[V or 'Tex]

Since there are probably standard library functions for complex number manipulation, could you use complex numbers to represent x and y axis rotation. Such that ax+by is a complex number of the form a+bi. I don't know if this would be more or less efficient but you may have more luck manipulating them that way. You should keep in mind people percieve aiming to be a grid on a sphere where everything is a rotation, whereas plotting a+bi would be done on a plane. Might have to use some unusual arithmatic to warp the plane but it should be sufficient.

Or maybe you should just come up with your own class to represent spherical mapping?