ProtoFlux:Cross

×

(cross product)

A

*

B

Vectors

The Cross node (also called a Cross Product) takes in 2 vector values and returns the cross product of the 3rd vector.

A cross product is basically the direction of the 3rd vector by using the other 2 vectors. The math behind it is somewhat complex but it can be used to get a direction of the other needed vector. See Also has more information for specifics and mathematical concepts.

Keep in mind of handedness, or the direction of the 3rd vector, as depending on your use case, it could be the opposite direction than what you might be expecting.

Some applications that this node can be used for:

Calculating Normals on a surface.
Collision Detection on a surface.
Physics Simulations, including Orientation and Rotation.
Texture Mapping, especially for bump mapping or other effects that rely on surface orientation.
Animation and Rigging, which includes calculating bone transformations and constraints.

This product is linear, which returns a vector. If you want something that returns a scaler, use the Dot node instead.

ProtoFlux:Cross

Inputs

A (Pseudo-Generic)

B (Pseudo-Generic)

Outputs

* (Pseudo-Generic)

Further Reading

Videos

See Also