ABSTRACT
The objects described here are common in 3D applications. It is useful toknow how you can represent the objects to manipulate them in an engine or application.
10.1 Linear Components Points and vectors, two terms that are not identical in meaning (see Section 2.1.3), are simple enough to represent and manipulate in a computer program. Objects that are just as familiar to you are linear components, a general term that refers to lines, rays, and line segments. I will use the term segment rather than carrying around the modifier “line.” Linear components are useful in picking operations for object selection. They are also useful for stabbing operations, where you cast a few rays from the observer to see what objects are close (or far) to get an idea if the observer can move in some direction without colliding with something.
