NovodeX Physics Engine SDK/Demo Released

JJC writes "If, like me, your favourite thing about Doom 3 is the test_boxstack demo map, you're in for a treat. To demonstrate their physics engine, NovodeX has produced a Windows program, called NovodeX Rocket, that lets you set up and manipulate a number of 3D objects and watch them collide and interact realistically. Included are ragdolls (human, deer, horse and monsters), dominoes, trebuchets and a giant Jenga tower. This coincides with the NovodeX Physics SDK v 2.1.1 becoming freely available for non-commercial use. I heard about this from David Weller's MSDN Blog."

Comments

Well, a glimmer of hope

[jvmatthe]

I had been worried that future id Software games might not be released as Free software (like Doom, Quake, Quake 2, and soon Quake 3) because they were incorporating third party libraries for physics. Sure, John Carmack and crew ripped out some sound code from Doom to get the source released, but a whole physics engine is a completely different beast, and I doubt that Carmack would be up to coding a decent one in order to make the Doom 3 source something he could release in a workable state.

Anyway, good to see they're at least thinking about tools that are open enough that they might be usable in a few years when Doom 3 is made Free.

As another example: I doubt that UT2k3 could be released as anything resembling Free software when it is a true legacy product and Epic's newer tech is attractive enough to keep people licensing the new instead of going for the old. It's got a physics engine that they depend on someone else to build for them, last I heard. (Can't remember the name of it right now. Karma? Ah well.)

Not that I'm waiting for Doom 3 to become Free: it's many years out and for now id's getting my cash as soon as the GNU/Linux binaries for Doom 3 are released. It's the least I can do for a developer that continues to give its source away when it's done with it. Of course, I'd like to see the new game too. ;^)

Re:Well, a glimmer of hope

[0x0d0a]

Don't be misled by the submitter's mention of Doom 3's test_boxstack map, Doom 3's physics were done in-house at id by Jan Paul van Waveren (a.k.a. Mr. Elusive), who was also responsible for bots both official and unofficial in past Quakes. Gamespy interviewed him and Robert Duffy back in 2001, although the interview doesn't go too much into the details of exactly how Doom 3's physics work.

Yes, that was my guess when I read this article. Marketroid: "People like DOOM3 right now. Hmm. Time to get a Slashdot story submitted."

"DOOM3's physics engine is awesome! You can license [unrelated, permanently-proprietary engine] for only a small amount of money here [link]!"

Marketroid: "Yes sir, confused people are clicking on that link like mad."

Argh.