[ODE] IG - ODE Interface

[Eugenio Diaz]

Hello guys/gals,

I am new to the list and to ODE. First of all, let me thank Russ for the 
amazing work he has done with ODE; it is rare to find an OS project that 
compiles and runs as easy as the ODE distribution. Thanks for giving 
your work back to the community; you don't know how much this helps me 
on my job.

I would like to know your inputs on a project I am working on. We would 
like to add vehicle physics to an image generator (IG) that is used to 
render a first person view point of a terrain database. The IG is 
capable of doing orbits, collision detection, dead reckoning, etc., but 
we would like to add a rough physics model to our sim, so that the first 
person drive through looks more realistic, and more like a terrain 
vehicle that the default airplane like fly through. We are also capable 
of querying the IG for info.

Anyway, the problem I am facing, is how to put the terrain data into the 
ODE simulation loop. I have been playing with the examples, and I have 
modified the buggy test to have two front wheels instead of one. My 
first thoughts were to use this example as the frame work, eliminate the 
ground plane and ramp, and create a *finite* ground plane per step by 
pulling the terrain info from the IG.

Have any of you done something like this before, or have any ideas to 
contribute?

Thanks.

-- 
_____________________________________________
Eugenio Diaz <ediaz@ist.ucf.edu>, BSEE/BSCE
Research Associate

Department of Applied Research and Technology
Institute for Simulation and Training
University of Central Florida
3280 Progress Drive, Orlando, FL 32826
Phone: (407)882-1427       Fax: (407)658-5059