We have created class diagrams for the Microsoft XNA Framework 4.0 assemblies (including Content Pipeline). (If you are looking for XNA 3 class diagrams, take a look at this post: XNA 3.x Framework Class Diagrams).
Our new physics library is nearly finished. Here is a compilation of a few tests:
When writing a 3D collision detection system you will most likely run into the following problem: Given a convex polygon (in 2D) or a convex polyhedron (in 3D), which of its vertices is the extreme point in a given direction. The problem is known as Support Mapping or Extremal Query. (The resulting vertex is called Support Point or Extreme Point.) Algorithms like GJK, EPA (Expanding Polytope Algorithm) or MPR (Minkowski Portal Refinement) rely heavily on extremal queries.
For simple polyhedra (small number of vertices) you can simply do an exhaustive search to find the extreme point in a given direction. However, for complex polyhedra you want to find a way to accelerate the query…
In the last post we computed convex hulls for the XNA dude. Convex hulls are useful approximations for collision detection because many algorithms like GJK, EPA (Expanding Polytope Algorithm) or MPR (Minkowski Portal Refinement) can handle arbitrary convex objects. We also used simplified convex hulls. In this post we describe how we have implemented convex hull generation, convex hull simplification and skin width.
Actually, there are many convex hull algorithms. Here is a java applet showing different algorithms: http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~lambert/java/3d/hull.html
We started with incremental construction as described in this book:
…
DigitalRune Geometry supports automatic generation of bounding shapes and convex hulls. Using simple bounding shapes or convex hulls is more efficient than using arbitrary triangle meshes in game physics. In this post we will investigate different kinds of bounding shapes.
Let's look at a practical example. Here is the Dude from the XNA Skinned Model Example:
The model has 13132 vertices and the skeleton has 60 bones.
Here is the same model where a bounding sphere is computed for the vertices of each bone.
Somewhere I read that characters in Quake-style first-person-shooter games have a speed of 10 m/s. To account for this unnatural speed the gravity is often set to a higher than normal value, like 16 m/s² (instead of 9,81 m/s²).
We haven't verified this statement, so let's put this in perspective (with collected notes from our internal knowledge base):
Seriously. If I cannot jump in an action game, chances are high that I will not play it.
Do you remember that there once was a game type called "Jump'n'Run" – where according to the genre name jumping was 50% of the gameplay and the joy? Jumping on its own is fun and it is a natural way to show emotion. In World of Warcraft, for example, jumping is the simplest expression of feelings. – Typing emotes is way to complicated for me ;-)
When implementing jumping an interesting question arises: How much control does the user have while jumping?
Ok, this one is simple - but simple things matter. Take a block of wood, drill three holes and add 3 colored pencils. If you do it right, you might get something like this:
Yet another blog post about character controllers for 3D games, and this time we will talk about the actual implementation.
Here is how the character controller in our Character Controller Example works:
The character is represented as a an upright capsule that does not rotate:
There are at least two ways to implement a character controller for a 3D game: Kinematic and Dynamic Character Controllers. In this post we discuss the difference and which solution is better.
A short reminder: In this context a character controller is the piece of code that computes the movement of the player character in the game. It takes care that the user does not run through walls, can step up/down, jump etc. The character is often modeled as an upright capsule.
Related posts: 3D XNA Character Controller Example and Character Controller Requirements
A collection of the most useful blog articles can be found here:
Article Collection (on Documentation page)
DigitalRune is a trademark of Garstenauer Information Technology OG.
Garstenauer Information Technology OG Weingartenstrasse 35, 4452 Ternberg Austria (EUROPE) office@digitalrune.com