If I have a simple 2-D matrix with normalized values on x-axis between 0 and 1 and y-axys between 0 and 1, and I have 3 points in this matrix e.g. P1 (x=0.2,y=0.9), P2 (x=0.5,y=0.1) and P3 (x=0.9,y=0.4).
How can I simply calculate a curve thru this points, meaning having a function which is giving me the y for any x.
I now that there are any number of possible curves thru 3 points. But hey, you know what I mean: I want a smooth curve thru it, usable for audio-sample-interpolation, usable for calculation a volume-fade-curve, usable for calculating a monster-walking-path in a game.
Now I have searched the net for this question about 3 days, and I cannot believe that there is no usable solution for this task. All the text dealing about Catmull-rom-Splines, bezier-curves and all that theroretical stuff has all at least one point which doesn't make it for me usable. For example Catmull-Rom-splines need to have a fix distance between the control-points (I would use this code and set the 4. point-y to the 3. point y) :
void CatmullRomSpline(float *x,float *y,float x1,float y1,float x2,float y2,float x3,float y3,float x4,float y4,float u)
{
//x,y are calculated for x1,y1,x2,y2,x3,y3 and x4,y4 if u is the normalized distance (0-1) in relation to the distance between x2 and x3 for my whiched point
float u3,u2,f1,f2,f3,f4;
u3=u*u*u;
u2=u*u;
f1=-0.5f * u3 + u2 -0.5f *u;
f2= 1.5f * u3 -2.5f * u2+1.0f;
f3=-1.5f * u3 +2.0f * u2+0.5f*u;
f4=0.5f*u3-0.5f*u2;
*x=x1*f1+x2*f2+x3*f3+x4*f4;
*y=y1*f1+y2*f2+y3*f3+y4*f4;
}
But I don't see that x1 to x4 have any affect on the calculation of y, so I think x1 to x4 must have the same distance?
...
Or bezier-code doesn't calcuate the curve thru the points. The points (at least the 2. point) seem only to have a force-effect on the line.
typedef struct Point2D
{
double x;
double y;
} Point2D;
class bezier
{
std::vector<Point2D> points;
bezier();
void PushPoint2D( Point2D point );
Point2D GetPoint( double time );
~bezier();
};
void bezier::PushPoint2D(Point2D point)
{
points.push_back(point);
}
Point2D bezier::GetPoint( double x )
{
int i;
Point2D p;
p.x=0;
p.y=0;
if( points.size() == 1 ) return points[0];
if( points.size() == 0 ) return p;
bezier b;
for (i=0;i<(int)points.size()-1;i++)
{
p.x = ( points[i+1].x - points[i].x ) * x + points[i].x;
p.y = ( points[i+1].y - points[i].y ) * x + points[i].y;
if (points.size()<=2) return p;
b.PushPoint2D(p);
}
return b.GetPoint(x);
}
double GetLogicalYAtX(double x)
{
bezier bz;
Point2D p;
p.x=0.2;
p.y=0.9;
bz.PushPoint2D(p);
p.x=0.5;
p.y=0.1;
bz.PushPoint2D(p);
p.x=0.9;
p.y=0.4;
bz.PushPoint2D(p);
p=bz.GetPoint(x);
return p.y;
}
This is better than nothing, but it is 1. very slow (recursive) and 2. as I said doesn't really calculate the line thru the 2. point.
Is there a mathematical brain outside which could help me?