How to find the intersection point between a line and a rectangle?

Here is a solution that works for me. I assume that the rect is aligned to the axes.

Data:

// Center of the Rectangle
let Cx: number
let Cy: number
// Width
let w: number
// Height
let h: number

// Other Point
let Ax: number
let Ay: number

Now translate point A by the center of the rectangle so the rect is centered in O(0,0) and consider the problem in the first quarter (i.e. x > 0 and y > 0).

// Coordinates Translated
let Px = Math.abs(Ax - Cx)
let Py = Math.abs(Ay - Cy)

// Slope of line from Point P to Center
let Pm = Py / Px

// Slope of rectangle Diagonal
let Rm = h / w

// If the point is inside the rectangle, return the center
let res: [number, number] = [0, 0]

// Check if the point is inside and if so do not calculate
if (!(Px < w / 2 && Py < h / 2)) {

    // Calculate point in first quarter: Px >= 0 && Py >= 0
    if (Pm <= Rm) {
        res[0] = w / 2
        res[1] = (w * Pm) / 2
    } else {
        res[0] = h / (Pm * 2)
        res[1] = h / 2
    }

    // Set original sign 
    if (Ax - Cx < 0) res[0] *= -1
    if (Ay - Cy < 0) res[1] *= -1
}

// Translate back
return [res[0] + Cx, res[1] + Cy]

Let's make some assumptions :

Points A and C are given, such that they define a rectangle ABCD aligned with the traditional axes. Assume that A is the bottom-left corner, and C is the top-right (i.e. xA < xC and yA < yC).

Assume that X and Y are two points given such that X lies inside the rectangle (ie xA < xX < xC && yA < yX < yC) and Y lies outside (i.e. not(xA < xY < xC && yA < yY < yC).

This allows us to define a unique intersection point E between the segment [X,Y] and the rectangle ∂ABCD.

The trick is to look for a certain 0 < t < 1 such that t*Y+(1-t)*X is on the rectangle ∂ABCD. By re-writing the condition Γ(t) ∈ ABCD as :

(xY - xX) * t ∈ [xA - xX, xC - xX] and (yY - yX) * t ∈ [yA - yX, yC - yX],

it is now possible to unwind all the scenarios. This yields :

var t = 0;

if(xY == xX) {
    t =  max((yA - yX)/(yY - yX), (yC - yX)/(yY - yX));
} else {
    if(yY == yX) {
        t = max((xA - xX)/(xY - xX), (xC - xX)/(xY - xX));
    } else {
        if(xY > xX) {
            if(yY > yX) {
                t = min((xC - xX)/(xY - xX), (yC - yX)/(yY - yX));
            } else {
                t = min((xC - xX)/(xY - xX), (yA - yX)/(yY - yX));
            }
        } else {
            if(yY > yX) {
                t = min((xA - xX)/(xY - xX), (yC - yX)/(yY - yX));
            } else {
                t = min((xA - xX)/(xY - xX), (yA - yX)/(yY - yX));
            }
        }
    }
}

xE = t * xY + (1 - t) * xX;
yE = t * yY + (1 - t) * yX;

Given the original question, I think that @ivanross answer is the most concise and clear so far, and I found myself using the same approach.

If we have a rectangle

• centered in B
• with sides parallel to x and y axes

we can use a bit of trigonometry to get:

• tan φ (phi) = h/w
• tan θ (theta) = (yB-yA)/(xB-xA)

and some trivial math to get in which quadrant (of the x-y plane centered in B) the point A is.

finally we compare the angles and use the tangents to calculate the coordinates of the intersection point, applying again basic trigonometry principles.

