Function for finding the area of a polygon in a 3D co-ordinate system.
Python, 30 lines
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Copy to clipboard1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 | import numpy as np
#area of polygon poly
def poly_area(poly):
if len(poly) < 3: # not a plane - no area
return 0
total = [0, 0, 0]
N = len(poly)
for i in range(N):
vi1 = poly[i]
vi2 = poly[(i+1) % N]
prod = np.cross(vi1, vi2)
total[0] += prod[0]
total[1] += prod[1]
total[2] += prod[2]
result = np.dot(total, unit_normal(poly[0], poly[1], poly[2]))
return abs(result/2)
#unit normal vector of plane defined by points a, b, and c
def unit_normal(a, b, c):
x = np.linalg.det([[1,a[1],a[2]],
[1,b[1],b[2]],
[1,c[1],c[2]]])
y = np.linalg.det([[a[0],1,a[2]],
[b[0],1,b[2]],
[c[0],1,c[2]]])
z = np.linalg.det([[a[0],a[1],1],
[b[0],b[1],1],
[c[0],c[1],1]])
magnitude = (x**2 + y**2 + z**2)**.5
return (x/magnitude, y/magnitude, z/magnitude)
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This function implements Stoke's theorem. Other methods for finding the area of a polygon in 2D space involve rotation into the xy plane. To me this seems simpler.
