By
Ian Millington, Ian Millington is a consultant specializing in research and development for the games industry. He has done a good deal of work on physics
engines and developing physics code. He was previously the CEO of a games technology company, and before that he ran one of the first
web-based games companies. Millington's background is in artificial intelligence, and he has published academically on a range of topics.
Ian Millington is author of Artificial Intelligence for Games (MK).
Description
Simulating physics helps cutting-edge games distinguish themselves by making virtual objects behave as we expect them to in the real world.
Physics engines are the software programs that run these simulations. Building an engine is difficult, however. There are a large number
of new developers (and hobbyists) coming into this market who need help through this complex process. Current introductory books are
inadequate; they don't bring enough real-world programming experience to the task. There is a need for an introductory book on game physics
with solid coding guidance but which limits the math content. Ian Millington brings his extensive professional programming experience
to this problem. He has developed games since 1987, has studied AI and mathematics at the PhD level, and founded Mindlathe Ltd., a company
that designed and built commercial physics engines. Physics Engine Development carefully describes each step in the creation of a robust,
usable physics engine. It introduces the mathematical concepts in a clear and simple manner, keeping to high school level topics and
building a physics code library as it goes. Each new concept is explained in diagrams and code to make sure that even the most novice
of game programmers understands. The companion CD-ROM includes the source code for a complete physics engine of commercial quality. This
book will serve as a introduction to more mathematically advanced books on game physics, such as Dave Eberly's Game Physics.
Included in series
The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Interactive 3D Technology
Audience:
Game developers, esp. novice developers, students of game development, and game hobbyists
