MAT_MUL(nged)

💅 mat_mul — the manual page, but make it make sense

okay so this is mat_mul, a command from the nged manual (BRL-CAD User Commands, bestie — that's the crew we're running with) ✨

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✨ NAME ✨

mat_mul — multiply two 4x4 matrices 🧮

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

mat_mul matA matB

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

So the mat_mul command multiplies two 4x4 homogeneous transformation matrices together, and it computes:

result = matA * matB

Both matA and matB must be given as 16-element space-separated floating-point strings — literally the format that bn_encode_mat produces. And the result? Comes back in that exact same 16-element encoded format. no cap, same vibe in, same vibe out 🫶

The operation itself is the standard 4x4 matrix product. Lowkey important: this command is the GED wrapper for bn_mat_mul, so it's out here fronting for the real one.

⚠️ Careful bestie — matrix multiplication is not commutative. The order of operands matters. Flip them and you get a different answer, fr fr. 💀

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🌸 EXAMPLES 🌸

Example 1. Multiply two identity matrices 👑

mged> mat_mul "1 0 0 0  0 1 0 0  0 0 1 0  0 0 0 1" "1 0 0 0  0 1 0 0  0 0 1 0  0 0 0 1"

Returns the identity matrix 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1, because the product of two identity matrices is the identity. iconic behaviour honestly ✨

Example 2. Chain two rotation matrices 🌀

mged> set m1 [mat_ae 45 0]
mged> set m2 [mat_ae 0 30]
mged> mat_mul $m1 $m2

This composes the azimuth rotation matrix $m1 with the elevation rotation matrix $m2, and returns their combined transformation. it's giving collaboration 💅

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🦋 AUTHOR 🦋

BRL-CAD Team 💜

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🍓 BUG REPORTS 🍓

If you find a bug or a problem, pls submit it via electronic mail to devs@brlcad.org — they genuinely want to hear from you, bestie 🙈

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and that's the whole page!! brought to you by BRL-CAD, filed under MAT_MUL(nged) — go forth and multiply (matrices) 🔥🌈👑