Gloxemheimerberg wrote:

TimothyLawyer wrote:

0 degrees isn't right. 90 degrees is.

The convention it most closely follows is that of a compass. 0 degrees is up (North), 90 degrees is right (East), 180 degrees is down (South), and 270 (or -90) degrees is left (West).

When a person is traveling in the real world, their direction, generally, is going to be given by degrees of a compass, not a unit circle. Same with a sprite.

AI Overview wrote:

While both compass bearings and the unit circle measure direction using angles, they employ different reference systems and conventions tailored to their respective fields of use.

The unit circle is a mathematical tool often used in trigonometry and physics, whereas compass bearings are fundamental to navigation.

Application

1. Compass: Used practically for terrestrial and marine navigation by pilots, sailors, and hikers to chart a course or determine location relative to true north.
   
2. Unit Circle: Used in theoretical mathematics, engineering, and physics to model wave functions, oscillating systems, and forces.
   

This actually strengthen's @GunesKing 's point. Because in scratch most of the sprites (the ones that are asymmetrical) look to the right, which would be their north. So Right should be 0, not 90.

That's right. Abby, Amon, Andie, Avery, Bear, Beetle, Ben, Butterfly 2, Casey, Scratch Cat 1 and 2, Centaur, Champ99, Characters 1 and 2, Chick, City Bus, Convertible, Convertible 2, Dan, Dani, Dee, Devin, Dot, Dragon, Duck, Elephant, Elf, Fairy, Fish, Football, Fox, Frog, Frog 2…
ok there's so much more I got tired. THEY ALL LOOK TO THE RIGHT, which is their north, and is 0. The 90 would be up of them, 180 their back (left), and -90 down, which matches the correct way.

Yeah and also the default direction should be 0 instead of 90 because initial angles are generally defined to start as 0

when flag clicked
set to
point in direction ((direction) + (90))

when @greenFlag clicked
set [direction v] to [0]
point in direction ((direction) + (90))

This is a script where if you set the direction variable, to 0, it goes right, like every direction

Numberblocks1310 wrote:

when @greenFlag clicked
set [direction v] to [0]
point in direction ((direction) + (90))

This is a script where if you set the direction variable, to 0, it goes right, like every direction

That doesn't work, because scratch's system rotates clockwise. The correct system rotates counter-clockwise. You can't simply add 90 degrees.

I'm aware of workarounds. But my suggestion is obviously not looking for a workaround. Read the title of my suggestion carefully.

I think, if this suggestion were to ever be implemented, compatibility could be maintained by replacing direction-related blocks in existing projects to convert to/from the current direction scale, like:

Though, this might slightly confuse users on why so many old projects are using 90 - in direction blocks?

As for pros vs. cons of the two systems, maybe:
0-Right-CCW:
+ Used in math
+ 0 wouldn't rotate the costume
- Is a pretty significant change, would break tutorials and lots of other documentation
- Negative values would no longer all point left
90-Right-CW (Scratch):
+ Negative angles are left, positive angles are right
+ Clockwise being positive might be more intuitive? idk, it definitely does feel more like a “right” direction than a “left” direction
- 0 is Up, yet that *rotates* the costume since apparently the ST wants you to be able to draw your sprites in the editor facing right. 90 is the angle that doesn't rotate the costume.


Though, IMO there isn't one “correct” coordinate system (have you SEEN the discourse around Y-up vs. Z-up (in 3D), or Y-down vs. Y-up, or left-handed vs. right-handed coordinates? neither have i, but nobody seems to agree on which of those to use).

CST1229 wrote:

I think, if this suggestion were to ever be implemented, compatibility could be maintained by replacing direction-related blocks in existing projects to convert to/from the current direction scale, like:

Though, this might slightly confuse users on why so many old projects are using 90 - in direction blocks?

As for pros vs. cons of the two systems, maybe:
0-Right-CCW:
+ Used in math
+ 0 wouldn't rotate the costume
- Is a pretty significant change, would break tutorials and lots of other documentation
- Negative values would no longer all point left
90-Right-CW (Scratch):
+ Negative angles are left, positive angles are right
+ Clockwise being positive might be more intuitive? idk, it definitely does feel more like a “right” direction than a “left” direction
- 0 is Up, yet that *rotates* the costume since apparently the ST wants you to be able to draw your sprites in the editor facing right. 90 is the angle that doesn't rotate the costume.


