Car physics - final project

For most purposes car is modelled as a rigid body. (Unfortunately I do not know about how specific implementations are done in particular games). Despite mostly formal definitions, game simulations require a lot of tweaking and testing to get the car "feel" right. The models are usually pretty straight-forwad and physically accurate designs. Depending on how far you go, it's possible to simulate complete engine-transmission-axis-gear-road relation. There's even more or less complete physics modelling packages out there that help with this.

Crashing and deformations are most commonly aproximated. In some cases, the damage is only approximated (from which direction), then one of the predefined meshes is chosen.

A slightly more complex aproach is to precalculate some damage scenarios using formal methods (FEM) or some simplified similar methods.

In real-time a viable solution is spring-mass chassis aproximation.

Some FEM methods can be used in real-time, providing rather accurate simulation.

Both previous methods can suffer from mesh being too coarse (requirement of real-time simulation). Iterative solutions are also time-step sensitive and can require lots of tweaking.

Another method would be free-form deformation. This one would be more suitable to visual deformation of the car, rather than accurate damage modeling.

Plenty of choices, depends really on needs. And I'm sure I missed a few more.

Theres a 17 article series on car physics in the gamedev articles archives under math and physics.

thanks for the info.

p.s. what does FEM stand for.

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Original post by kobe bryant thanks for the info. p.s. what does FEM stand for.

Finite Element Method

Structural analysis is one of the areas where it can be applied to, there also other comparative methods.