Game Physics Engine Development How to Build a Robust Commercial-Grade Physics Engine for your Game

Physics is really important to game programmers who need to know how to add physical realism to their games. They need to take into account the laws of physicswhen creating asimulation or game engine, particularly in 3D computer graphics, for the purpose of making the effects appear more real to the observer or player.The game engine needs to recognize the physical properties of objects that artists create, and combine them with realistic motion. The physics ENGINE is a computer program that you work into your gamethat simulates Newtonian physics and predict effects under different conditions. In video games, the physics engine uses real-time physics to improve realism. This is the only book in its category to take readers through the process of building a complete game-ready physics engine from scratch. The Cyclone game engine featured in the book was written specifically for this book and has been utilized in iPhone application development and Adobe Flash projects.  There is a good deal of master-class level information available, but almost nothing in any format that teaches the basics in a practical way. The second edition includes NEW and/or revised material on collision detection, 2D physics, casual game physics for Flash games, more references, a glossary, and end-of-chapter exercises. The companion website will include the full source code of the Cyclone physics engine, along with example applications that show the physics system in operation. 

IntroductionWhat is Game Physics?Whatis a Physics Engine?Approaches to Physics EnginesThe Mathematics of Physics EnginesThe Source Code in the BookHow the Book is Structured PART I Particle Physics The Mathematics of ParticlesVectorsCalculusSummaryExercisesThe Laws of MotionThe ParticleThe First Two LawsThe IntegratorSummaryExercisesThe Particle Physics EngineBallisticsFireworksSummaryProjectsPART II Mass Aggregate Physics Adding General ForcesD’Alembert’s PrincipleForce GeneratorsBuilt-In Gravity and DampingSummaryExercisesSprings and Spring-Like ThingsHook’s LawSpring-Like Force GeneratorsStiff SpringsSummaryExercisesHard ConstraintsSimple Collision ResolutionCollision ProcessingThe Contact Resolver AlgorithmCollision-Like ThingsSummaryExercisesThe Mass Aggregate Physics EngineOverview of the EngineUsing the Physics EngineSummaryProjectsPART III Rigid-Body Physics The Mathematics of RotationsRotating Objects in 2DOrientation in 3DAngular Velocity and AccelerationImplementing the MathematicsSummaryExercisesLaws of Motion for Rigid BodiesThe Rigid BodyNewton-2 for RotationD’Alembert for RotationThe Rigid-Body IntegrationSummaryExercisesThe Rigid-Body Physics EngineOverview of the EngineUsing the Physics EngineSummaryProjectsPART IV Collision Detection Collision DetectionThe Collision Detection PipelineBroad-Phase Collision DetectionBounding Volume HierarchiesSpatial PartitioningSummaryExercisesGenerating ContactsCollision GeometryContact GenerationSimple Collision AlgorithmsSeparating Axis TestsCoherenceSummaryExercisesPART V Contact Physics Collision ResolutionImpulse and Impulsive TorqueCollision ImpulsesResolving InterpenetrationThe Collision Resolution ProcessSummaryExercisesResting Contacts and FrictionResting ForcesMicrocollisionsTypes of FrictionImplementing FrictionFriction and Sequential Contact ResolutionSummaryExercisesStability and OptimizationStabilityOptimizationsSummaryPutting It All TogetherOverview of the EngineUsing the Physics EngineLimitations of the EngineSummaryProjectsPART VI Further Topics in Physics Physics in Two Dimensions2D or 3D?Vector MathematicsParticle and Mass Aggregate PhysicsThe Mathematics of RotationRigid-Body DynamicsCollision DetectionCollision ResponseSummaryProjectsOther Programming LanguagesActionScript 3CJavaC#Other Scripting LanguagesOther Types of PhysicsSimultaneous Contact ResolutionReduced Coordinate ApproachesSummaryAppendix A Useful Inertia Tensors Discrete Masses Continuous Masses Common Shapes CuboidSphereCylinderConeHemisphereMoments of Inertia in 2D Common 2D ShapesAppendix B Useful Friction Coefficients Appendix C Mathematics SummaryVectorsQuaternionsMatricesIntegrationPhysicsOther Forumlas

Ian Millington is a partner of IPR Ventures, a consulting company developing next-generation AI technologies for entertainment, modeling, and simulation. Previously he founded Mindlathe Ltd, the largest specialist AI middleware company in computer games, working with on a huge range of game genres and technologies. He has a long background in AI, including PhD research in complexity theory and natural computing. He has published academic and professional papers and articles on topics ranging from paleontology to hypertext.