Getting Z Angle + MaDOS

[Waaaaagh]

This is terribly advanced it would seem, but I don't know how to get the Z angle between two points (meaning two 3 dimensional points). We all know that Atan2 gets you a wonderful angle for your X and Y, but how can I add in a Z angle?

For instance...

local unit u0=GetTriggerUnit()
local location l0=GetUnitLoc(u0)
local real x0=GetLocationX(l0)
local real y0=GetLocationY(l0)
local real z0=GetLocationZ(l0)+GetUnitFlyHeight(u0)

local unit u1=GetSpellAbilityUnit()
local location l1=GetUnitLoc(u1)
local real x1=GetLocationX(l1)
local real y1=GetLocationY(l1)
local real z1=GetLocationZ(l1)+GetUnitFlyHeight(u1)

local real xyang=Atan2(y1-y0,x1-x0)
local real zang=MagicalFunction(z1,z0) //I assume it would need the x and y's too in order to find the distance...
call Motion(GetUnitUserData(u1)).O.Shoot(xyang*bj_RADTODEG,zang,Speed)

I'm not sure what zang would be in - radians or degrees - but I would assume degrees; only because I'm naive and think that radians are for x and y only.

If you can think of another way to get my desired effect using MaDOS, then tell me. The effect being that I want units that are below an explosion to be exploded downward, and units to the side to be exploded sideways, etc.

 

[Cohadar]

Atan2(dr,dz)

dr = r2-r1
dz = z2-z1

r = SquareRoot(x*x + y*y)

EDIT:
I don't know if MaDos uses degrees or radians.
I use only radians.
Atan2 is a radian function.

EDIT2:
wiki rulez

 

[Waaaaagh]

Thnx Cohadar. Once again you prove to be all-knowing.

EDIT: I made it work, but I want to make sure other people understand how to do this, so:

local unit u0=GetTriggerUnit()
local location l0=GetUnitLoc(u0)
local real x0=GetLocationX(l0)
local real y0=GetLocationY(l0)
local real z0=GetLocationZ(l0)+GetUnitFlyHeight(u0)
local real r0=SquareRoot(x0*x0+y0*y0)

local unit u1=GetSpellAbilityUnit()
local location l1=GetUnitLoc(u1)
local real x1=GetLocationX(l1)
local real y1=GetLocationY(l1)
local real z1=GetLocationZ(l1)+GetUnitFlyHeight(u1)
local real r1=SquareRoot(x1*x1+y1*y1)

local real xyang=Atan2(y1-y0,x1-x0)
local real zang=Atan2(r1-r0,z1-z0)
call Motion(GetUnitUserData(u1)).O.Shoot(xyang*bj_RADTODEG,zang*bj_RADTODEG,Speed)

 

[Tom Jones]

I think this will do the job:

function AngleBetweenZ takes real distance, real height returns real
    return Atan(height/distance)
endfunction

Where distance is the distance between the two points your comparing.

 

[Cohadar]

What if distance is zero?

 

[Uberplayer]

function AngleBetweenZ takes real distance, real height returns real
    return Atan(height/(distance + 1))
endfunction

?

 

[Waaaaagh]

Hmm. It seems this new Atan function performs better - I don't know if it is more accurate, less error prone, or less realistic (yeah, I'm using a physics system pseudo-realistically; it's all about making explosions cooler ), but it simply looks better to me. I suppose I will swap them out...

 

[Cohadar]

Stop inventing stupid solutions when

function AngleBetweenZ takes real distance, real height returns real
    return Atan2(height,distance)
endfunction

will do just fine.
Witch is only the simplified version of above mentioned problem.

EDIT:
and in case you did not notice it is only a BJ version of what you already have,
and you still have to manually calculate height and distance with dx and dy and dt and dz ...
And Atan2 is more precise.

 

[Waaaaagh]

Here is the issue as I see it: I don't understand Atan and Atan2. I understand that they spit out numbers in radians for me to use with Sin and Cos, and that's it.

EDIT: Atan2 with height and distance works just as well. So once again I change my method (if only because division in Wc3 makes me nervous). $400 says that this is what Cohadar was saying from the start, but I was too ignorant to understand...

 

[Cohadar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atan2

Just leave it the way it is.
Whole mathematical and programming world is avoiding Atan in favor of Atan2, think about it.

 

[Waaaaagh]

So ok. I have this figured out. Stay tuned though, as I believe I will have more questions about the Z coordinate.