Ragdolls!

[fumanshoo]

So I am just wondering where to start with ragdolls. I want to just understand how they work and the best way to implement them in Leadwerks. Is there a way to even do it with Lua? I've never made ragdolls before except in Blender where you make simple joints between objects, but i would like to know how you do it with a single mesh. Just want to know the basics and if anyone has a link to some good info on it, that would be much appreciated

[Road Kill Kenny]

position pre-made physics bodies in the same position and orientation as the animation bones. Then connect them with joints and set their constraints the. Apply physics to those bodies and whalla you have Ragdoll.

 

That's the basic concept but it is very much a fiddly piece of work and a bit of a glossy thing that isn't necessary until you have gameplay.

[fumanshoo]

Sounds simple enough, but what about activating and de-activating physics when the character collides with another object. Like for example, character 1 strikes character 2 to the ground and character 2 has ragdoll physics. How does one make him not get back up from that fall but in that case, de activating the ragdoll physics again. ( basically switching the physics on and off depending on the situation ) might there be some sort of physics switch function???

[Road Kill Kenny]

If the bodies are parented to the bones then the bones have control. Therefore, the character can be animated. If the bones are parented to the bodies then the bodies have control and it will be ragdoll.

 

I would also play around with disabling gravity mode on the bodies when not in ragdoll and also changing their entity type so they don't collide with anything. However, because they are parented they should collide anyway.

[Josh]

I would manually update the bone positions and orientations because it will mess up the skinning if you start reparenting bones. Just create a physics skeleton using the same hierarchy as the model's bones.

[Road Kill Kenny]

I would manually update the bone positions and orientations because it will mess up the skinning if you start reparenting bones. Just create a physics skeleton using the same hierarchy as the model's bones.

 

good point

[fumanshoo]

Well like you said, all this isn't necessary until I have gameplay, so until then, thanks for the tips. I now have a much better understanding of ragdolls haha

[Road Kill Kenny]

If / when you manage to get familiar with all LE's features as well as some important coding techniques you begin to be able to figure out a way to do just about anything. Whether it is the best way to do it or not is another story. However, I find there aren't too many rules in game development, if you come up with an idea of how something might work... try it.. you never know it might just work. If it fails not all is lost you will have learned something from the experience and will be better for it.

[fumanshoo]

words of a wise man and I will keep them in mind on my wonderful journey of game development