Physics engine choices...

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SwitchCase
Posts: 170
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 11:41 pm
Location: Manchester, UK

Post by SwitchCase »

cassini wrote:If you want something good, well documented, easy to use, and very much the industry standard, the only answer is Havok. Your worse mistake is going for one of the multi wrappers solutions.

In general multi wrappers are like infomercial that tells you other product are good but the produced they enforces are the best.
They will show demo and clip of how bad the other product looks at doing things while their product of preference is very good.
Basically multi wrappers misrepresent some solution while the prop up their prefer solutions.
They have heavy tilt to one solution and as a result what you get a subset of what the other solution can deliver.
In many cases they will make other solution look worse that they can since they insulate teh end user from the many different ways offered by physics for tweaking and calibrating a feature.

Another reason for using a solution directly is that you will be closer to the metal and you will learn the native API, at the very least you will gain experience that you can put in your resume.
Believe me it look one hell of a lot way you say wrote a demo using Havok, or Physx than saying a using a mutiwraper.


Please tell me that Leprechauns jumped through your window and had a wild orgy on your keyboard, just before that message was posted.
benny53
Posts: 131
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 10:21 pm
Location: Ohio

Post by benny53 »

I actually suggest Havok myself. Its relatively easy, and is very well documented. I've worked with it since the free release of Havok Complete came out in Late may/june ( don't really remember ).

But yeah, I'm working on a set of examples for Havok right now ( using in Irrlicht ). I'll post them up when they are finished of course. One is a tutorial on getting the basics of Havok integrated, and the others show how to achieve certain things with Havok in Irrlicht.
3DModelerMan
Posts: 1691
Joined: Sun May 18, 2008 9:42 pm

oh

Post by 3DModelerMan »

I did'nt realize havok was free.
That would be illogical captain...

My first full game:
http://www.kongregate.com/games/3DModel ... tor#tipjar
benny53
Posts: 131
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 10:21 pm
Location: Ohio

Post by benny53 »

It sure is. Not just Havok Physics, but Havok Animation as well ( aka the Havok Complete package ).
3DModelerMan
Posts: 1691
Joined: Sun May 18, 2008 9:42 pm

oh

Post by 3DModelerMan »

Wow, for commercial use?. Thants great!.
That would be illogical captain...

My first full game:
http://www.kongregate.com/games/3DModel ... tor#tipjar
benny53
Posts: 131
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 10:21 pm
Location: Ohio

Post by benny53 »

Not commercial. You can only sell games for up to $10 if you use it. But seeing as most indy developers don't sell games in general, that shouldn't be a problem.
aboeing
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2006 7:50 pm

Post by aboeing »

cassini wrote: Another reason for using a solution directly is that you will be closer to the metal and you will learn the native API,
You can use PAL to set everything up and then drop-down to "the metal" and use each API specifically if you like.

I'd suggest you take a look at PhysX, its also a free commercial-grade solution, and has a few features that Havok doesn't (and vice versa of course.)
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