Game Physics Basics

1. Introduction

Game physics is the simulation of physical systems in a virtual environment. It involves the application of principles from physics to create realistic movements and interactions in games.

2. Key Concepts

3. Rigid Body Dynamics

Rigid body dynamics involves the study of the motion of rigid bodies under the influence of forces.

Key equations include:

• Newton's Second Law: F = m * a
• Momentum: p = m * v
• Impulse: J = Δp

4. Collision Detection

Collision detection is the computational problem of detecting when two or more objects collide. It can be broad-phase or narrow-phase:

• Broad-phase: Quickly eliminates pairs of objects that are too far apart to collide.
• Narrow-phase: Precisely checks for collisions between potentially colliding pairs.

4.1 Simple Collision Detection Example

function checkCollision(objA, objB) {
    return (objA.x < objB.x + objB.width &&
            objA.x + objA.width > objB.x &&
            objA.y < objB.y + objB.height &&
            objA.y + objA.height > objB.y);
}

5. Best Practices

• Use a physics engine for complex simulations.
• Optimize collision detection for performance.
• Test with different object shapes and sizes.
• Consider user input and environmental factors in physics calculations.

6. FAQ