How can I optimize vector normalization in a Molecular Modeling program?

[willkn at montana.com]

Hi, I've been working on a molecular modeling program and have been
trying to improve its performance recently.  I did some profiling and
found that the most time by far (41.4%) was spent in a function which
normalizes a 3-dimensional vector (profiling statistics are given at
the bottom).

I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for optimizing that operation.
Thanks,
William Knight
willkn at montana.com

The definition of the function is given below:

typedef double VTYPE;
typedef VTYPE Vector[3];


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
////////
// MakeUnitVector
//
// Reduces a normal vector specified as a set of three coordinates,
// to a unit normal vector of length one.
//
bool MakeUnitVector(Vector v)
	{
	VTYPE length;

	// Calculate the length of the vector
	length = (VTYPE)sqrt((v[0]*v[0]) + (v[1]*v[1]) + (v[2]*v[2]));

	// if length is zero, bail
	if(length == 0)
		return false;

	// Divide each element by the length to get a unit vector.
	v[0] /= length;
	v[1] /= length;
	v[2] /= length;

	return true;
	}// MakeUnitVector

//***************** Profiling Details ************//

        Func          Func+Child           Hit
        Time   %         Time      %      Count  Function
---------------------------------------------------------
   15493.876  41.4    15493.876  41.4  9971880 MakeUnitVector(double *
const) (vector.obj)
    5951.749  15.9     6789.747  18.1   627030
CForceField::CalcVanderwaalsInteraction(void) (cforcefield.obj)
    2185.047   5.8    18425.737  49.2    84010
CForceField::CalcPotentialsAndForces(class CFFPairList *,class
CEEPairList *,class CEOPairList *) (cforcefield.obj)
    1976.562   5.3    13039.435  34.8  3752280
CForceField::CalcEEInteraction(class CElectron *,class CElectron *)
(cforcefield.obj)
    1778.265   4.7     1778.265   4.7  4656515 VectorMagnitude(double *
const) (vector.obj)
    1668.910   4.5     1668.910   4.5  8884682 MultiplyVector(double *
const,double) (vector.obj)
    1270.428   3.4     1270.428   3.4 13438760 SubtractVector(double *
const,double * const) (vector.obj)
    1195.278   3.2     1195.278   3.2 21288242 AddVector(double *
const,double * const) (vector.obj)
    1145.663   3.1     1238.959   3.3       64 CStatus::Print(char *)
(cstatus.obj)



Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.