simtk.org

1) Why does OpenSim not use the IEEE 754 standard for decimal places. ie Why does it output 20 decimal places instead of 15 or 16?

2) Is it actually accurate up to this level of precision? Can it actually compute time stamp up to 20 decimal places correctly?

Hi Anthony,

Indeed we use IEEE 754 standard underneath, it just comes in handy that we can specify the number of digits to write into a file so the files can be smaller and easier to compare/inspect visually. It's true, any number larger than 17 (digits) may not be obtainable with a double precision so you need to keep this in mind. We should probably make sure that users are not misled so please file a bug report so that a warning is issued as needed.

Thanks for reporting,
-Ayman