Browsing through work folders on my PC today, I have found this old project:

Back in 2007 PhysX Developers section of Ageia website has some disputable structure (for example, Physx SDK features description was missing, but there was large flash banner with several CG-sequences, not related to PhysX at all) – thus, I’ve decided to recreate this section from my “point of view” and send it to Ageia. And actually, some of my ideas (like feature list) were used later on.

So, just for amusement factor I’ve uploaded whole thing to PhysXInfo – maybe it gonna be interesting for someone, who is still curious on Ageia part of PhysX history.

Proceed to alternative Ageia PhysX Developer website [Link not available anymore]

Cebas has updated their fluid, rigid body and particle F/X simulation framework, knows as thinkingParticles to version R4.

In addition to other changes and enhancements, existing PhysX SDK integration is now using 64-bit PhysX solver.

Moreover, it seems now Cebas is more focused on their own rigid body solver called ShapeCollision 2:

The new ShapeCollision operator incorporates, for the first time ever, true Multi-Core (CPU) support for most parts of its collision detection and overall solving. The accuracy of the solver has been enhanced beyond belief and the stability that you derive is unmatched by the old ShapeCollision or any PhysX simulation.

Speed is always an issue in complex physics simulations, PhysX delivers already fast game quality physics but it is not good enough for the Hollywood style of effects, which need way more accuracy than PhysX can deliver. Thanks to a much more enhanced multi-core (CPU) support that SC has to offer, the simulation times can be reduced by a factor, as much as, 10 times when compared to the good old ShapeCollision!

However, it seems good grain of salt is needed here

As it was announced recently, new v7 version (currently in development) of free 3D Rad game engine will switch from ODE physics engine, used curently, to PhysX SDK.

According to developers, advantages from this decision are going to be following:

• faster physics processing, both on normal systems and on systems equipped with recent NVidia cards (where hardware processed physics simulation will allow a very high number of simultaneous simulated bodies).
• more accurate and robust polygonal collision detection (no more crashes on triangles that are too stretched, too small or too big)
• additional collision detection primitives (boxes, capsules), with the ability to stack a high number of objects to create large collapsible buildings.
• built-in breakable joints support, to effectively make in-game objects fully and realistically destructable.
• advanced tire/suspension simulation for cars
• soft bodies
• physics-enabled particles/fluids
• cloth simulation
• bult-in advanced character control
• volumetric force field simulation

Esenthel Engine – Destructible Objects using Nvidia PhysX by Esenthel

New feature in Esenthel Engine – destructible objects using pre-fractured mesh. Yet in beta, but looks good already.

UDK Mass physics by Elude87

Remember Crysis Mass Physics videos ? Several users have prepared UDK based variants. This one is using 25 000 barrels stacked around a pillar 15 000 feet high.

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