What this means is that when you throw a baseball (in 2D, for argument’s sake) you can solve two separate equations for how it moves vertically and how it moves horizontally. You can separate the equations of motion into smaller equations: one each for the x, y, and z axes. Newton’s equations of motion – which dictate basically everything we’re about to do – have a very helpful mathematical quality. For some reason, linear algebra always elicits a visceral reaction from people, but please allow me the opportunity to sway you. The first thing I learned when building my physics engine is that you really should embrace vector mathematics (linear algebra). I’ve left you a very helpful to-do list at the end of this article, if you’re just here looking for a summary of what you need to learn. I hope you’ll use this article as a springboard and go write your own game engine, researching advanced concepts in the process. My true goal is to point you in the right direction and teach the concepts that you’ll need to build upon later. I’ve left out some major optimization and implementation details a single article can only cover so much. This article will guide you through the essential physics of game engines. Game development is only a hobby – not my profession – so I did the only sensible thing and started building a legitimate physics engine in native JavaScript as research.
#Java 3d physics engine series
I scratched both of those itches by starting a series on my blog called Physics in JavaScript.Įventually, Build New Games asked me to write an article on physics for video games. I love teaching (which I do often), and I still love physics. I’m presently an entrepreneur and the co-founder/CTO of Tidal Labs, which is proving that you can do awesome things as a bootstrapped startup in NYC. I earned my master’s in engineering simulating physics in the powertrain of hybrid cars. Years later I attended the prestigious (and tuition-free) Cooper Union, where I studied automotive and sustainable engineering. I started programming in 1999 and built my first MMORPG in Perl in 2001.