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calculating distance

 
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SirPoonga
Geocacher


Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Posts: 144
Location: Marshfield, WI :(
PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 10:23 pm    Post subject: calculating distance Reply with quote
I need to know how to calculate the distance between two waypoints, mathematically. I want to program something and need to know the mathematics behind it. I know it isn't simple because the somewhat spherical shape of the earth. I am having a hard time finding resources.
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rickrich
Geocacher


Joined: 06 Jul 2003

Posts: 673
PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 5:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
From my "geo-dist" program at http://geo.rkkda.com. This should be good enough for government work. If you want a more accurate answer, check out Gazza's geodetics calculator.

BTW, around Mpls .001 minute is about 1.8m (5.9ft) N-S, and 1.3m (4.26 feet) E-W.

Code:
#
# Rough calculation of distance on an ellipsoid
#
calc_dist_meters() {
    awk \
    -v LATmin=$1 \
    -v LONmin=$2 \
    -v LATmax=$3 \
    -v LONmax=$4 \
    '
    function calcR(lat)
    {
        lat = lat * M_PI_180
        sc = sin(lat)
        x = A * (1.0 - E2)
        z = 1.0 - E2 * sc * sc
        y = z ^ 1.5
        r = x / y
        return r * 1000.0
    }

    function asin(x)    { return atan2(x,(1.-x^2)^0.5) }

    function dist(lat1, lon1, lat2, lon2,
                    radiant, dlon, dlat, a1, a2, a, sa, c)
    {
        radiant = M_PI_180
        dlon = radiant * (lon1 - lon2);
        dlat = radiant * (lat1 - lat2);
        a1 = sin(dlat / 2.0)
        a2 = sin (dlon / 2.0)
        a = (a1 * a1) + cos(lat1 * radiant) * cos(lat2 * radiant) * a2 * a2
        sa = sqrt(a)
        if (sa <= 1.0)
            c = 2 * asin(sa)
        else
            c = 2 * asin(1.0)
        return (Ra[int(100 + lat2)] + Ra[int(100 + lat1)]) * c / 2.0;
    }

    BEGIN {
        A = 6378.137
        E2 = 0.081082 * 0.081082
        M_PI = 3.14159265358979323846
        M_PI_180 = M_PI / 180.0
        # Build array for earth radii
        for (i = -100; i <= 100; i++)
            Ra[i+100] = calcR(i)

        d = dist(LATmin, LONmin, LATmax, LONmax)
        printf "%d\n", d
    }
    '
}
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sui generis
Past MnGCA Board


Joined: 17 Apr 2004

Posts: 608
Location: Eagan, MN
PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 5:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
....did you remember to carry the 1?
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I am amazed by how many people harp on the need to speak and write English in this country while exhibiting a fundamental lack of skills in the areas of spelling and sentence composition. Would this be irony, hypocrisy, or both?
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SirPoonga
Geocacher


Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Posts: 144
Location: Marshfield, WI :(
PostPosted: Sun Jun 13, 2004 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
rick, I ggotta find the link to your site again, I know if I look around here enough I will find it. Do you have the source available for your programs? I have a tbug idea and I am working on a way to track how the tbugs spread using svg like gps visualizer. But I to know/figure out the algorithms used to figure out what size of map to use, etc.....
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Marsha and Silent Bob
Past MnGCA President


Joined: 02 Sep 2003

Posts: 6261
PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 5:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
SirPoonga wrote:
rick, I ggotta find the link to your site again, I know if I look around here enough I will find it. Do you have the source available for your programs? I have a tbug idea and I am working on a way to track how the tbugs spread using svg like gps visualizer. But I to know/figure out the algorithms used to figure out what size of map to use, etc.....

http://mngca.rkkda.com/

Yeah the source is there too.
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