diff --git a/docs/modules/core/api-reference/matrix4.md b/docs/modules/core/api-reference/matrix4.md
index 30121a61..e351357e 100644
--- a/docs/modules/core/api-reference/matrix4.md
+++ b/docs/modules/core/api-reference/matrix4.md
@@ -99,6 +99,15 @@ Sets the matrix to a transformation corresponding to the rotations represented b
 
 - `quaternion` (`Quaternion`) - the quaternion to create matrix from
 
+##### fromTranslationQuaternion(translation: Vector3, quaternion: Quaternion): this
+
+Sets the matrix to a transformation corresponding to the translation and rotations represented by the given parameters.
+
+`matrix4.fromTranslationQuaternion(translation, quaternion)`
+
+- `translation` (`Vector3`) - the translation to create matrix from
+- `quaternion` (`Quaternion`) - the quaternion to create matrix from
+
 ##### `frustum(options: {left: number, right: number, bottom: number, top: number, near: number, far: number}): this`
 
 Generates a frustum matrix with the given bounds. The frustum far plane can be infinite.
diff --git a/modules/core/src/classes/matrix4.ts b/modules/core/src/classes/matrix4.ts
index d05236aa..3b0f097e 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/classes/matrix4.ts
+++ b/modules/core/src/classes/matrix4.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {vec2_transformMat4AsVector, vec3_transformMat4AsVector} from '../lib/gl-
 // @ts-ignore gl-matrix types...
 import {
   fromQuat as mat4_fromQuat,
+  fromRotationTranslation as mat4_fromRotationTranslation,
   frustum as mat4_frustum,
   lookAt as mat4_lookAt,
   ortho as mat4_ortho,
@@ -231,6 +232,20 @@ export class Matrix4 extends Matrix {
     return this.check();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Calculates a 4x4 matrix from the given translation and quaternion
+   * @param translation Vector3 to create matrix from
+   * @param quaternion Quaternion to create matrix from
+   * @returns self
+   */
+  fromTranslationQuaternion(
+    translation: Readonly<NumericArray>,
+    quaternion: Readonly<NumericArray>
+  ): this {
+    mat4_fromRotationTranslation(this, quaternion, translation);
+    return this.check();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Generates a frustum matrix with the given bounds
    * @param view.left - Left bound of the frustum
@@ -368,7 +383,9 @@ export class Matrix4 extends Matrix {
    * @param result
    * @returns self
    */
-  getScale(result: NumericArray = [-0, -0, -0]): NumericArray {
+  getScale(): NumericArray;
+  getScale<T extends NumericArray>(result: T): T;
+  getScale(result = [-0, -0, -0]): NumericArray {
     // explicit is faster than hypot...
     result[0] = Math.sqrt(this[0] * this[0] + this[1] * this[1] + this[2] * this[2]);
     result[1] = Math.sqrt(this[4] * this[4] + this[5] * this[5] + this[6] * this[6]);
@@ -384,7 +401,9 @@ export class Matrix4 extends Matrix {
    * @param result
    * @returns self
    */
-  getTranslation(result: NumericArray = [-0, -0, -0]): NumericArray {
+  getTranslation(): NumericArray;
+  getTranslation<T extends NumericArray>(result: T): T;
