magnitude of a vector is simply

its length. Vectors are often used to define the difference between points, which is

the

displacement

from the first point to the second. A series of vectors (combined

with an origin) can also define a coordinate flame. This can then be used for defin-

ing a custom space in which to define other points and vectors.

In Maya, all vectors are 3D. The three components are named x, y, and z. It is

important to understand that while many books show vectors located somewhere

in space, vectors don't have ...