Physics Based Tutorial Series

Thanks a lot!

BTW, there’s a new tutorial in this series.
How to drag objects using the mouse cursor across the screen.

The term “physics based” seems very confusing to me at this point. Not because of this tutorial at all just in general. I keep hearing physics based this and physics based that but are they all talking about the same type of process? Can someone please explain to me a little better what even can be physics based any what it really means lol.

Well, it means some moving and interacting thingies do their thing by simulated physics principles in UE4. Other way is to do that all fake - by animating things “by hand”, moving, rotating, so it will look like you wanted it all to look, but it all will be “on rails”, if you wish.

That’s a fair question.
To be honest, it’s kind of a misnomer. It should actually be called PhysX based, but nobody calls it that.

PhysX is the physically accurate (or more like “as accurate as it can be in real time”) engine (or library) used by UE4. That means that all the movements (position and rotation) of an object are calculated by this engine to make it behave like real life. In order to move it, you have to apply forces or impulses to it. If you would move it by setting an actual rotation and position, that operation would not be considered “physics based” because you would not let the physics engine calculate it’s coordinates. That’s not to say you can’t do it.

Using PhysX gives a more natural behavior for objects, but creates undeterministic interactions. That means that you won’t know exactly where the objects will be in the next frame.
So there’s advantages and drawbacks that come with using it.

I hope that clears the confusion. :slight_smile:

Ok I think the term was more confusing because it seems to always be paired to something more specific like physics based this or physics based that when really it’s all talking about the exact same things just one specific aspect of it at a time. Made it all feel disconnected to me as if they were all completely different and not parts of the same thing.

Physical animations are normal animations that are executed using physics forces. So instead of setting the locations of the bones, they are moved using physical forces.
So in the case of physical animations, if the animation tries to move a hand through a wall, it will not go throgh, but in normal animatiion it will.

New video in this series!

Physics Constraints Lesson: The importance of Mass Ratio

I’m trying to make a series of lessons on the physics constraints. We’ll see how it goes.

New tutorial out! – Stabilize chains of Physics Objects

Trying to make a comeback with the Physics tutorials!

Love it! Your stuff is so cool!

New tutorial out! – Physics Suspension/Rope Bridge

Very nice - thank you!

Thank You, LusioGenius :wink: