[rnty]

How do I visualize arrays with 3 or 4 dimensions?

[Skydiver]

What story or message are you trying to emphasize to the viewer?

Or do you merely need a way for the viewer to browse through the data?

[rnty]

I want to use it to solve problems related to multi-dimensional arrays.
eg.
int a[2][2][2]={1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9};
What is the value of a[1][0][1]?
Thanks

[jjl]

2D arrays can be conceptually visualized as a 2D grid of values. Adding a dimension to a 2D array will result in a 3D array, which can be visualized as a cube of elements (remember that data in memory is physically layed out continuously).

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int a[2][2][2]={1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9};
What is the value of a[1][0][1]?

The value of a[1][0][1] can be conceptually represented as the coordinate (1,0,1) in the 3D cube of values.

This might help clarify

[Mrk]

rnty, on 14 January 2013 - 08:09 AM, said:

How do I visualize arrays with 3 or 4 dimensions?

Of course, the array is laid out in memory in a contiguous fashion, regardless of how many dimensions.
(The following symbols are simply used to represent a space: . ' ,).

int a[2] = (1,2)

int a[2][2] = (1,2...3,4)

int a[2][2][2] = (1,2...3,4) ..... (5,6...7,8)

int a[2][2][2][2] = (1,2...3,4) ..... (5,6...7,8) '''''''''''''' (9,10...11,12) .....(13,14...15,16)

The leftmost indice makes the largest course selection, and the rightmost indice zeros in on the single data element of interest. Of course, keep in mind indices start at 0:

a[0] = (1,2)

a[1][x] = (1,2...3,4) // x would then select 3 or 4;

a[0][x][y] = (1,2...3,4) ..... (5,6...7,8) // x would select either 1,2 or 3,4 and y would zero in on the final digit;

a[1][x][y][z] = (1,2...3,4) ..... (5,6...7,8) ''''''''''''''' (9,10...11,12) ......(13,14...15,16)

a[1][0][1][0] = 11
a[0][0][0][0] = 1
a[0][x][y][z] = (1,2...3,4) ..... (5,6...7,8) '''''''''''''' (9,10...11,12) .....(13,14...15,16) // leaving the leftmost indice zero would cause this array to be only a 3d array using just x,y and z.

Watch this progression:
a[1][0][0][1] = 10:

a[1][x][y][z] = (1,2...3,4) ..... (5,6...7,8) '''''''''''''' (9,10...11,12) .....(13,14...15,16)

a[1][0][y][z] = (1,2...3,4) ..... (5,6...7,8) '''''''''''''' (9,10...11,12) .....(13,14...15,16)

a[1][0][0][z] = (1,2...3,4) ..... (5,6...7,8) '''''''''''''' (9,10...11,12) .....(13,14...15,16)

a[1][0][0][1] = (1,2...3,4) ..... (5,6...7,8) '''''''''''''' (9,10...11,12) .....(13,14...15,16)

Also, if you were to toggle sequentially through an array, the right most indice would increase the fastest while the leftmost indice would increase the slowest, just like on a car's odometer.

This post has been edited by Mrk: 16 January 2013 - 12:15 PM