[ODE] Would ODE Handle this Efficiently?

[Jon Watte (ODE)]

You have full control over what kinds of objects can collide with what 
other kinds of objects in ODE. You can put them in different spaces, for 
example, or use the collider bits to prevent intersection testing.

Cheers,

			/ h+


A W wrote:
> Hello all. I am a new user of ODE and thank you for taking the time to 
> read this message.
> 
> I have the following problem. I am in the primordial stages of 
> developing a pinball simulator/construction set and am trying to decide 
> upon how to handle the physics on the table. Of concern to me is a fast 
> response time, and to that end my question is: would it be appropriate 
> to use ODE to calculate the physics for a pinball game simulator?
> 
> Before you jump to respond to this question two points:
> 
> 1) In a pinball game simulator the there are few parts that actually 
> have forces applied to them. The majority of the objects in the 
> simulator are immobile and serve to just deflect the ball. In other 
> words, there is no need to collision detect between the walls and the 
> flippers and the bumper and the drains. They cannot collide with each 
> other. About the only collision detection needed is between the round 
> sphere ball and and the previously mentioned objects. Other than that a 
> plunger is needed to provide the ball with its initial energy and 
> spinners need to rotate when hit by a ball.
> 
> I am afraid a physics engine like ODE might waste an enormous amount of 
> CPU time if it tries to calculate possible collisions between these 
> immobile objects (walls colliding with other walls ect). Can engines 
> like ODE be told to ignore collision detection and physics calculations 
> between these objects while still allowing a ball(s) to collide with 
> these same objects?
> 
> 2) I am this question rather than doing and finding out for myself 
> (after much time has been invested and possibly waster) because I am an 
> obvious newbie to ODE and am not familiar with its limitations and 
> performance under 'optimal' conditions. I am hoping that by requesting 
> comments from experienced users I can save myself some pain of running 
> down a road and later hitting a brick wall, or maybe using a sledge 
> hammer when little taps would suffice.
> 
> I hope I have explained myself correctly. Please ask me to clarify if I 
> haven't been specific enough.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
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