Z should be up

The current most valid concern is that without an established standard, a lot of assets would break based on what users choose the z and y axis should be and do.

 

Also the word "nightmare" was used (accurately). But worse than that, it would set off a string of events that will plunge the entire world into a new dark age. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?!?!!

--Eric

 

But there is an established standard, at least for Unity, and that's all that matters here.

Check out "forward", "up" and "right" in the Vector3 class. There, at the lowest level possible, Unity has assigned meaning to some otherwise meaningless numbers. Anyone bucking that trend is simply making life hard for themselves. Work with your tools, not against them.

 

Not at all. None of it is worth "serious discussion". Numbers on their own don't have any meaning.

Here's a number : 13.2. What does it mean?

Nothing.

Yet.

We as humans assign meaning to numbers - colours, distances, directions, whatever. If I say that 13.2 is referring to a distance in meters it means something very different to if I say it's a direction in clockwise degrees from true north which means something very different to if I say it's the number of cat hairs on my couch.

It doesn't matter if y or z or wibble or Q is "up". What matters is that the people using the numbers agree on how they represent and interpret "up" and other directions. Nothing more, nothing less.

(And, on that note, letting people re-define things for themselves is only asking for trouble. "When in Rome...")

Personally, I think in terms of "forwards" and "up" and "right", and then convert that into whatever system I'm using.

 

I get what your saying. I suppose that many of the guts of unity do depend on it, hadn't really thought of that. Good point.

Lmao

 

Ok you've got me hooked..I'm dying to know what the heck happened to the other 0.8 cat hair.

 

I guess that's /thread

That being said, if you're a 1 man army programmer and don't want anyone to be able to copy your work, it could be beneficial to redefine a bunch of engine constants like forward, right, etc.

 

There was an old science fiction story where the scientists and engineers spent a considerable time trying to open up an alien space ship. The fact the screw heads did not match any screwdriver on earth didn't phase them. The fact that it was right to loosen was just completely overlooked, it wasn't something anyone ever thought about, just a way we have programmed out hands to think.