[ODE] Basic Questions

[Matthew Harmon]

Hi all.  Got a couple basic questions:

1. Does ODE use the current step time as a factor when applying forces?
That is, if I am running at a variable timestep, must I scale my forces by
elapsed time to approach a more consistent feel across different machines?
(I know the answer is probably to use a fixed timestep, but I’d like to
understand ODE a bit better.)

2. I have a vehicle simulation and at high-speeds I get a lot of “bouncing”
of the tires.  I think this is caused when a tire penetrates too deep into
the ground and causes a more forceful repulsion by the contact joint.  I
guess this because when I cut the timestep in half (to 240 iterations per
second from 120), the “bouncing” goes away.  I imagine this is because the
forces applied by the contact joints are much smaller.  Am I on the right
track here?  I need a VERY stiff suspension so a really springy Hinge2 isn’t
a good option for me.  Any other suggestions?  I hate to run the physics at
240 iterations per second.


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://q12.org/pipermail/ode/attachments/20051213/e2cd8c6a/attachment.htm