character with newton?

[wrekwired]

What is the best way to create newton character with NGD? characters have collision base on their mesh animation usually change the collision. Moving the character and making shure he doesn't stumble when hitting other antities.

[JoeJ]

The easiest way today is to use a single-body-player-controller while alive, and switch to ragdoll when the character dies.
There is an example in applications\demosSandbox\sdkDemos\demos\BasicRagDoll.cpp, how to setup the ragdoll.
1. Basically a ragdoll are bodies connected by limited hinge and ball / socket joints.
So, at the moment of the characters death yo take information from it's current animation state to build a ragdoll that fits its position.
Also, you might want to calculate actual velocities and give them to the ragdoll bodies.


2. More accurate collisions with enviroment: Animate the ragdoll while alive.
You can use Kinematic Joint / Torque and Force methods like we've discussed in object picking thread.
If you already have an animated moving character, it shouldn't be to hard to let newton bodies follow its skeleton.
It will be not so easy to react to collisions in a meaningful way.


3. Next-Gen: Replace any animation with simulation.
Develop a skeleton, that can move on it's own, using powered joints. I've done that, and its stable and useable.
Develop AI to control it. I have a balancing state machine, but no time so far to work an walking, running...


It's hard to tell which Method is in use in current games. Mostly Method 1 will do it.
GTA4 + Star Wars Force II used Method 3 (see Endorphin) partially.
I don't know what Julio is planning to realize with his upcoming animation package, if it's 2, 3, or something in between.