/**
 * Finds the intersection point between
 *     * a rectangle centered in point B
 *       with sides parallel to the x and y axes
 *     * a line passing through points A and B (the center of the rectangle)
 *
 * @param width: rectangle width
 * @param height: rectangle height
 * @param xB; rectangle center x coordinate
 * @param yB; rectangle center y coordinate
 * @param xA; point A x coordinate
 * @param yA; point A y coordinate
 * @author Federico Destefanis
 * @see <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/a/31254199/2668213">based on</a>
 */

function lineIntersectionOnRect(width, height, xB, yB, xA, yA) {

  var w = width / 2;
  var h = height / 2;

  var dx = xA - xB;
  var dy = yA - yB;

  //if A=B return B itself
  if (dx == 0 && dy == 0) return {
    x: xB,
    y: yB
  };

  var tan_phi = h / w;
  var tan_theta = Math.abs(dy / dx);

  //tell me in which quadrant the A point is
  var qx = Math.sign(dx);
  var qy = Math.sign(dy);


  if (tan_theta > tan_phi) {
    xI = xB + (h / tan_theta) * qx;
    yI = yB + h * qy;
  } else {
    xI = xB + w * qx;
    yI = yB + w * tan_theta * qy;
  }

  return {
    x: xI,
    y: yI
  };

}


var coords = lineIntersectionOnRect(6, 4, 0, 0, 1, 0);
console.log(coords);

Hope It works 100%

I am also had this same problem. So after two days of hard effort finally I created this method,

Main method,

    enum Line
    {
        // Inside the Rectangle so No Intersection Point(Both Entry Point and Exit Point will be Null)
        InsideTheRectangle,

        // One Point Inside the Rectangle another Point Outside the Rectangle. So it has only Entry Point
        Entry,

        // Both Point Outside the Rectangle but Intersecting. So It has both Entry and Exit Point
        EntryExit,

        // Both Point Outside the Rectangle and not Intersecting. So doesn't has both Entry and Exit Point
        NoIntersection
    }
    
    // Tuple<entryPoint, exitPoint, lineStatus>
    private Tuple<Point, Point, Line> GetIntersectionPoint(Point a, Point b, Rectangle rect)
    {
        if (IsWithinRectangle(a, rect) && IsWithinRectangle(b, rect))
        {
            // Can't set null to Point that's why I am returning just empty object
            return new Tuple<Point, Point, Line>(new Point(), new Point(), Line.InsideTheRectangle);
        }
        else if (!IsWithinRectangle(a, rect) && !IsWithinRectangle(b, rect))
        {
            if (!LineIntersectsRectangle(a, b, rect))
            {
                // Can't set null to Point that's why I am returning just empty object
                return new Tuple<Point, Point, Line>(new Point(), new Point(), Line.NoIntersection);
            }

            Point entryPoint = new Point();
            Point exitPoint = new Point();

            bool entryPointFound = false;

            // Top Line of Chart Area
            if (LineIntersectsLine(a, b, new Point(0, 0), new Point(rect.Width, 0)))
            {
                entryPoint = GetPointFromYValue(a, b, 0);
                entryPointFound = true;
            }
            // Right Line of Chart Area
            if (LineIntersectsLine(a, b, new Point(rect.Width, 0), new Point(rect.Width, rect.Height)))
            {
                if (entryPointFound)
                    exitPoint = GetPointFromXValue(a, b, rect.Width);
                else
                {
                    entryPoint = GetPointFromXValue(a, b, rect.Width);
                    entryPointFound = true;
                }
            }
            // Bottom Line of Chart
            if (LineIntersectsLine(a, b, new Point(0, rect.Height), new Point(rect.Width, rect.Height)))
            {
                if (entryPointFound)
                    exitPoint = GetPointFromYValue(a, b, rect.Height);
                else
                {
                    entryPoint = GetPointFromYValue(a, b, rect.Height);
                }
            }
            // Left Line of Chart
            if (LineIntersectsLine(a, b, new Point(0, 0), new Point(0, rect.Height)))
            {
                exitPoint = GetPointFromXValue(a, b, 0);
            }

            return new Tuple<Point, Point, Line>(entryPoint, exitPoint, Line.EntryExit);
        }
        else
        {
            Point entryPoint = GetEntryIntersectionPoint(rect, a, b);
            return new Tuple<Point, Point, Line>(entryPoint, new Point(), Line.Entry);
        }
    }

