Triangulation is a method for pinpointing the exact location of something in three dimensional space, right?
So is it obvious that quadrangulation would be a method for pinpointing something in four dimensional space? Like, if you fired a magical missile through time and space to strike a villain at his one vulnerable moment - I dunno, when he switches his magical super shield off to take a bath - would quadrangulation be the method you employ?
Because I can sorta see that as a fun objective for a game: Find the exact coordinates, launch the magical McMissile, save the world. Propably with more bells and whistles, but ... that's the general idea.
So, the question is whether the term seems sensible. I googled it, and got a wiki with some math-like mumbo-jumbo about the surface of a thing. Psh.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Triangulation isn't really 3D, it's just using triangles to find points. Quadrangulation would be doing the same but with quadrilaterals.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
I would say this would still be a super fun way to incorporate the idea of your quadrangulation into an adventure.
In real life, when crime scenes are being investigated, they do use the triangulation method right when they enter the scene, or at least a form of it. So it would be a practical way of using some real life strategies in a more fantastical/fantasy/time travely-setting in-game.
I say go for it. You don't have to have 100% scientifically correct backing for a fun little idea you got for a fantasy game :)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
⌜╔═════════════The Board══════════════╗⌝
...and started me on my way into my next chapter in life...
I'm fry, and I make doodles. That's why they call me FRY DOODLES. Also no pressure but check out my YouTube channel (Fry Doodles) I'm a disabled, neurodivergent, artsy dumpster fire who's always open to chat. I'm a sensitive little sad bean, and somewhat of a clown. But, I'm also god's favorite princess and the most interesting girl in the world. Crafter of Constellations, vocaloid enjoyer, waluigi’s #1 fan, space alien, princess-of-quite-a-lot, and certified silly goose
Triangulation isn't really 3D, it's just using triangles to find points. Quadrangulation would be doing the same but with quadrilaterals.
Um. Yes?
But!! One of those ... laterals? ... is TIME!
Right? That's much cooler than your average straight line. At least, I think so =)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Well, then you're dealing with tesseracts. Tesseracts are great, don't get me wrong, they're just not quadrilaterals. Tesseract is a fun word, though, so tesseraculation would be a good and not entirely inaccurate name for the idea you're trying to get across.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Triangles are special - given one length and two adjacent angles, there is only one shape possible. That is how triangulation works - you know point A and point B, the distance between the two, and the angles formed by at point A and B when lines are drawn to C, and can use that data, plus basic trig (good ol’ SOHCAHTOA!) to calculate exactly where C is located.
You cannot do that with a quadrilateral - they’re not stable shapes. Give. the length of line AB and angles A and B, your only way of finding point C and D is through… two sets of triangulation, one for point C and one for point D.
And that is how things would work if one were dealing in four dimensional space - you would not use quadrilaterals - you would just use triangulation. You would perform one set of triangulation to locate point C’s position in space, and another to locate its place in time.
Triangulation is a method for pinpointing the exact location of something in three dimensional space, right?
So is it obvious that quadrangulation would be a method for pinpointing something in four dimensional space? Like, if you fired a magical missile through time and space to strike a villain at his one vulnerable moment - I dunno, when he switches his magical super shield off to take a bath - would quadrangulation be the method you employ?
Because I can sorta see that as a fun objective for a game: Find the exact coordinates, launch the magical McMissile, save the world. Propably with more bells and whistles, but ... that's the general idea.
So, the question is whether the term seems sensible. I googled it, and got a wiki with some math-like mumbo-jumbo about the surface of a thing. Psh.
So, um, actually, Triangulation is used for 2 dimensional location, not 3. For example, the stereotypical "tracking a cell phone via towers" cannot usually tell if someone is higher or lower, they can only tell where someone is along given plane (although you could track height, but you would lose other directions).
So, no, it doesn't identify something in 3 dimensions.
I mean, I can understand where you are trying to go with it, lol, but seriously, you are starting from an idea that isn't true.
What you would need to use is not a triangulation system, but a Coordinate system.
You would need three planes: Vertical, Horizontal, and Time.
Now, the funny thing is there is an entire field of science that is extant in order to track specific locations in time and space -- something that is doing exactly what you want to do, an entire field of it already. And as a bonus, it does have the ability to determine things in four dimensions!
I mean, it better -- it is how GPS works, lol.
What you want are Astromechanics. Because everything in the entire universe is constantly changing where it is, where it will be, how fast it gets there, (time), where it is in relation to up or down, and where in relation it is to "left" or "right".
but wait, it gets even more interesting. Because where Earth was 10 years ago? It will never be there, ever again. In several billion years, it might come close, assuming all manner of other things, but it will never, ever be where it was in space and time then ever again. But close, in this case, is something like 10 or 12 trillion miles.
