Vehicle driving over terrain

Valaris · Post by **Valaris** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:27 am

Hi,

Perhaps this has been answered before, but I'm not even sure what the name of the technique for this is called.

Basically I am able to load up my terrain, as well as my vehicle, but I am unsure how to "drive" that vehicle over terrain. IE have it react realistically to the uneveness of say a hill (IE: rotate upwards).

Is this a fairly advanced technique, or something that irrlicht can easily perfofrm?

Brainsaw · Post by **Brainsaw** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:44 am

This is something that Irrlicht does not support, as it's more than graphics. For this you should use a physics API like ODE, Bullet or PhysX. Search for these here in the forum and you'll find some wrappers that bring together Irrlicht and the physics engines.

Bear_130278 · Post by **Bear_130278** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:23 am

For this you should use a physics API like ODE, Bullet or PhysX
Cmon man.... you have Frightened him with this...
What he wants is a pretty simple math...
1.Get the normal of the point you are on
2.Calc the angle between this normal and vertical
3.Rotate the model on this angle.

Brainsaw · Post by **Brainsaw** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:09 am

I think if he wants (as he wrote) some sort of realism it would be best to use a physics API instead of writing a new one

. It is not that difficult to get that done with all the physics wrappers floating around the forum.

B@z · Post by **B@z** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:50 am

you have a function called getHorizontal angle

Eigen · Post by **Eigen** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:45 am

I trace 4 lines from each wheel and then use the result (4 ground positions) to construct 2 triangles, so it forms a quad beneath the vehicle. Then I take the average normal of the two triangles and use the normal to rotate my vehicle.

Code: Select all

// RRCollision - Rear-right wheel collision point
// FLCollision - Front-left
// ...

Triangle1 = triangle3df(RRCollision.point, FRCollision.point, FLCollision.point);
Triangle2 = triangle3df(FLCollision.point, RLCollision.point, BRCollision.point);

vector3df AvgNormal = (Triangle1.getNormal() + Triangle2.getNormal()) / 2;

// Rotate node based on the normal
...

I hope it gives you an general idea.