+  getTranslation(result = [-0, -0, -0]): NumericArray {
     result[0] = this[12];
     result[1] = this[13];
     result[2] = this[14];
@@ -397,8 +416,12 @@ export class Matrix4 extends Matrix {
    * @param scaleResult
    * @returns self
    */
-  getRotation(result?: NumericArray, scaleResult?: NumericArray): NumericArray {
-    result = result || [-0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0];
+  getRotation(scaleResult?: NumericArray): NumericArray;
+  getRotation<T extends NumericArray>(result: T, scaleResult?: NumericArray): T;
+  getRotation(
+    result = [-0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0],
+    scaleResult?: NumericArray
+  ): NumericArray {
     scaleResult = scaleResult || [-0, -0, -0];
     const scale = this.getScale(scaleResult);
     const inverseScale0 = 1 / scale[0];
@@ -429,8 +452,12 @@ export class Matrix4 extends Matrix {
    * @param scaleResult
    * @returns self
    */
-  getRotationMatrix3(result?: NumericArray, scaleResult?: NumericArray): NumericArray {
-    result = result || [-0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0];
+  getRotationMatrix3(scaleResult?: NumericArray): NumericArray;
+  getRotationMatrix3<T extends NumericArray>(result: T, scaleResult?: NumericArray): T;
+  getRotationMatrix3(
+    result = [-0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0, -0],
+    scaleResult?: NumericArray
+  ): NumericArray {
     scaleResult = scaleResult || [-0, -0, -0];
     const scale = this.getScale(scaleResult);
     const inverseScale0 = 1 / scale[0];
diff --git a/modules/core/src/gl-matrix/quat.ts b/modules/core/src/gl-matrix/quat.ts
index 653797be..aa5b757d 100644
--- a/modules/core/src/gl-matrix/quat.ts
+++ b/modules/core/src/gl-matrix/quat.ts
@@ -354,22 +354,22 @@ export function slerp(out, a, b, t) {
  * @param {quat} out the receiving quaternion
  * @returns {quat} out
  */
-// export function random(out) {
-//   // Implementation of http://planning.cs.uiuc.edu/node198.html
-//   // TODO: Calling random 3 times is probably not the fastest solution
-//   let u1 = glMatrix.RANDOM();
-//   let u2 = glMatrix.RANDOM();
-//   let u3 = glMatrix.RANDOM();
-
-//   let sqrt1MinusU1 = Math.sqrt(1 - u1);
-//   let sqrtU1 = Math.sqrt(u1);
-
-//   out[0] = sqrt1MinusU1 * Math.sin(2.0 * Math.PI * u2);
-//   out[1] = sqrt1MinusU1 * Math.cos(2.0 * Math.PI * u2);
-//   out[2] = sqrtU1 * Math.sin(2.0 * Math.PI * u3);
-//   out[3] = sqrtU1 * Math.cos(2.0 * Math.PI * u3);
-//   return out;
-// }
+export function random(out) {
+  // Implementation of http://planning.cs.uiuc.edu/node198.html
+  // TODO: Calling random 3 times is probably not the fastest solution
+  let u1 = glMatrix.RANDOM();
+  let u2 = glMatrix.RANDOM();
+  let u3 = glMatrix.RANDOM();
+
+  let sqrt1MinusU1 = Math.sqrt(1 - u1);
+  let sqrtU1 = Math.sqrt(u1);
+
+  out[0] = sqrt1MinusU1 * Math.sin(2.0 * Math.PI * u2);
+  out[1] = sqrt1MinusU1 * Math.cos(2.0 * Math.PI * u2);
+  out[2] = sqrtU1 * Math.sin(2.0 * Math.PI * u3);
+  out[3] = sqrtU1 * Math.cos(2.0 * Math.PI * u3);
+  return out;
+}
 