So a Coordinate system is what you want to use, and it doesn't have to be so big, lol. You use a coordinate system for three dimensional and four dimensional spaces.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
Triangulation works in 2D, not 3D, because a triangle is a 2D shape. To pinpoint something in 3D space you would need tetrahedrulation. I’m not sure what that would be called abstracted to the 4th dimension. Maybe quantum triangulation/tetraherulation.
Triangulation works in 2D, not 3D, because a triangle is a 2D shape. To pinpoint something in 3D space you would need tetrahedrulation. I’m not sure what that would be called abstracted to the 4th dimension. Maybe quantum triangulation/tetraherulation.
We triangulate things in three dimensional space all the time - you just cut that three dimensional space into a two dimensional plane only containing the two known points and the third point you are trying to identify.
Triangulation works in 2D, not 3D, because a triangle is a 2D shape. To pinpoint something in 3D space you would need tetrahedrulation. I’m not sure what that would be called abstracted to the 4th dimension. Maybe quantum triangulation/tetraherulation.
We triangulate things in three dimensional space all the time - you just cut that three dimensional space into a two dimensional plane only containing the two known points and the third point you are trying to identify.
So you essentially convert 3D to 2D and triangulate in 2D. You can still only triangulate in 2D, not 3D. For 3D you need another point along the Z access.
Triangulation works in 2D, not 3D, because a triangle is a 2D shape. To pinpoint something in 3D space you would need tetrahedrulation. I’m not sure what that would be called abstracted to the 4th dimension. Maybe quantum triangulation/tetraherulation.
We triangulate things in three dimensional space all the time - you just cut that three dimensional space into a two dimensional plane only containing the two known points and the third point you are trying to identify.
So you essentially convert 3D to 2D and triangulate in 2D. You can still only triangulate in 2D, not 3D. For 3D you need another point along the Z access.
Nope. Your conversion to 2d for the first triangulation creates a plane angled to the “ground” in your cube. You know the angle formed by that plane. You can calculate the length of A to C from the first triangulation. That gives us a hypotenuse length and an angle A measurement. Height is a line perpendicular to ground, so we know there is a 90° angle as well. With two angles and a length, one can calculate height.
Working in multiple dimensions does not require different shapes - you just need to be able to extrapolate further from the data you have with new triangles.
That presumes there is a ground. If you’re dealing with a location in space, there is no “ground.”
Again, not quite accurate - there will always be a plane you define as the flat—that’s why graphs have a 0 for the X, Y, and Z axis, and can go into negatives. Hence why I put “ground” in quotes. You need a these zero axis as ofherwise you cannot measure.
And it does not matter where you put your zero for the Z axis. If your zero might be someone else’s -60, both you and the other person will be able to pinpoint point C’s location in space using the process outlined above. They will just calculate their “height” off their Z axis as sixty feet higher on their measurement grid than you did - but both options will result in the same location for C in real space. Even if their Z axis is at a completely different angle than yours, the answer would still end up being the same - the angles and such would result in different outcomes with your SOACAHTOAH trig functions, still calculating the same position in space.
That is why we use triangulation—triangles are perfect shapes that are extremely consistent. Knowing just a few data points and some angles allows you to specifically calculate a whole lot of different information.
Triangulation works in 2D, not 3D, because a triangle is a 2D shape. To pinpoint something in 3D space you would need tetrahedrulation. I’m not sure what that would be called abstracted to the 4th dimension. Maybe quantum triangulation/tetraherulation.
Eh - um, I'm still going to go with quadrangulation, because I like the sound of it. But I'm sure you're right, otherwise =)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Triangulation is a method for pinpointing the exact location of something in three dimensional space, right?
So is it obvious that quadrangulation would be a method for pinpointing something in four dimensional space? Like, if you fired a magical missile through time and space to strike a villain at his one vulnerable moment - I dunno, when he switches his magical super shield off to take a bath - would quadrangulation be the method you employ?
Because I can sorta see that as a fun objective for a game: Find the exact coordinates, launch the magical McMissile, save the world. Propably with more bells and whistles, but ... that's the general idea.
So, the question is whether the term seems sensible. I googled it, and got a wiki with some math-like mumbo-jumbo about the surface of a thing. Psh.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Triangulation isn't really 3D, it's just using triangles to find points. Quadrangulation would be doing the same but with quadrilaterals.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
I would say this would still be a super fun way to incorporate the idea of your quadrangulation into an adventure.
In real life, when crime scenes are being investigated, they do use the triangulation method right when they enter the scene, or at least a form of it. So it would be a practical way of using some real life strategies in a more fantastical/fantasy/time travely-setting in-game.
I say go for it. You don't have to have 100% scientifically correct backing for a fun little idea you got for a fantasy game :)
⌜╔═════════════ The Board ══════════════╗⌝
...and started me on my way into my next chapter in life...
⌞╚════════════ Extended Signature ════════════╝⌟
This seems cool
I'm fry, and I make doodles. That's why they call me FRY DOODLES. Also no pressure but check out my YouTube channel (Fry Doodles)
I'm a disabled, neurodivergent, artsy dumpster fire who's always open to chat.
