Game Physics Pearls

Implementing physical simulations for real-time games is a complex task that requires a solid understanding of a wide range of concepts from the fields of mathematics, physics, and software engineering. This book is a gems-like collection of practical articles in the area of game physics. Each provides hands-on detail that can be used in practical applications. The chapters cover topics such as collision detection, particle-based simulations, constraint solving, and soft-body simulation. An introductory section provides the mathematical foundations and offers some background for the problems inherent in successful physics simulation. The contributors write based on their experience in developing tools and runtime libraries either in game companies or middleware houses that produce physics software for games on PCs and consoles.

GAME PHYSICS 101Mathematical BackgroundIntroduction Vectors and Points Lines and Planes Matrices and TransformationsQuaternions Rigid-Body DynamicsNumerical IntegrationFurther Reading Understanding Game Physics ArtifactsIntroductionDiscretizalion and Linearization Time Stepping and the Well of DespairThe Curse of RotationsSolver Collision DetectionJoints Direct Animation Artifact Reference COLLISION DETECTIONBroad Phase and Constraint Optimization for PlayStation 3Introduction Overview of CellBEOptimization of the Broad Phase Optimization of the Constraint SolverConclusion SAT in Narrow Phase and Contact-Manifold GenerationIntroduction Contact Manifold Physics Engine Pipeline SAT Basics Intuitive Gauss MapComputing Full Contact ManifoldsSAT Optimizations Smooth Mesh Contacts with GJKIntroductionConfiguration SpaceSupport Mappings Overview of GJK Johnson’s AlgorithmContinuous Collision DetectionContacts Conclusion PARTICLESOptimized SPHIntroduction The SPH Equations An Algorithm for SPH SimulationThe Choice of Data Structure Collapsing the SPH AlgorithmStability and BehaviorPerformance Conclusion Appendix: Scaling the Pressure Force Parallelizing Particle-Based Simulation on Multiple Processors IntroductionDividing Computation Data Management without DuplicationChoosing an Acceleration Structure Data Transfer Using Grids ResultsConclusion CONSTRAINT SOLVING Ropes as Constraints IntroductionFree-Hanging Ropes Strained Ropes Quaternion-Based Constraints IntroductionNotation and Definitions The ProblemConstraint DefinitionsMatrix-Based Quaternion AlgebraA New Tale on Quaternion-Based ConstraintsWhy It WorksMore General Frames Limits and DriversExamples Conclusion SOFT BODYSoft Bodies Using Finite ElementsIntroduction Continuum MechanicsLinear FEMSolving the Linear SystemSurface-Mesh Update Particle-Based Simulation Using Verlet IntegrationIntroduction Techniques for Numerical Integration Using Relaxation to Solve Systems of EquationsRigid Bodies Articulated BodiesMiscellaneousConclusion Keep Yer Shirt OnIntroduction Stable Real-Time ClothModeling Real FabricsPerformance Order of Cloth Update Stages Conclusion, Results, and Future SKINNINGLayered Skin SimulationIntroduction Layered Deformation ArchitectureSmooth Skinning Anatomical CollisionsRelaxalionJiggle Conclusion Dynamic Secondary Skin DeformationsIntroduction The Interaction Model Neighborhood InteractionVolumetric EffectsFinal Remarks Index A Bibliography appears at the end of each chapter.

Gino van den Bergen is an experienced 3D graphics and geometry developer working at DTECTA, which offers middleware for collision detection and custom 3D software development. He has over 15 years of experience programming 3D applications in C++ and 5 years of programming experience in the game industry. He earned a Ph.D. in computing science from Eindhoven University of Technology. Dirk Gregorius is a contractor for game studios, middleware vendors, and publishers. He has extensive experience in the computer game industry, having worked at Havok and Factor 5, where he was responsible for cloth and rigid body physics.