Re: [Bug 20681] spatial coords should just be in metres

I don't think I have a bugzilla login, so I can't post to the bugzilla.

I don't think it is a good idea to go with undefined units.
Just because OpenAL and some other APIs did does not mean that it is the
right thing to do.
We should aspire to something higher than just ripping off OpenAL.

Many sound algorithms, and other physical modeling algorithms, have to
touch base with physics.
As pointed out above, this API is already running into this with the speed
of sound.
You are going to run into this again if you do virtual analog modeling, or
physical modeling synthesis, and so on.

Physics is done in real-world units, and worldwide those units are
standardized to SI units.
Using anything else is going to create a morass of unit conversion and bugs.
This is a hard lesson learned from experience.

Furthermore there is really no point in going with undefined units.
If a game wants to map its world in some strange game-specific unit system,
then the game can take responsibility for converting to SI units at the
point of API calls.

Sincerely,
    Frederick





On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 12:11 AM, <bugzilla@jessica.w3.org> wrote:

> https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=20681
>
> --- Comment #4 from Marcus Geelnard (Opera) <mage@opera.com> ---
> ...also just found that the PannerNode and AudioListener specifies the
> velocity
> in meters / second, which would have to change.
>
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