Supporting methods,

    private Point GetEntryIntersectionPoint(Rectangle rect, Point a, Point b)
    {
        // For top line of the rectangle
        if (LineIntersectsLine(new Point(0, 0), new Point(rect.Width, 0), a, b))
        {
            return GetPointFromYValue(a, b, 0);
        }
        // For right side line of the rectangle
        else if (LineIntersectsLine(new Point(rect.Width, 0), new Point(rect.Width, rect.Height), a, b))
        {
            return GetPointFromXValue(a, b, rect.Width);
        }
        // For bottom line of the rectangle
        else if (LineIntersectsLine(new Point(0, rect.Height), new Point(rect.Width, rect.Height), a, b))
        {
            return GetPointFromYValue(a, b, rect.Height);
        }
        // For left side line of the rectangle
        else
        {
            return GetPointFromXValue(a, b, 0);
        }
    }

    public bool LineIntersectsRectangle(Point p1, Point p2, Rectangle r)
    {
        return LineIntersectsLine(p1, p2, new Point(r.X, r.Y), new Point(r.X + r.Width, r.Y)) ||
               LineIntersectsLine(p1, p2, new Point(r.X + r.Width, r.Y), new Point(r.X + r.Width, r.Y + r.Height)) ||
               LineIntersectsLine(p1, p2, new Point(r.X + r.Width, r.Y + r.Height), new Point(r.X, r.Y + r.Height)) ||
               LineIntersectsLine(p1, p2, new Point(r.X, r.Y + r.Height), new Point(r.X, r.Y)) ||
               (r.Contains(p1) && r.Contains(p2));
    }

    private bool LineIntersectsLine(Point l1p1, Point l1p2, Point l2p1, Point l2p2)
    {
        float q = (l1p1.Y - l2p1.Y) * (l2p2.X - l2p1.X) - (l1p1.X - l2p1.X) * (l2p2.Y - l2p1.Y);
        float d = (l1p2.X - l1p1.X) * (l2p2.Y - l2p1.Y) - (l1p2.Y - l1p1.Y) * (l2p2.X - l2p1.X);

        if (d == 0)
        {
            return false;
        }

        float r = q / d;

        q = (l1p1.Y - l2p1.Y) * (l1p2.X - l1p1.X) - (l1p1.X - l2p1.X) * (l1p2.Y - l1p1.Y);
        float s = q / d;

        if (r < 0 || r > 1 || s < 0 || s > 1)
        {
            return false;
        }

        return true;
    }

    // For Large values, processing with integer is not working properly
    // So I here I am dealing only with double for high accuracy
    private Point GetPointFromYValue(Point a, Point b, double y)
    {
        double x1 = a.X, x2 = b.X, y1 = a.Y, y2 = b.Y;
        double x = (((y - y1) * (x2 - x1)) / (y2 - y1)) + x1;
        return new Point((int)x, (int)y);
    }

    // For Large values, processing with integer is not working properly
    // So here I am dealing only with double for high accuracy
    private Point GetPointFromXValue(Point a, Point b, double x)
    {
        double x1 = a.X, x2 = b.X, y1 = a.Y, y2 = b.Y;
        double y = (((x - x1) * (y2 - y1)) / (x2 - x1)) + y1;
        return new Point((int)x, (int)y);
    }

    // rect.Contains(point) is not working properly in some cases.
    // So here I created my own method
    private bool IsWithinRectangle(Point a, Rectangle rect)
    {
        return a.X >= rect.X && a.X <= rect.X + rect.Width && a.Y >= rect.Y && a.Y <= rect.Y + rect.Height;
    }