tikz add tag
Anonymous 1123
Let given the sphere has equation
`(x-1)^2 + (y-2)^2 + (z-3)^2=25`. 
I choose three points `A(5, 2, 6)`, `B(4, 6, 3)`, and `C(1, -1, 7)` lies on the sphere. Therefore, the line `AB`cuts sphere at two points `A` and `B`. How to find this  points with `3dtools`? 
 My code
```
\documentclass[border=2mm,tikz]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz-3dplot}
\usetikzlibrary{3dtools,intersections}
\begin{document}
	\tdplotsetmaincoords{60}{150}
	\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=1,tdplot_main_coords,line join = round, line cap = round, declare function={R=5;}]
		\path
		(1,2,3) coordinate (I)
		(5, 2, 6) coordinate (A)
		(4, 6, 3) coordinate (B) 
		(1, -1, 7) coordinate (C);
		\path[3d/line through={(A) and (B) named lAB}];
		\pgfmathsetmacro{\myR}{sqrt(TD("(I)-(A)o(I)-(A)"))}
		\path pic{3d circle through 3 points={A={(A)},B={(B)},C={(C)},center name=G}};
				\begin{scope}[shift={(I)}]
			\draw[tdplot_screen_coords] (I) circle[radius=R]; 
				\end{scope}
		\foreach \p in {I,A,B,C}
		\draw[fill=black] (\p) circle (1pt);
		\foreach \p/\g in {I/0,A/90,B/90,C/90}
		\path (\p)+(\g:3mm) node{$\p$};
		\draw[dashed] (A) -- (B) -- (C) -- cycle;
	\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
```
![ScreenHunter 969.png](/image?hash=8b66acb2dbbdefa2c5c9ffe929f97ab5330f22f188c18df7c062d4872c16e247)
Top Answer
user 3.14159
It is rather straightforward to compute the intersections. Given the line `A--B`, we project the center of the sphere, `I`, on this line to obtain `I'`. The distance `I--I'` is the distance `d` of the line from the sphere. If `d` is smaller than `R`, then there are two intersections away by `sqrt(R^2-d^2)` from `I'` on the line. This method allows one to reproduce the points `A` and `B` that you constructed to be the intersections.
```
\documentclass[border=2mm,tikz]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz-3dplot}
\usetikzlibrary{3dtools}% https://github.com/marmotghost/tikz-3dtools
\begin{document}
\tdplotsetmaincoords{60}{150}
\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=1,tdplot_main_coords,line join = round, 
	line cap = round, declare function={R=5;}]
	\path
	(1,2,3) coordinate (I)
	(5, 2, 6) coordinate (A)
	(4, 6, 3) coordinate (B) 
	(1, -1, 7) coordinate (C);
	\path[3d/line through={(A) and (B) named lAB}];
	\pgfmathsetmacro{\myR}{sqrt(TD("(I)-(A)o(I)-(A)"))}
	% project I on A--B
	\path[3d/project={(I) on lAB}] coordinate (I');
	% distance I--I'
	\pgfmathsetmacro{\myD}{sqrt(TD("(I)-(I')o(I)-(I')"))}
	\pgfmathtruncatemacro{\itest}{sign(R-\myD)+1}
	\ifcase\itest
	 % no intersections
	\or
	 % one intersection, namely I'
	\or
	 % two intersections
	 % distance of intersections from I'
	 \pgfmathsetmacro{\myd}{sqrt(R*R-\myD*\myD)}
	 % normalize distance to the length of A--B
	 \pgfmathsetmacro{\myL}{\myd/sqrt(TD("(A)-(B)o(A)-(B)"))}
	 \path[3d coordinate={(A')=(I')+\myL*(A)-\myL*(B)},
	  3d coordinate={(B')=(I')+\myL*(B)-\myL*(A)}];
	\fi
	\path pic{3d circle through 3 points={A={(A)},B={(B)},C={(C)},center name=G}};
	\begin{scope}[shift={(I)}]
      \draw[tdplot_screen_coords] (I) circle[radius=R]; 
	\end{scope}
	\path foreach \p/\g in {I/0,A/90,B/90,C/90}
	{ (\p) node[circle,fill,inner sep=1pt,label=\g:{{$\p$}}]{}};
	\path[red] foreach \p/\g in {I'/0,A'/90,B'/90}
	{ (\p) node[circle,draw,red,inner sep=2pt,label=180+\g:{{$\p$}}]{}};
	\draw[dashed] (A) -- (B) -- (C) -- cycle;
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
```
![Screen Shot 2020-11-29 at 10.12.01 PM.png](/image?hash=af9b71f5dcc80df86b68be7deedb416999da8c68563487636a510a7e38e18d37)

I also had a routine in the `3dtools` library but it had an error, which I fixed now, so you need to download the newest version. This tool checks if the line literally intersects. Since the points `A` and `B` just touch the sphere, we need to use a slightly longer line to be sure that the intersections can be found. (One can in principle also have a version that does not check if the intersections are contained in the interval `A--B`. For other purposes the check might be useful.)
```
\documentclass[border=2mm,tikz]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz-3dplot}
\usetikzlibrary{3dtools} % https://github.com/marmotghost/tikz-3dtools
\begin{document}
\tdplotsetmaincoords{60}{150}
\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=1,tdplot_main_coords,line join = round, 
	line cap = round, declare function={R=5;}]
	\path
	(1,2,3) coordinate (I)
	(5, 2, 6) coordinate (A)
	(4, 6, 3) coordinate (B) 
	(1, -1, 7) coordinate (C)
	% A-B=(1,-4,3)
	(5.1, 1.6, 6.3) coordinate (A1)
	(3.9, 6.4, 2.7) coordinate (B1) ;
	\path[3d/line through={(A1) and (B1) named lAB},
		3d/sphere with center={(I) and radius R named sI}];
	\path[3d/aux keys/intersection 1=A',
		3d/aux keys/intersection 2=B',	
	3d/intersection of={lAB with sI}]; 
	\path pic{3d circle through 3 points={A={(A)},B={(B)},C={(C)},center name=G}};
	\begin{scope}[shift={(I)}]
      \draw[tdplot_screen_coords] (I) circle[radius=R]; 
	\end{scope}
	\path foreach \p/\g in {I/0,A/90,B/90,C/90}
	{ (\p) node[circle,fill,inner sep=1pt,label=\g:{{$\p$}}]{}};
	\path[red] foreach \p/\g in {A'/90,B'/90}
	{ (\p) node[circle,draw,red,inner sep=2pt,label=180+\g:{{$\p$}}]{}};
	\draw[dashed] (A) -- (B) -- (C) -- cycle;
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}
```
![Screen Shot 2020-11-29 at 10.38.10 PM.png](/image?hash=ca1239b22de17db44f5a4452f2032d2b130899bbea980512d9862e04c68a26c4)

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