Though, IMO there isn't one “correct” coordinate system (have you SEEN the discourse around Y-up vs. Z-up (in 3D), or Y-down vs. Y-up, or left-handed vs. right-handed coordinates? neither have i, but nobody seems to agree on which of those to use).

Clockwise is definitely not intuitive. Look. We live in a world of different cultures and languages.
There must be a way to speak each other universally. That's why there can only be 1 correct way.
If scratch continues to use the wrong angle system, scholars all over the world like me will be confused

GunesKing wrote:

(#48)
There must be a way to speak each other universally. That's why there can only be 1 correct way.
If scratch continues to use the wrong angle system, scholars all over the world like me will be confused

eh, i disagree. imo, there is no wrong angle system!! it is not “unnecessarily” different. it is different, but not unnecessarily.

the biggest problem is *still* what would happen with existing projects and tutorials/videos, though.

CST1229 wrote:

GunesKing wrote:

(#48)
There must be a way to speak each other universally. That's why there can only be 1 correct way.
If scratch continues to use the wrong angle system, scholars all over the world like me will be confused

eh, i disagree. imo, there is no wrong angle system!! it is not “unnecessarily” different. it is different, but not unnecessarily.

the biggest problem is *still* what would happen with existing projects and tutorials/videos, though.

As said before, perhaps make it optional.

Also you can't even give me a good reason why scratch i using the wrong angle system, so its unnecessary

GunesKing wrote:

As said before, perhaps make it optional.

Substitution for this.

GunesKing wrote:

Also you can't even give me a good reason why scratch i using the wrong angle system, so its unnecessary

Yeah it's unnecessary! This angle system goes against to math you learn in school. Isn't scratch designed to also be compatible for schools? This angle system contradicts the compatibility of Scratch in schools.

Gloxemheimerberg wrote:

GunesKing wrote:

Also you can't even give me a good reason why scratch i using the wrong angle system, so its unnecessary

Yeah it's unnecessary! This angle system goes against to math you learn in school. Isn't scratch designed to also be compatible for schools? This angle system contradicts the compatibility of Scratch in schools.

Literally this.

I support that the angle coordinate system should match standardized mathematics.

0 degrees = North makes no sense, LET ALONE “ERECT” TO BE 90.
An erect position should obviously be 0, not 90. Plus, 90 defined is to be perpendicular. So in scratch erect is 90… PERPENDICULAR TO WHAT???

Yeah, Scratch's angle coordinate system currently is just… wrong

CagnusMarlsen wrote:

I support that the angle coordinate system should match standardized mathematics.

0 degrees = North makes no sense, LET ALONE “STANDARD POSITION” TO BE 90.
The standard position should obviously be 0, not 90. Plus, 90 defined is to be perpendicular. So in scratch the standard position is 90… PERPENDICULAR TO WHAT???

If you think about it, the right angle points right.
Let's not use that term.

cookedasparagus8 wrote:

CagnusMarlsen wrote:

I support that the angle coordinate system should match standardized mathematics.

0 degrees = North makes no sense, LET ALONE “STANDARD POSITION” TO BE 90.
The standard position should obviously be 0, not 90. Plus, 90 defined is to be perpendicular. So in scratch the standard position is 90… PERPENDICULAR TO WHAT???

If you think about it, the right angle points right.
Let's not use that term.

Yeah ok. The right angle is 90, but the right arrow of the angle is 0, and the up arrow of the angle is 90. As it goes counter-clockwise from 0 to 90 (right to up).

CagnusMarlsen wrote:

Yeah ok. The right angle is 90, but the right arrow of the angle is 0, and the up arrow of the angle is 90. As it goes counter-clockwise from 0 to 90 (right to up).

Literally right angle.

This suggestion is a little buried but I found something interesting.
It's secretly a dupe of another suggestion from 2013!

I can't merge with that suggestion. It's 12 years old man! I ain't discussing in that topic. Pretty sure they all left scratch.