[Bf-committers] softbody experiments

[Ton Roosendaal]

Hi,

I've just committed the groundlayers for softbody, in my opinion  
sufficient to do serious testing of proper algorithms for stable &  
controllable particle+springs based physics in objects.

Now I know several people have expressed interest in the topic, to help  
out with the math/pyhisics here. Maybe we could devote a special irc  
session to this?

My idea was to do that 2nd half of our usual sunday meetings (15h GMT,  
17h CEST).

I also like to keep the focus for such work limited, or in small  
feasible steps forward... full fledged advanced cloth animation is  
nice, but I see use especially for;

- enhancing character animation by defining certain parts of geometry  
to become 'physical' (flubbering skin, flapping ears, etc)
- have simple yello-based physics and collisions for objects (no true  
rigid body). This can be made useful by implementing a deforming  
feature for meshes, so you can have complex geometry bouncing around  
just deformed by a singe SoftBody Cube.
- make it working with the current 'particle deflectors' and 'force  
fields'. Without too much complexity you then can already have waving  
flag stuff for example. Check how Maya implemented it with 'Goal'!
http://caad.arch.ethz.ch/info/maya/manual/UserGuide/Dynamics/ 
SoftBodies.doc.html#178382

- Most of all; simplicity and in control of artists, not realism.

-Ton-

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Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation ton at blender.org  
http://www.blender.org