My first question is a bit of a Newton law question. I'm going to assume, until otherwise told different, that a physics engine is a set of math to replicate the effects of natural laws of physics. In other words, you can't set velocity , velocity is a production of speed and direction. So setting speed and directional would allow you to get velocity. Or you could say you can set velocity by giving a speed and direction..
Now please dont get me wrong, I'm no physicist. However I'd like to think I have a understanding of physics, at least enough to use an engine
Which leads me to my next question question..to create velocity you need speed and direction
to create a force (mass times acceleration) you need a posing force.
Now If it were me, I'd create the functions like so.
velocity( fSpeeed, VDirection ) and force ( fForce )
Or something like that. The wrapper I have uses a vector for each, and most examples I find pertaining to this wrapper for movement use velocity to move an object.
Now, I guess for the most part its up to the programmer to choose how he/she wants to instantiate a force and what he/she is forcing. However, personally, I'd like to base my code on physics, as I think that just makes more sense.
So If I have a character, and I want to start a "run", then I would apply a force to it, would I not? And if I need to turn I would apply a rotation to it? so a force would in turn create a speed and if a rotation was applied the velocity would change. Would this sound correct? If so what is setting a velocity for? And what is a "velocity vector" in terms of what velocity is?
Or, Is this setting Velocity trick a way to set a force and a direction so that we dont slide out of our wanted path. In other words we turn and move rather then having to adjust the force each time?
I can get the functions he is calling if that helps.
