What is involved in adding "Rag Doll" physics to the engine?
by James Brad Barnette · in Torque Game Engine · 07/14/2003 (7:52 pm) · 9 replies
What is involved in adding "Rag Doll" physics to the engine? Something like what you see in UnrealTournament 2003 whne I character is blown in to the air and their body flies like a thrown limp rag doll. Is this even Possible? what would be involved not and overahul of the physics engine I hope. IF it is possible What is involved and where is a good place to start?
About the author
#2
07/14/2003 (8:28 pm)
Next... I'd suggest looking into OpenDE (Open Dynamics Engine) and integration into TGE. Check http://opende.sourceforge.net/ for more information. The rigid body dynamics engine in TGE is best suited for vehicles, not ragdoll physics... So, it's prolly gonna take some doing. But, by integrating OpenDE into the engine, you're opening your source up to the GPL. You would be best to put OpenDE into a library that can be called by the Torque.
#3
07/15/2003 (1:32 am)
Actually ODE can be used with your choice of LGPL or BSD license. Using the BSD license poses no potential issues whatsoever. You don't have to open your code up, you don't run afoul of Torque's own licensing requirements, etc. 
#4
If ODE was in fact GPL, this wouldn't cut it... though as George says, it is LGPL or BSD licensed... tasty treats.
-J
07/15/2003 (1:46 am)
Quote:You would be best to put OpenDE into a library that can be called by the Torque.
If ODE was in fact GPL, this wouldn't cut it... though as George says, it is LGPL or BSD licensed... tasty treats.
-J
#5
Here's a good article: www.gamasutra.com/resource_guide/20030121/jacobson_01.shtml
07/15/2003 (6:21 am)
ODE is extreme overkill for the stated purpose. You'd be better off doing ragdoll with a much simpler system.Here's a good article: www.gamasutra.com/resource_guide/20030121/jacobson_01.shtml
#6
ODE "recently" gained a much faster interative step and Tri/Mesh collision, so as long as someone could get at the torque model's / matrices then setting it up should be a breeze. The most interesting issues i've come across have all been direct 3D related, but Torque is essentially OpenGL based so they shouldn't be a problem.
07/15/2003 (6:59 am)
Despite ODE being somewhat of an overkill, it's is an easy solution. Infact installing it for client side effects in an OpenGL environment should be very very easy.ODE "recently" gained a much faster interative step and Tri/Mesh collision, so as long as someone could get at the torque model's / matrices then setting it up should be a breeze. The most interesting issues i've come across have all been direct 3D related, but Torque is essentially OpenGL based so they shouldn't be a problem.
#7
It really is a great package, especially with the aforementioned new iterative solver and Opcode integration (triangle-perfect collision detection).
07/15/2003 (10:09 am)
Another thing about ODE is you might find that once you have it in for ragdolls you find lots of other uses for it. It really is a great package, especially with the aforementioned new iterative solver and Opcode integration (triangle-perfect collision detection).
#8
07/15/2003 (7:48 pm)
The main issue with "rag doll" physics is multi-player and latency. That is why you only see the "rag doll" effect as part of a death animation in games, which is client side only, once the player is dead they are dead :) . Americas Army was supposed to have "rag doll" physics when players got shot, they would spin around and what not like "House of the Dead" and "Time Crisis" but the developers never could get the network issues resolved, thus it was pulled.
#9
07/16/2003 (6:32 am)
Yeah it would only need to be client side. At this time only planing on using it for death animations. Sure other uses can be found though.
Torque Owner Badguy
so like ts* class's need to be analyzed.
from there you need to make it capable of dynamic animations.
Then you need to perform collision on the surrounding area.
and Then you can begin to react, and start to head for the physics you want.