2D Physics Books...

[DanMarshall]

Just wondering if anyone has any books on 2D gameworld physics? Everything's 3D these days, and I'm not interested in that third dimension!

Any recommendations?!

[oNyx]

2D physics are pretty much the same, just omit one axis. Its really not like 2D vs 3D graphics. The parts were you're using vector objects look identical for example and sweep tests can be simplyfied etc.

[Pyabo]

If you're looking for real basics, a high school physics book could be handy.

[PoV]

Yeah, like they've said 2D and 3D are so similar, you're not going to find books only on it. The only thing you really need to know to do 2D physics, is instead of the cross product, you use the vector tangents to get an adjacent/perp vector. Calculating them is insanely simple. The tangent vectors of a vector (x, y) is either (y, -x) or (-y, x). That simple. Apply the same one three times more, and you're back where you started.

Then combine that with a decent 3D physics text, like Physics for Game Developers (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596000065/sr=8-1/qid=1146522263/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7802966-5318508?%5Fencoding=UTF8), Thomas Jakobsen's Advanced Character Physics (http://www.gamasutra.com/resource_guide/20030121/jacobson_pfv.htm) article (deceptive name), the big Real Time Collision Detection (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1558607323/sr=8-1/qid=1146522472/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7802966-5318508?%5Fencoding=UTF8) orange book, and that nice new article the metanet kids (http://www.harveycartel.org/metanet/tutorials.html) put up to get you started, then you're set.

[hine62]

Just for fun check out "The Cartoon Guide to Physics" this is very basic easy to read stuff. I also have "Physics for Game Developers".

BTW... you'll need that third dimension to rotate 2D graphics. :D

Hine62

[Bmc]

BTW... you'll need that third dimension to rotate 2D graphics. :D

Hine62


no you don't ... unless he isn't trying to rotate it along the Z-Axis (or whatever axis you have going into the screen)

[hine62]

lol... ok you don't need it, but in a technical sense you need to be aware of it. :)

[PoV]

For hardware rendering yes, but not for the physics. On the other hand, it'd be difficult to find someone that hasn't seen a 3D game, and I imagine it'd be hard to repress the whole concept of a 3rd dimension if you were teaching 2D. So for that, sure.

Just for fun check out "The Cartoon Guide to Physics"...
Whoa, neat book series. Technical topics and cartoons. I'm so there. :D

[Teq]

Just for fun check out "The Cartoon Guide to Physics" this is very basic easy to read stuff. I also have "Physics for Game Developers".

BTW... you'll need that third dimension to rotate 2D graphics. :D

Hine62
:o sounds like an interesting read, wonder if I can add that to my budget :D