sample_points_on_sphere.py

def sample_points_on_sphere(radius = 1, vres = 10, hres = 10):
    """ Sample points on a sphere that has the given radius.
    Args:
        - vres: vertical resolution, the amount of heights at which the sphere will 
                be sampled, the vertical distances are sampled at even distances
        - hres: horizontal resolution, same as vres but horizontally
    """
    def sample(r, theta, phi):
        x = r * np.sin(theta) * np.cos(phi)
        y = r * np.sin(theta) * np.sin(phi)
        z = r * np.cos(theta)
        return [x, y, z]

    # theta is vertical angle with range [0, pi]
    # phi is horizontal angle with range [0, 2pi]
    dtheta = np.pi / (vres-1)
    dphi = 2 * np.pi / (hres-1)
    samples = np.ndarray((vres * hres, 3), dtype=np.float64)

    for i in range(vres):
        for j in range(hres):
            samples[i*hres+j] = sample(radius, i * dtheta, j*dphi)
        
    return samples