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Re: [Public WebGL] Matrix objects in JavaScript

You'll get SIMD intrinsics for JS, eventually. There's some talk there:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=644389

See asm.js for the most promising current approach to closing in on 'native' performance.
http://asmjs.org/
Some early performance numbers there: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=840282#c0

Benoit


On 13-03-21 11:57 AM, Tony Parisi wrote:
Benoit,

Far be it from me to argue with one of the implementers, but it seems like a properly designed set of matrix objects e.g. one that incorporates the type of features Florian is asking for, including SIMD support, will definitely be faster than the fastest and most optimized _javascript_.

For years, C++ game developers have pushed the envelope on getting C++ compiler support for these types of operations, because they wanted  their C++ to go faster. This is the same situation, but for a slower language. Why wouldn't a similar approach yield great benefits? Again, if properly designed?

Peanut gallery out;
Tony

On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 8:47 AM, Benoit Jacob <bjacob@mozilla.com> wrote:
That would only help if it's implemented directly in the JS engine like Typed Arrays are. Otherwise the cost of a DOM API call would dominate.

Benoit


On 13-03-21 11:21 AM, Florian Bösch wrote:
What would really help where some helper functions in native code/SIMD/platform optimized that perform basic matrix operations like inverse, transpose, multiply, determinant etc. from array buffer to array buffer/view.


On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 3:58 PM, Benoit Jacob <bjacob@mozilla.com> wrote:
I have been arguing on public-fx that we are better off without a browser-supported matrix library because this is best done in JS both from the perspective of performance (giving it a bit of time for JS toolchains to solve roadblocks) and from the perspective of flexibility and not blessing an arbitrary choice of matrix library over other ones (and a poor one at that).

Benoit


On 13-03-21 07:04 AM, Si Robertson wrote:
I have to say I can not think of any reason for native matrix objects to be implemented by browser vendors unless those objects (a) provide a significant performance gain over custom code, and (b) are compatible with WebGL.

Matrix operations that work on typed arrays are very fast already if the code is optimised, and it is relatively easily to avoid creating new type arrays when needed.



On 21 March 2013 10:24, Florian Bösch <pyalot@gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 11:19 AM, Kirill Prazdnikov <kirill.prazdnikov@jetbrains.com> wrote:
Will it be a helper library or part of WebGL API ?
Neither. It would be implemented in the browser, not related to WebGL, and in  my opinion, unusable for it.
 







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