It's so difficult, especially in graphics programming, to not get distracted by something shiny.
I've now moved onto properly testing the 3 tiered matrix system in place for the podracer engines. First they're moved along with the pod. I chose the pod to be the parent because it's easier to have that as the fixed position and move the parts about to make it look cooler. The second tier is the positioning and rotation of the engines relative to the pod. I've got it so that the podracer can take input for how to turn the engines which rotates them around their forward (local z axis). The final tier is the individual podracer parts which are moved when the engine/pod is generated and should stay in place. To test these, I have the pod flying forward (slowly so I can properly observe it) and then have one of the engines rotate, I then make one of the individual pieces rotate. Seeing this work is what made me notice something shiney
I've now moved onto properly testing the 3 tiered matrix system in place for the podracer engines. First they're moved along with the pod. I chose the pod to be the parent because it's easier to have that as the fixed position and move the parts about to make it look cooler. The second tier is the positioning and rotation of the engines relative to the pod. I've got it so that the podracer can take input for how to turn the engines which rotates them around their forward (local z axis). The final tier is the individual podracer parts which are moved when the engine/pod is generated and should stay in place. To test these, I have the pod flying forward (slowly so I can properly observe it) and then have one of the engines rotate, I then make one of the individual pieces rotate. Seeing this work is what made me notice something shiney
The podracer looks really abstract at the moment, but that should hopefully change once I've started putting in more meaningful models. Watching one of the part spinning around game me an idea. I could create subclasses of the model instances specifically for the podracers that related to engine parts. One type could be static, just as I have at the moment, not doing anything but sitting in place, but then I could also have a rotary instance, one that constantly rotates along an axis, or even better, one that could be altered by a user. As in create moving parts from within the engine itself, and have those parts rotates depending on the current state of the engine. How cool would that be? Will it bring much more to my project? Probably not. But I'm all about the details and I would love for it to have moving parts that did that. So fuck it, they're going in. After I've done more important parts of course, but its now on the agenda.
Once I'd gotten the matrices to work together, I was able to start putting together the podracer controls. If I had a lot more time, I would probably focus on creating a more robust physics system that would manage the physics that will be in this project a lot better and clearer, but alas I've not got the time so it's all hard coded into their individual elements. Right now, I've got it so that I can drive... fly..? move across the landscape. It's not quite 100%
My latest video shows these updates in action.
Once I'd gotten the matrices to work together, I was able to start putting together the podracer controls. If I had a lot more time, I would probably focus on creating a more robust physics system that would manage the physics that will be in this project a lot better and clearer, but alas I've not got the time so it's all hard coded into their individual elements. Right now, I've got it so that I can drive... fly..? move across the landscape. It's not quite 100%
My latest video shows these updates in action.
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