Physics for Game Developers

	Level: Advanced Instructor(s): David Bourg Time Blocks: 10 weeks Credits: Undergraduate / College Credit : 3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) : 3 Professional Developer Hours (PDHs) : 30 Tuition: $225.00 -

	You may also like to consider some of our related course and event offerings: Game Mathematics Artificial Intelligence for Game Developers 3D Engine Programming Module II

Why should I take the course?

By applying the laws of physics, you can realistically model nearly everything that bounces, flies, rolls, slides, or isn't sitting still. This allows you to create compelling, believable content for your computer games, simulations, and animation. If you want to enrich your games with physics-based realism, this course will provide you with an excellent starting point. The video game physics topics you will learn range from basic Newtonian physics to vehicle modeling to spring-mass systems.

What will I learn if I take this course?

Part one of Physics for Game Developers is a mechanics primer that reviews basic concepts and addresses aspects of rigid body dynamics, including kinematics, force, and kinetics. In part two you will apply these concepts to specific real-world problems, such as projectiles, boats, airplanes, and cars. Part three introduces real-time simulations and will show you how they apply to modern computer games.

The lessons cover the following topics:

• The Principles of Newtonian Physics
• Simulating Gravity
• Simulating Friction
• Modelling Acceleration and Velocity
• Trajectories
• Kinematics and Motion Control
• Collision Detection and Response
• Animation Technique
• ..more..

NB:	For more detailed information on the topics covered by this course offering, please download and review the PHY Lesson Plan. (To view this PDF, you will need to ensure that you have installed the free Acrobat Reader 5.0 or above.)

Who should take the course?

If you wish to add more realistic environment interaction or object behavior, you will benefit from this course. Since this course provides a fun and unique way to study certain concepts in video game physics, it would also be a great choice if you are a student who wishes to augment your studies in school with practical applications of these ideas.

What are the prerequisites to understanding the course material?

Before taking this course, it is strongly recommended that you complete the Game Mathematics course and at least the first course in the 3D Engine Programming Series since both of those courses provide you with fundamentals (and technology) that will be very helpful in this course.

To be sure, you do not need to be a physics expert to learn from this course, but it is assumed that you have a basic level of understanding of classical physics. Anyone who has taken high school or college level Physics should have no trouble understanding the material. You should also be proficient in trigonometry and vector and matrix mathematics. Certain topics in calculus are also discussed, so some degree of familiarity would be useful, but is not required. However, a strong C++ programming background is required if you are to tackle integration of the physics system into your existing game engine.

What software do I need in order to take this course?

IMPORTANT: Game Institute uses third party retailers to supply the book for this course. It is not always the same retailer so please be aware that you may be receiving a package from an online retailer such as BN.com or Amazon.com.

• Textbook
  Title: Physics for Game Developers
  Author: David Bourg
  Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
• Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 or higher
• Microsoft DirectX 8.0 SDK or higher