function setVectorLength(%vec, %desiredLength)
{
   error("setVectorLength vec:" SPC %vec SPC "desiredLength" SPC %desiredLength);
   //this only works if we start with a unit vector so we have the relative valuse for x y and z
   %vecNorm = vectorLen(%vec) > 1 ? vectorNormalize(%vec) : %vec;

   // x + y + z = the number to devide the length by in order to get the proper scale by which to
   //multiply the vector elements
   %nl = mAbs(getWord(%vecNorm, 0)) + mAbs(getWord(%vecNorm, 1)) + mAbs(getWord(%vecNorm, 2));
   %scale = %desiredLength / %nl;
   //now vector scale it and send it back
   %newVec = vectorScale(%vecNorm, %scale);
   error("finalVec:" SPC %newVec);
   return %newVec;
}