Posted by: Aaron Lockard on October 03, 2006 5:29:15 PM
Latest SDK Provides Deformable Object Features With Impact Retention And Self-Collision Prevention Capabilities For Game Developers
AGEIA Technologies, Inc., the pioneer in hardware-accelerated physics
for games, today announced availability of the AGEIA PhysX SDK v2.6.
The latest version of its acclaimed physics API and runtime engine
dramatically enhances and accelerates the development of cutting edge
games with complex physics-based environments that feature real-time
dynamic motion and interaction on a massive, persistent scale.
The
SDK v2.6 brings new Deformable Objects features and Self-Collision
Prevention capabilities to developers of games for Windows, and
leading next generation videogame platforms, as well as new added
support for Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit & Linux environments.
"We
are constantly advancing the creative options for game developers by
delivering more physics acceleration features and capabilities in our
software development kit," said Manju Hegde, CEO of AGEIA. "The AGEIA
PhysX SDK 2.6 physics acceleration solution has even more game physics
options and sets a new bar for realism and character and environmental
interaction in games. Now developers will have a competitive edge for
bringing more stand-out, entertaining and immersive games to market."
The
AGEIA PhysX SDK v2.6 now supports physics simulations for applications
developed for Linux operating systems, and supports hardware
acceleration for applications running on Microsoft Windows Vista.
Beyond
new support for Microsoft Windows Vista and Linux, the AGEIA PhysX SDK
v2.6 includes two significant advancements in physics-based features
that will give game developers even more tools to take their games to
the next level of interactive gameplay; dynamically deformable objects
with impact retention, leveraging AGEIA PhysX cloth simulation
technology, and both software and hardware-accelerated cloth with
self-collision prevention. Dynamic Deformable Objects with Impact Retention The
AGEIA PhysX SDK v2.6 contains a groundbreaking deformable object API
which opens up a wide range of exciting new gameplay possibilities.
With AGEIA's technology, developers can create realistic deformable
objects that act and react in real-time. With a deformable shell
covering the structure of a vehicle, for example, the car body can now
be realistically damaged in a collision so that it retains the shape of
the impact. This collision can then affect the car's dynamics, and
dramatically impact game play. In addition, because all of these
interactions and reactions happen in real-time, and according to the
laws of force, speed, pressure, density and volume, the next time the
gamer has a collision it may cause an entirely different set of
real-world reactions, adding to the re-play value of each game..
Self-Collision Prevention AGEIA's
SDK 2.6 also provides the most advanced collision detection API
available to game developers. With newly added cloth self-collision
detection, game creators can now use complex cloth materials in their
games without side effects or a reduction in performance. Without this
ground-breaking new advancement, cloth materials, used in clothing,
flags or various other coverings, could fold or tear unrealistically,
removing the player from the experience.
"Everything we do is
focused on opening up an entirely new realm of advanced game physics
options to developers that can be easily integrated into today's game
designs; our scalable hardware architecture and SDK only grow those
possibilities for creative game design in the future" added Hegde.
Today,
more than 70 developers and publishers are creating over 120 new games
utilizing AGEIA's powerful physics acceleration technology, which is
optimized for the AGEIA PhysX processor, the world's first dedicated
physics processing unit.