Question

How can I convert a length into a value in the range -1.0 to 1.0?

Example: my stage is 440px in length and accepts mouse events. I would like to click in the middle of the stage, and rather than an output of X = 220, I’d like it to be X = 0. Similarly, I’d like the real X = 0 to become X = -1.0 and the real X = 440 to become X = 1.0.

I don’t have access to the stage, so i can’t simply center-register it, which would make this process a lot easier. Also, it’s not possible to dynamically change the actual size of my stage, so I’m looking for a formula that will translate the mouse’s real X coordinate of the stage to evenly fit within a range from -1 to 1.

Answer 1

-1 + (2/440)*x

where x is the distance

So, to generalize it, if the minimum normalized value is a and the maximum normalized value is b (in your example a = -1.0, b = 1.0 and the maximum possible value is k (in your example k = 440):

a + x*(b-a)/k

where x is >= 0 and <= k