Start Your Engines

by Parker, Jim

• ISBN13: 9781933097015
• ISBN10: 1933097019
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-20
• Publisher: Paraglyph Pr

Summary

Learn all of the secrets and programming techniques of developing one of the most popular style of games. This book features the physics, and AI, and 3D techniques of driving- from road conditions to collisions- presented in a unique step-by-step format. The book is based on a customizable construction kit approach. Driving and racing games are one of the most popular style of games and this book is the first hands-on programming guide that shows you actually how to build them and customize them.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xix
Part I Essentials of Developing Driving and Racing Games
Chapter 1 Starting Your Engines-Basic Design Elements	1	(24)
The Key Properties of Driving Games	2	(1)
The Top Ten Driving Games	3	(13)
Learning from the Best?	16	(7)
Venue	16	(1)
Conflict	17	(1)
Speed	18	(1)
Physics	19	(1)
Graphics and Sound	20	(1)
Props	20	(1)
Interface	21	(2)
Summary	23	(2)
Chapter 2 Game Architecture for Driving and Racing Games	25	(28)
The Components of a Driving/Racing Game	26	(1)
Presenting the Virtual Universe	26	(6)
Inside the Graphics System	27	(4)
Inside the Audio System	31	(1)
Playing the Game by the Rules	32	(4)
Most of a Computer Game Is Hidden	32	(1)
The Artificial Intelligence	32	(1)
An Example AI System-A Simple 2D Maze/Chase Game	33	(2)
Creating Design Documents	35	(1)
Defining the Game State	36	(4)
Global State Variables	37	(1)
Push/Pull (Client-Server)	37	(1)
Managers	38	(1)
Broadcast-Listener	38	(1)
Database Management System	39	(1)
Shared and Global Entities	39	(1)
Making a Game Function on a Computer	40	(12)
Controlling Time	42	(2)
Controlling Objects	44	(8)
Summary	52	(1)
Chapter 3 Basic Graphics for Driving and Racing Games	53	(44)
Essential Review of Computer Graphics	54	(21)
Objects Are Polygons	54	(1)
Storing and Drawing Polygons	55	(2)
Working with Geometry	57	(6)
Shading	63	(4)
Viewing	67	(5)
Texture Mapping	72	(3)
Introducing OpenGL	75	(21)
Manipulating Windows in OpenGL	76	(1)
GLUT	77	(7)
Basic Graphics Operations	84	(12)
Summary	96	(1)
Chapter 4 Building a Basic 3D Driving Game	97	(20)
How Gopher-it Actually Works	98	(5)
2D Graphics and the Display	98	(3)
Drawing the Icons	101	(1)
Timing	102	(1)
Gopher-it 3D Graphics I	103	(12)
Adding the Third Dimension	103	(3)
Player Control	106	(1)
Icons	107	(3)
Texture Mapping 108 Backdrops	110	(5)
Summary	115	(2)
Part II Building More Realistic Simulations
Chapter 5 Game Al and Collision Detection	117	(28)
Basic Collision Detection	119	(6)
Collisions in One Dimension	119	(3)
Collisions in Two Dimensions	122	(3)
3D Broad Phase Collision Detection	125	(17)
Operational Methods	125	(1)
Using Geometric Tests	126	(14)
Narrow Phase Collision Detection	140	(2)
Collision Detection Packages	142	(2)
QuickCD	143	(1)
Vclip	143	(1)
ColDet	143	(1)
I-Collide	144	(1)
Swift	144	(1)
RAPID	144	(1)
Summary	144	(1)
Chapter 6 Incorporating Intelligent Opponents	145	(32)
The Basics of Autonomous Control	146	(19)
How to Control a Car	147	(10)
Using Finite State Machines	157	(8)
Recovery-Getting Back on Track	165	(11)
Handling Unobstructed Paths	166	(3)
Obstructed Paths	169	(7)
The Robot Auto Racing Simulator (BARS)	176	(1)
Summary	176	(1)
Chapter 7 Audio for Driving and Racing Games	177	(28)
Basic Audio Concepts	178	(2)
Introducing OpenAL	180	(23)
Playing a Sound File	182	(9)
Changing Attributes	191	(6)
Playing Audio Data from Memory	197	(5)
Cleaning Up	202	(1)
Summary	203	(2)
Chapter 8 Using Ambient Traffic	205	(20)
Stochastic Navigation	206	(4)