I'm a sensitive little sad bean, and somewhat of a clown. But, I'm also god's favorite princess and the most interesting girl in the world.
Crafter of Constellations, vocaloid enjoyer, waluigi’s #1 fan, space alien, princess-of-quite-a-lot, and certified silly goose
Um. Yes?
But!! One of those ... laterals? ... is TIME!
Right? That's much cooler than your average straight line. At least, I think so =)
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Well, then you're dealing with tesseracts. Tesseracts are great, don't get me wrong, they're just not quadrilaterals. Tesseract is a fun word, though, so tesseraculation would be a good and not entirely inaccurate name for the idea you're trying to get across.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Triangles are special - given one length and two adjacent angles, there is only one shape possible. That is how triangulation works - you know point A and point B, the distance between the two, and the angles formed by at point A and B when lines are drawn to C, and can use that data, plus basic trig (good ol’ SOHCAHTOA!) to calculate exactly where C is located.
You cannot do that with a quadrilateral - they’re not stable shapes. Give. the length of line AB and angles A and B, your only way of finding point C and D is through… two sets of triangulation, one for point C and one for point D.
And that is how things would work if one were dealing in four dimensional space - you would not use quadrilaterals - you would just use triangulation. You would perform one set of triangulation to locate point C’s position in space, and another to locate its place in time.
So, um, actually, Triangulation is used for 2 dimensional location, not 3. For example, the stereotypical "tracking a cell phone via towers" cannot usually tell if someone is higher or lower, they can only tell where someone is along given plane (although you could track height, but you would lose other directions).
So, no, it doesn't identify something in 3 dimensions.
I mean, I can understand where you are trying to go with it, lol, but seriously, you are starting from an idea that isn't true.
What you would need to use is not a triangulation system, but a Coordinate system.
You would need three planes: Vertical, Horizontal, and Time.
Now, the funny thing is there is an entire field of science that is extant in order to track specific locations in time and space -- something that is doing exactly what you want to do, an entire field of it already. And as a bonus, it does have the ability to determine things in four dimensions!
I mean, it better -- it is how GPS works, lol.
What you want are Astromechanics. Because everything in the entire universe is constantly changing where it is, where it will be, how fast it gets there, (time), where it is in relation to up or down, and where in relation it is to "left" or "right".
but wait, it gets even more interesting. Because where Earth was 10 years ago? It will never be there, ever again. In several billion years, it might come close, assuming all manner of other things, but it will never, ever be where it was in space and time then ever again. But close, in this case, is something like 10 or 12 trillion miles.
So a Coordinate system is what you want to use, and it doesn't have to be so big, lol. You use a coordinate system for three dimensional and four dimensional spaces.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
Triangulation works in 2D, not 3D, because a triangle is a 2D shape. To pinpoint something in 3D space you would need tetrahedrulation. I’m not sure what that would be called abstracted to the 4th dimension. Maybe quantum triangulation/tetraherulation.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
We triangulate things in three dimensional space all the time - you just cut that three dimensional space into a two dimensional plane only containing the two known points and the third point you are trying to identify.
So you essentially convert 3D to 2D and triangulate in 2D. You can still only triangulate in 2D, not 3D. For 3D you need another point along the Z access.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Nope. Your conversion to 2d for the first triangulation creates a plane angled to the “ground” in your cube. You know the angle formed by that plane. You can calculate the length of A to C from the first triangulation. That gives us a hypotenuse length and an angle A measurement. Height is a line perpendicular to ground, so we know there is a 90° angle as well. With two angles and a length, one can calculate height.
Working in multiple dimensions does not require different shapes - you just need to be able to extrapolate further from the data you have with new triangles.
That presumes there is a ground. If you’re dealing with a location in space, there is no “ground.”
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Again, not quite accurate - there will always be a plane you define as the flat—that’s why graphs have a 0 for the X, Y, and Z axis, and can go into negatives. Hence why I put “ground” in quotes. You need a these zero axis as ofherwise you cannot measure.
And it does not matter where you put your zero for the Z axis. If your zero might be someone else’s -60, both you and the other person will be able to pinpoint point C’s location in space using the process outlined above. They will just calculate their “height” off their Z axis as sixty feet higher on their measurement grid than you did - but both options will result in the same location for C in real space. Even if their Z axis is at a completely different angle than yours, the answer would still end up being the same - the angles and such would result in different outcomes with your SOACAHTOAH trig functions, still calculating the same position in space.
That is why we use triangulation—triangles are perfect shapes that are extremely consistent. Knowing just a few data points and some angles allows you to specifically calculate a whole lot of different information.
Hunh.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Eh - um, I'm still going to go with quadrangulation, because I like the sound of it. But I'm sure you're right, otherwise =)
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.