# Should I prefer using rotation or rotationQuaternion for TransformNodes?

**URL:** <https://forum.babylonjs.com/t/should-i-prefer-using-rotation-or-rotationquaternion-for-transformnodes/16534>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** engine\
**Created:** [December 11, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://forum.babylonjs.com/t/should-i-prefer-using-rotation-or-rotationquaternion-for-transformnodes/16534 "2020-12-11T13:54:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tolomeo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex024/user_avatar/forum.babylonjs.com/tolomeo/32/12896_2.png) [@Tolomeo](https://forum.babylonjs.com/u/Tolomeo)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://forum.babylonjs.com/t/should-i-prefer-using-rotation-or-rotationquaternion-for-transformnodes/16534/1 "2020-12-11T13:54:19Z")

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Hi all,  
I’ve just read about `TransformNodes.rotationQuaternion` being set to `undefined` by default so I wonder: performance wise is it better to always stick to `rotation` or should I prefer always using `rotationQuaternion`?

The only info I could find was that I can work with both at the same time thanks to `reIntegrateRotationIntoRotationQuaternion`, but [based on this](https://forum.babylonjs.com/t/euler-angle-and-quaternion-issue/4243/3) it’s not the best performance wise.

So if I have to make a choice, and considering that my code doesn’t change much based on what I implement (since some parts use Vector3 for rotations and some others Quaternions in an equally amount), which one should I use?

P.s: just started to work with BabylonJS so please have mercy if it is a noob question or I missed it in the forum 🙂

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**Author:** ![RaananW](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex024/user_avatar/forum.babylonjs.com/raananw/32/28955_2.png) [@RaananW](https://forum.babylonjs.com/u/RaananW)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://forum.babylonjs.com/t/should-i-prefer-using-rotation-or-rotationquaternion-for-transformnodes/16534/2 "2020-12-11T14:25:46Z")

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Hi @Tolomeo, have mercy on you! 😉

It all depends on comfortable are you with quaternions. If you are, it is preferable to use them. But as long as euler angles fulfill your rotation needs, there is no true need to switch.

Once you start using functions like `rotate` on a mesh, or use a physics engine (or import a complex mesh), you will see that the rotationQuaternion is being defined and the `.rotation`. object is no longer working.

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**Author:** ![Tolomeo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex024/user_avatar/forum.babylonjs.com/tolomeo/32/12896_2.png) [@Tolomeo](https://forum.babylonjs.com/u/Tolomeo)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2020, 3:18pm UTC](https://forum.babylonjs.com/t/should-i-prefer-using-rotation-or-rotationquaternion-for-transformnodes/16534/3 "2020-12-11T15:18:05Z")

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Thanks for you answer @RaananW!  
I will stick to quaternions then since I’m confortable with them 🙂