Third type of physics

Next to: No Physics & Phyics I would like to see something like "easy physics". In this mode there is no gravity, no force etc. Only position and velocity. Also the possibility to make it phantom but only for other objects, so only avatars are dragged along with this.
I think this would be great for elevators, doors, monorails etc. etc.

I second it...I think

I just think that many people see no need for real physics, even with bullets you like them to go in one line and have no gravity. Honestly, when do you ever want to use gravity on scripter objects?? it's almost impossible to do anything scripted with it because it can fall upside down etc. (unless you set the rotate status ofcourse)

But overal I think that physics is not really working good enough and it takes too many processing power, on the other hand almost all scripted objects that move (elevators, doors, monorail etc.) try to avoid the real physics behaviour (disabeling rotation, gravity etc.).

I think that a lot more cool things could be made if they make the physics more simplistic, and it would cause much less lag on the server.

i think the thing about physics is that it has to calculate collisions. it has to see what parts of objects are colliding with others, their weight and speed etc. to calculate the force and figure out what to do next. maybe i just don't understand what you mean by third physics. if two 'third physics enabled' objects collided then what should happen next?

No real need for physics?!?!?!!?

Go play Plinko, my livelyhood, and tell me we have no need for physics

I always thought the physics engine of SL was one of the coolest things ever!

Well you know, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

I think his real point is that there are many things that only want to use some part of physics and that it would be cool if those things could possible do so and use less processor power.

My backing of this is dependant of factors I have no access to. If it would take any good amount of time, I would just rather the physics engine itself be worked on / havoc 2 implemented.

If its as simple as adding a new status, STATUS_PHYSICS_LIGHT or something, and its not a difficult matter to say that ojects in this mode react to forces but don't have gravity or collisions (or I dunno what the parameters should be) then that would be cool. Of course llSetBouyancy(1.0) and llSetStatus(STATUS_PHANTOM,TRUE) will do those two things...... hm. Which means its dependant on if things could be made more effecient server side with such an option.

Wow dave you named exactly ONE thing in SL that needs it. I can name much more, but I meant that the majority of the scrited object would be much happier with a simple version of the physics. Ofcourse they should not get RID of the current physics system (I'm still quite impressed with it) but that's why I'm talking about a third kind of physics.

The collision detection isn't THAT good. Sorry to say something BAD about SL (I love the game) but the workarounds you need to get a simple elevator working is rediculous.
I KNOW that there are good elevators in SL (I can make them too) but it should be much more simple! And require less CPU-time as well.

To answer your question Ama and Ope, objects with simple physics should NOT do collision detection. Avatars should be dragged along, but other objects will go right trough it. When the avatar that's dragged hits a solid object the avatar should not go trough that, but trough the object with the simple physics. If the avatar hits another simple physics objects the avatar should just stand still or I don't know whatl; it shouldn't really matter, it will look weird anyway.

But if the weird looking is a reason to not do the simple physics idea, then you're wrong! I can make some really weird looking things with the current physics engine too (and that will always be so), but I just don't, why would I? I don't see much weird things in SL. Overall people try to make things that do NOT abuse the shortcomings of the current physics system, because then it seems like the creator doesn't have enough skill to make it look good. I'm convinced that there won't be much creations that would use the incorrect collision detected or any other shortcomings of the possible simple physics system....

And again, the current physics system is really cool, but the lindens would do their servers and the players a favor by adding a simple physics mode for objects.

Ok so basically what your saying is that it should collide with avatars and not other stuff. It will still have to do collision detection, but only for avatars, and I guess the object would not bounce off the avatar, but instead just keep going. I actually like this idea. It would definitely be useful, if it's possible.

But i have to agree with Ama. I'm waiting to see what the Havok engine brings us.

I haven't heard much of this new system (the name rocks , do you know any details of it?
Anyway I think we need a system where you can make fool-prove elevators, trains, doors and such things (cars is something else)
In real life an elevatordoor, elevator or train/monorail can't be stopped by flying in front of it or standing under it. and I LIKE it that way

ooh you just gave me an idea. The reason why those things don't stop when u get in front is because they weigh a heck of a lot more than you. If instead of using an objects size for mass, we had a function where we could set an objects mass like: llSetMass(float) that would be great.

then if you got in front of the train that was set to be heavy you'd get knocked

i'm gonna start another therad on this. Please respond there.

heh, yeah, some stuff in the physics engine is completely messed up, i'll agree with you there. heck, it was the main reason i originally built plinko, to find all the goofy things!

as for enhancements and such, i'm holding off until Havok 2.0 is implemented, that's when i'll be telling the lindens to get rid of object buffers and up the physics fps