I''m sorry, call me stupid, but what are vectors for? I know WHAT a vector is, but how is it used in game programming? While I''m at it, does anybody know a specific URL where I can find GOOD OFFICIAL MMX docs from intel (sorry for the shouting, but I''ve been lookin around there site and can''t find much...)? Thanks! OreoBoy03

Oh boy.. well, practically everywhere. Think of what a vector is, in its most abstract form. A specification of "where" in some frame of reference. Not limited to location though -- anytime you specify something in several dimensions at once, you''re dealing with a vector.

This could be location in your game world of an object.
This could be location in the velocityX/velocityY world of your object.
You could even have a vector specifying the direction to wade through a multi-dimensional array.

Basically, a vector is handy any time you need to keep track of specifying something in more than one direction at once. If you consider a one-dimensional vector (a scalar), you use them literally everwhere.


Vectors are easy to add and subtract. They''re slightly harder to multiply, but vector addition is just about the most useful thing in the world for basic game and physics programming.

try here for MMX docs.

http://developer.intel.com/drg/mmx/

and here for vectors.

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article1019.asp