On 03/21/2011 02:34 PM, Simon Budig wrote:
> Ofnuts (ofn...@laposte.net) wrote:
>> Why is gimp_vectors_bezier_stroke_lineto(vectors, stroke_id, x0, y0)
>> (and Stroke.lineto(x,y)) working backwards? If I add a lineto() to the
>> stroke, the point of origin
>> (the one returned by gimp_vectors_stroke_get_point_at_dist(0,..))
>> changes... I'm sure there is a good reason, but I can't find it. Can
>> someone enlighten me?
> The reason is simply the internal data structure as well as a
> (possibly over-)optimzation in the code. A lineto basically needs to add
> three anchors to the list of anchors. If the "current point" is the
> beginning of the list, you can add these three anchors in an O(1)
> operation. If you'd append them to the end you'd have to first search
> for the end, making this an O(n) operation (unless you of course keep
> track of the other end).

That's one reason :)

> The API does not guarantee consistency for the distance->point mapping
> when the length of the total path changes. When I designed the API I
> tried to avoid the idea of a specific "start" and "end" for each stroke,
> since this would introduce a directionality which would not be visible
> in the User Interface.

But there is directionality....   if you stroke the path using  a 
gradient you somewhat have to know where it starts and where it ends. 
I'm writing a scrirt that draws a path parallel to another one and if I 
don't want it to switch sides around  a circle directionality is 
important: on a circle, there are always two points where the tangent 
has the same slope, but in one the outside is above and oin the other 
the outside is below, and to tell which "locally" you have to know in 
which direction you are going.

> Do you need to have get_point_at_dist(0...) staying constant while
> constructing the stroke with the _lineto-family of commands?
My need is to be able to iterate between two points in the stroke (as 
located by their "distance" since that's the only thing we have) and not 
have this change if I add segments to the path. But I think I can 
iterate a copy of the stroke instead.

However if point_at_dist(0) currently returns the "end" instead of the 
"start", going for the "start" isn't that easy since 
stroke.point_at_dist(stroke.get_length()) often fails (due to round-off 
errors, likely). I conclude that the best way to get at the beginning of 
the path is to look at the last points in stroke.points?


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