Re: [boost] [gsoc-2013] Physics Library Abstraction Layer

Subject: Re: [boost] [gsoc-2013] Physics Library Abstraction Layer
From: Preston Hamlin (prestonwhamlin_at_[hidden])
Date: 2013-04-12 09:43:54

Considering that I have received positive feedback on this project, I shall
likely make a proposal for it when the time comes. Before then, I would
like to pin down the scope and breadth of this library.

I am in possession of the PhysX SDK and have been reading it over to come
up with some questions to ask so that (should my proposal be accepted) I
would not have to be overly concerned later.

On the first page of the SDK documentation, it is denoted that several
distributable (PhysX) DLLs are required for applications on the Windows
platform. Since Boost is a library project, I am unsure what to do with DLL
files other than unceremoniously stick them in a Resources folder until the
time comes, or have a script built into one of the library files.
Perhaps contact Nvidia?

I have worked a little with WinAPI, but not in the case of using an SDK.

Since this would be a beginning point for the library, might I assume that
complex mesh deformations and simulations (e.g. fluid dynamics) are beyond
the scope of what should be done over the summer? Certainly one could
implement certain models with effort, but I mean that the library will lack
explicit methods for something of the following degree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Who8EpbvCY

The same question goes for Multithreading.

I will continue to tinker with and read over the SDK(s) and brush up on my
matrix arithmetic. For the proposal, should I have a couple concrete
classes? Or would pseudocode/feature descriptors suffice?

More questions on the way,
-Preston