I remember someone asking (on this or other forum) about what is there beyond source. I think its my duty to clarify. Im a pre grad in computer science, and have read some mechanics. So just take my word for it, (or dont, but read anyway).
5 years ago, ( think HL1 ) games, didnt have any dynamics. (Sure some moveable barrels but no real life mechanics.) Today, most games do, (halo, BF1942, HL2) BUT no games have solid mechanics, (ie, a treory how different stuff brakes). IE, in BF1942 if you blow up a jeep, (with tnt) it will end up on the other side of the map, but we know that thats not real, a real jeep would tare itseld in small tiny pieces, but thats because todays CPUs are not powerful enougth to simulate forces within solids. The computer asumes that solid metal is unbendable, or even unbrakable. So if you as me, I'd give the game industry about another 5 years to do that.
Now whats beyond that? Well, to get really real har, clothing you need fluid dynamics. And thats a tough one. Today we use super or cluster computing to calculate how air or fluids move, and it takes ages to do that. When we can do that 60 times a second (fps) we really can simulate real physics.
There are shortcuts!
IE the ropes/cables in HL2 (read in e-mails from valve) are not fully simulated, but give the illusion of beeing it. it uses 5-10 springs instead, with joints in between. and then, i think, the engine basicly interpolates a second or third degeree curve trough the joint points. Clever aint it? and does not require fluid dynamics or solid mechanics. So basicly everything in games are aproximations but even those require CPU power. So I'd say HL 4-5 then we'll see really impressive (maybe FF movie graphics) and real life physics.
:bounce:
Can't wait, can you?
5 years ago, ( think HL1 ) games, didnt have any dynamics. (Sure some moveable barrels but no real life mechanics.) Today, most games do, (halo, BF1942, HL2) BUT no games have solid mechanics, (ie, a treory how different stuff brakes). IE, in BF1942 if you blow up a jeep, (with tnt) it will end up on the other side of the map, but we know that thats not real, a real jeep would tare itseld in small tiny pieces, but thats because todays CPUs are not powerful enougth to simulate forces within solids. The computer asumes that solid metal is unbendable, or even unbrakable. So if you as me, I'd give the game industry about another 5 years to do that.
Now whats beyond that? Well, to get really real har, clothing you need fluid dynamics. And thats a tough one. Today we use super or cluster computing to calculate how air or fluids move, and it takes ages to do that. When we can do that 60 times a second (fps) we really can simulate real physics.
There are shortcuts!
IE the ropes/cables in HL2 (read in e-mails from valve) are not fully simulated, but give the illusion of beeing it. it uses 5-10 springs instead, with joints in between. and then, i think, the engine basicly interpolates a second or third degeree curve trough the joint points. Clever aint it? and does not require fluid dynamics or solid mechanics. So basicly everything in games are aproximations but even those require CPU power. So I'd say HL 4-5 then we'll see really impressive (maybe FF movie graphics) and real life physics.
:bounce:
Can't wait, can you?