Circle line-segment collision detection algorithm?

Question

I have a line from A to B and a circle positioned at C with the radius R.

What is a good alg

Answer 1

You can find a point on a infinite line that is nearest to circle center by projecting vector AC onto vector AB. Calculate the distance between that point and circle center. If it is greater that R, there is no intersection. If the distance is equal to R, line is a tangent of the circle and the point nearest to circle center is actually the intersection point. If distance less that R, then there are 2 intersection points. They lie at the same distance from the point nearest to circle center. That distance can easily be calculated using Pythagorean theorem. Here's algorithm in pseudocode:

{
dX = bX - aX;
dY = bY - aY;
if ((dX == 0) && (dY == 0))
  {
  // A and B are the same points, no way to calculate intersection
  return;
  }

dl = (dX * dX + dY * dY);
t = ((cX - aX) * dX + (cY - aY) * dY) / dl;

// point on a line nearest to circle center
nearestX = aX + t * dX;
nearestY = aY + t * dY;

dist = point_dist(nearestX, nearestY, cX, cY);

if (dist == R)
  {
  // line segment touches circle; one intersection point
  iX = nearestX;
  iY = nearestY;

  if (t < 0 || t > 1)
    {
    // intersection point is not actually within line segment
    }
  }
else if (dist < R)
  {
  // two possible intersection points

  dt = sqrt(R * R - dist * dist) / sqrt(dl);

  // intersection point nearest to A
  t1 = t - dt;
  i1X = aX + t1 * dX;
  i1Y = aY + t1 * dY;
  if (t1 < 0 || t1 > 1)
    {
    // intersection point is not actually within line segment
    }

  // intersection point farthest from A
  t2 = t + dt;
  i2X = aX + t2 * dX;
  i2Y = aY + t2 * dY;
  if (t2 < 0 || t2 > 1)
    {
    // intersection point is not actually within line segment
    }
  }
else
  {
  // no intersection
  }
}

EDIT: added code to check whether found intersection points actually are within line segment.