[ODE] re: Trouble balancing "hover" rays over very short

[Mike Armstrong]

I am using a similar lolly pop type system in my game, with the exception
that a position constraint is used to get the required height and
movement. The amount of force that this constraint can generate is then
limited as appropriate.

The advantage of this system is that it keeps the game code working with
values it has always worked with i.e. velocity.  Jumping/falling etc
remove the constraint from the system, contact of the "stick" with the
ground reattaches it.

Currently I'm using a simple ball / socket joint with additional code
added to manipulate the hi low limits, rotation is prevented by setting
angvel and orientation per frame ( I'm not entirely happy with this and it
will probably change ).  A word of warning the erp value needs to be upped
especially if multiple physics ticks can happen per position of the joint
update, this can be better solved if position update can happen with each
physics tick i.e. a callback.

Hope that helps.

mike