I have a point drawn in an canvas (html5). Then I want this point to animate in a circular path.
I saw an example using time differences to set the x and y variables, in respect to time. Some of the variables and formulas used are quite vague, I have forgotten my physics, d*mn. But I have researched quite a bit on circular motion, so I can understand some of it. Here is my [codepen][1] on how it was done.
Basically here are the parts I have identified so far:
this.orbit = 100; // this is the radius of the circular orbit
this.radius = 5; // orbiting object's radius
this.velocity = 50; // yeah velocity but without direction, should be speed (agree?)
var angle = 0; starting angle of the point in the orbit inside the canvas's quadrant,
set `x` and `y` coordinates with respect to the coordinates of the canvas
first get the center of the canvas by dividing the width and the height by 2
then adding to the product of the orbit's radius and the position of `x` and `y`
with respect to the initial position in the orbit(angle), and since Math trigonometric
functions uses radians, we should multiply it to the quotient of `PI` and `180`.
this.x = _width / 2 + this.orbit * Math.cos(angle * Math.PI / 180)
this.y = _height / 2 + this.orbit * Math.sin(angle * Math.PI / 180)
by doing the above, we now get the initial position of x and y in the orbit.
What is quite trivial to me are the next variables `_dx` and `_dy` and also the `_magnitude`.
var _dx = this.x - _width / 2;
var _dy = this.y - _height / 2;
var _magnitude = Math.sqrt( _dx * _dx + _dy * _dy);
Here is how the point is animated:
Point.prototype.update = function(dt) {
var dps = this.orbit * 2 * Math.PI / this.velocity;
var angle = (360 / dps) * dt / 1000 * -1;
this.vx = this.vx * Math.cos(angle * Math.PI / 180) - this.vy*Math.sin(angle * Math.PI / 180);
this.vy = this.vx * Math.sin(angle * Math.PI / 180) + this.vy*Math.cos(angle * Math.PI / 180);
var _magnitude = Math.sqrt( this.vx * this.vx + this.vy * this.vy);
this.vx = this.vx / _magnitude * this.velocity;
this.vy = this.vy / _magnitude * this.velocity;
this.x += this.vx * dt / 1000;
this.y += this.vy * dt / 1000;
}
And here is the execution of the script:
function animate () {
dt = new Date() - ldt;
if (dt < 500) {
// context.clearRect(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
point.update(dt);
point.draw(context);
};
ldt = new Date();
setTimeout(function() {
window.requestAnimationFrame(animate);
}, 1000 / 30)}
dt = new Date();
animate();
}
With the unclear variables, like `_dx _dy _magnitude` I cannot understand how it works and how the computation of variables, `vx vy` which I assume the velocity with respect to x and y respectively.
I wanted to use greensock tweenlite for the animation and it is done like so:
Point.prototype.update = function(p){
var _to = {
x: , // change the value of x
y: , // change the value of y
ease: Cubic.easeInOut,
onComplete: function () { this.update(p) }
}
TweenLite.to(point, 2, _to)
}
As you can see the first parameter is the current object (point), then the second parameter is the time, I assume this to be the velocity and the the third parameter is the change in the object's properties, x and y.
During the time of the writing I realized what are the variables `_dx` and `_dy`, they are the differences or change in the position of x and y