In this project, our primary focus is to explore and compare different approaches of how rotations and orientations in 3D space can be represented mathematically. In particular, we would like to delve into the concept of quaternions/Euler angles and how 3D transformations are implemented under the hood. Also, for convenient visualization we are going to implement a 3D ”sandbox” environment that would allow users to rotate objects and switch between different, so to speak, mathematical back-ends while doing so. The users should also be able to inspect the orientation of the object. The significance of the quaternions that this project focuses on is that they are widely used in mechanics and form the backbone of many 3D editors.
Concerning the implementation tools, we have made a decision to implement the quaternion/Euler algebra as a library in pure JS and bring things to life with three.js, a JavaScript library known for its capabilities in rendering 3D graphics within web browsers. The above decisions are motivated by the fact that other considered tools and frameworks (for example, implementing the environment with C++ or OpenGL) would require us to focus more on code rather than logic.