Brian Beckman: The Physics in Games - Real-Time Simulation Explained

Posted By: Charles | Jun 8th, 2007 @ 6:53 PM | 64,718 Views | 24 Comments
Ever find yourself wondering about the math behind your favorite simulation game? Did you know that the motion physics of a car are much more complicated than the those of an airplane?

Brian Beckman, physicist, programmer and Channel 9 celebrity (he's been on C9 a few times...), sure does. Besides spending time innovating programming languages and tools, Brian spends time working on the mathematics behind real-time physics simulation. Most recently, he worked on the math behind the tire physics of the popular racing game Forza.

Simulation, by definition, needs to be accurate. Otherwise, well, it's not simulating reality, really, which is of course the idea of simulation. Games like Forza in fact simulate real physics of racing in a predictable and highly mathematically precise manner. That's exactly why Forza is a real-time automobile racing simulation game. 

The past, present and future of computer simulation of real-time physical events, or simply computer-based simulations that involve highly accurate representations of things moving/changing in space and time that are precisely affected by multiple variables like wind, rain, gravity, mud, oil, planets, waves, etc are very fascinating topics for gamers(many may not realize this explicitly, but they sure experience it!), mathematicians, programmers and physicists alike. Heck, any body who thinks about the thinking behind things that they experience in a simulated environment should watch/listen to this interview (available in podcast form as well as video).

Towards the end of this conversation, Brian mentions Rigs of Rods and Plasma Pong. Check out the Rigs of Rods simulation demo at 00:58:11!

Our sister site, Channel 10, has a great Forza piece.

Tune in. Learn (alot).
Media Downloads:
Rating:
2
0
#Jun 8th, 2007 @ 9:40 PM
mcampbell
mcampbell
I like all the download options. Is this new?
#Jun 8th, 2007 @ 9:40 PM
Charles
Charles
Welcome Change
mcampbell wrote:
I like all the download options. Is this new?


Yes and no Smiley The options have been there, just not fully implemented. Now they are. Big thanks to the great Duncan Mackenzie for implementing this.

C
#Jun 8th, 2007 @ 10:08 PM
Cyonix
Cyonix
Me
Brian is great, loved the video
#Jun 9th, 2007 @ 2:26 AM
Chadk
Chadk
excuse me - do you has a flavor?
Thats AWESOME! Big Smile

Very good video.
#Jun 9th, 2007 @ 5:05 AM
iStation
iStation
Fuujin
He should thrive on "Many Core Era!"
Nice video!
Smiley
#Jun 9th, 2007 @ 5:27 AM
shoshan
shoshan
  1. that's right !!
    when I created a small simple balls engine using XNA using some
    of my (unfinished yet) high school physics I saw that all the time I
    had to make some stupid decisions...
    and even worse, when stuff are moving fast (relatively to the
    anount of time we are looking at) you really need to see when
    were you supposed to stop because of a wall or something and
    calculate everything back there and than simulate what would
    happen until the time you are at now...

    in other words, very simple code turns into a monster...

  2. very very cool post !!!

  3. what's that fractal on the second screen ?
#Jun 9th, 2007 @ 6:23 AM
dentaku
dentaku

That's the best ting I've seen on C9 in a LONG time. It was fascinating and informative.

We've been discussing the vehicle handling of the DIRT demo on the Codemasters forum this week (because it's horrible on some machines and great on others and nobody can tell us why) and this just gave me more information about game physics.

#Jun 9th, 2007 @ 7:41 AM
LorentzFrame
LorentzFrame
http://www.enchgallery.com/fractals/fracthumbs.htm

has an endless supply of supernal wallpaper

and this is the screen-saver companion

http://www.electricsheep.org/

#Jun 9th, 2007 @ 8:17 AM
karnokd
karnokd

Fascinating!

And what about the mechanics part of the car? The stress in components can be also simulated in these games? A bad move and your gear breaks loose? Or the suspension deformates and changes behavior?

Microsoft Communities