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."
This would be great if could also run on linux. Maybe they could consider this.
ODE (http://ode.org/) is a GNU physics engine that has a simulation where you can crash a car into a brick wall .... LOT's of fun :)
I would dare to assume that this could be used to create things like virtual monster chess/ checkers/ jenga/ whatever. It could stomp a mud hole in Steam Checkers.
Someone hates these cans.
I see no reason to think that the Unreal engine will ever be released as free software, regardless of its ties to third-party software. It's really something special for id to release the Quake engines. You see it here and there with smaller and older titles, but John has said that the Quake 3 engine (still to be found in recent games like Jedi Academy and Medal of Honor) may be released by the end of the year.
But when i tried the boxstack testmap, alot of times i've seen combinations, where gravity would have done its work in real life (eg. some boxes still staying upright when shooting one box halfway out).
I really like the Havok engine, currently being used in the UT series, and also available in the HL2-Source engine (looked way more realistic than the D3 physics do)