 /**
  * Calculates the inverse of a quat
diff --git a/modules/core/test/classes/matrix4.spec.ts b/modules/core/test/classes/matrix4.spec.ts
index 68487c81..757b794c 100644
--- a/modules/core/test/classes/matrix4.spec.ts
+++ b/modules/core/test/classes/matrix4.spec.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 // MIT License
 
 /* eslint-disable max-statements */
-import {Matrix4, Vector3, config, configure} from '@math.gl/core';
+import {Matrix3, Matrix4, Quaternion, Vector3, config, configure} from '@math.gl/core';
+import {random as vec3_random} from '../../src/gl-matrix/vec3';
+import {random as quat_random} from '../../src/gl-matrix/quat';
 import test from 'tape-promise/tape';
 import {tapeEquals, tapeEqualsEpsilon} from 'test/utils/tape-assertions';
 
@@ -42,6 +44,20 @@ test('Matrix4#fromQuaternion', (t) => {
   t.end();
 });
 
+test('Matrix4#fromTranslationQuaternion', (t) => {
+  const translation = new Vector3(vec3_random([-0, -0, -0], 100 * Math.random()));
+  const quaternion = new Quaternion(quat_random([-0, -0, -0, -0]));
+
+  tapeEquals(
+    t,
+    new Matrix4().fromTranslationQuaternion(translation, quaternion),
+    new Matrix4()
+      .fromQuaternion(quaternion)
+      .multiplyLeft(new Matrix4().identity().translate(translation))
+  );
+  t.end();
+});
+
 test('Matrix4#from', (t) => {
   tapeEquals(t, new Matrix4().from(INDICES_MATRIX), INDICES_MATRIX);
   // tapeEquals(t, new Matrix4().from({x: 1, y: 2, z: 3, w: 4}), [1, 2, 3, 4]);
@@ -159,6 +175,18 @@ test('Matrix4#getScale', (t) => {
   t.end();
 });
 
+test('Matrix4#getScaleAsVector3', (t) => {
+  const INPUT = INDICES_MATRIX;
+  const RESULT = new Vector3([3.7416573867739413, 10.488088481701515, 17.37814719698276]);
+
+  const scale = new Matrix4(INPUT).getScale(new Vector3());
+
+  tapeEquals(t, scale instanceof Vector3, true);
+  tapeEquals(t, scale, RESULT, 'getScale gave the right result');
+
+  t.end();
+});
+
 test('Matrix4#getRotation', (t) => {
   const INPUT = INDICES_MATRIX;
   const RESULT = [
@@ -173,6 +201,21 @@ test('Matrix4#getRotation', (t) => {
   t.end();
 });
 
+test('Matrix4#getRotationAsMatrix4', (t) => {
+  const INPUT = INDICES_MATRIX;
+  const RESULT = new Matrix4([
+    0.2672612419124244, 0.19069251784911848, 0.17263060129453078, 0, 1.3363062095621219,
+    0.5720775535473555, 0.4028047363539052, 0, 2.4053511772118195, 0.9534625892455924,
+    0.6329788714132796, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1
+  ]);
+
+  const m = new Matrix4(INPUT).getRotation(new Matrix4(), [...INDICES_MATRIX]);
+  tapeEquals(t, m instanceof Matrix4, true);
+  tapeEquals(t, m, RESULT, 'getRotation gave the right result');
+
+  t.end();
+});
+
 test('Matrix4#getRotationMatrix3', (t) => {
   const INPUT = INDICES_MATRIX;
   const RESULT = [
@@ -187,6 +230,21 @@ test('Matrix4#getRotationMatrix3', (t) => {
   t.end();
 });
 
+test('Matrix4#getRotationMatrix3AsMatrix3', (t) => {
+  const INPUT = INDICES_MATRIX;
+  const RESULT = new Matrix3([
+    0.2672612419124244, 0.19069251784911848, 0.17263060129453078, 1.3363062095621219,
+    0.5720775535473555, 0.4028047363539052, 2.4053511772118195, 0.9534625892455924,
+    0.6329788714132796
+  ]);
+
+  const m = new Matrix4(INPUT).getRotationMatrix3(new Matrix3(), [...INDICES_MATRIX.slice(0, 9)]);
+  tapeEquals(t, m instanceof Matrix3, true);
+  tapeEquals(t, m, RESULT, 'getRotationMatrix3 gave the right result');
+
+  t.end();
+});
+
 test('Matrix4#getTranslation', (t) => {
   const INPUT = INDICES_MATRIX;
   const RESULT = [13, 14, 15];
@@ -197,6 +255,17 @@ test('Matrix4#getTranslation', (t) => {
   t.end();
 });
 
+test('Matrix4#getTranslationAsVector3', (t) => {
+  const INPUT = INDICES_MATRIX;
+  const RESULT = new Vector3([13, 14, 15]);
+
+  const m = new Matrix4(INPUT).getTranslation(new Vector3());
+  tapeEquals(t, m instanceof Vector3, true);
+  tapeEquals(t, m, RESULT, 'getTranslation gave the right result');
+
+  t.end();
+});
+
 test('Matrix4#perspective#', (t) => {
   const fovy = Math.PI * 0.5;
   const result = new Matrix4().perspective({fovy, aspect: 1, near: 0, far: 1});