Steering Behavior	208	(2)
Driving through Intersections	210	(14)
Implementing Intersection Behavior-A Walkthrough	211	(11)
A Complete Behavior Model	222	(2)
Summary	224	(1)
Chapter 9 Physics for Driving and Racing Games	225	(28)
Basic Straight-Line Car Physics	226	(7)
The Nature of the Basic Forces	227	(3)
Braking and Weight Transfer	230	(3)
Transfer of Force to the Wheels: Engine and Transmission	233	(5)
Moving from a Standing Start	237	(1)
Motion in Two Dimensions	238	(7)
Low Speed Turns	239	(3)
High Speed Turns	242	(3)
Cheating-How to Fake Physics	245	(6)
Controlling Speed	246	(5)
Summary	251	(2)
Chapter 10 Simulating Continuous Time	253	(32)
The Game Loop and Time	254	(3)
Continuous Time in Gopher-it-Using GLUT	257	(6)
Continuous Motion	259	(4)
Using the Win32 Native API	263	(14)
Initialization	264	(2)
Window Creation	266	(1)
The Event Loop	267	(1)
Callbacks	267	(1)
A Hook to OpenGL	268	(4)
Organizing the Code	272	(2)
Demo2: Drawing Using OpenGL and WGL	274	(3)
Continuous Time in Win32	277	(3)
Handling Flicker	280	(3)
Double Buffers Using GLUT	281	(1)
Double Buffers Using Win32	282	(1)
Summary	283	(2)
Part III Advanced Techniques
Chapter 11 Cinematography for Driving and Racing Games	285	(18)
Using Third-Person Cameras	286	(3)
Implementing the Simple Third-Person Camera	287	(9)
Using a First-Person Ground Level Camera	296
Fixed Cameras and Camera Placement	289	(13)
Ceiling Camera	299	(1)
Multiple Fixed Cameras	299	(3)
Summary	302	(1)
Chapter 12 Creating Terrains	303	(28)
Representing Terrains	303	(13)
Designing a Terrain	304	(1)
Creating "Random" Terrain	305	(3)
Rendering the Height Grid	308	(4)
Speeding Up Terrain Rendering	312	(2)
Mapping Texture onto the Terrain	314	(2)
Creating Objects	316	(4)
The Alias Wavefront OBJ Format	317	(3)
A Complex Object-A Mars Rover	320	(1)
Using Level of Detail (LOD)	320	(9)
A Hint for Creating Buildings, Trees, and Other Objects	329	(1)
Summary	330	(1)
Chapter 13 Designing the Manic Mars Racer Game	331	(20)
Manic Mars Racer-The High-Concept Design Document	332	(5)
2 Game Design	335	(1)
4 Sound	336	(1)
5 Key Feature Summary	336	(1)
A Casual Description of the Game	337	(3)
The Terrain	337	(2)
The Human Base	339	(1)
The Martian Base	339	(1)
Artifacts and Props	339	(1)
Collisions	340	(1)
Manic Mars Racer-Technical Design Document	340	(9)
1 Introduction	340	(1)
2 Game Architecture	341	(1)
3 Event Manager	342	(1)
4 Input Manager	343	(1)
5 Front-End	344	(1)
6 Game AI Module	345	(11)
6.3 Terrain/World Representation	348	(1)
Summary	349	(2)
Chapter 14 Coding the Manic Mars Racer Game	351	(24)
Implementing the Messaging System	352	(3)
Using a Nifty Finite State Machine Scheme	355	(1)
Implementing the Graphics	356	(8)
Dust Devils and Smoke	357	(2)
Quaternions	359	(1)
The Heads-Up Display (HUD)	360	(4)
Creating The Terrain	364	(3)
Perlin Noise	365	(2)
Ray Casting	367	(1)
Implementing the Game AI: The Martian	367	(4)
Extended (EAX) Audio	371	(1)
Extending MMR	372	(1)
Summary	373	(2)
Chapter 15 The Bonus Game-Charged!	375	(30)
Introducing Charged!	375	(2)
Game Design	377	(3)
Layout and Feel	380	(2)
Sound Effects	382	(2)
Implementation of Key Features	384	(2)
Summary	386	(1)
References and Resources	387	(14)
Appendix A High-Concept Design Document for Gopher-it	401	(4)
Appendix B Math Tutorial for Developing Driving and Racing Games	405	(20)
Elementary Trigonometry	405	(4)
Straight Lines	409	(3)
Vectors	412	(3)
Dot ProductDot Product	414	(1)
Cross Product	414	(1)
The Plane	415	(1)
Normal to a Plane	415	(1)
Back-Face and Culling	416	(1)
Transformations	416	(1)
Reflection	416	(1)
Scaling	417	(1)
Translation	417	(1)
Basic Matrix Operations	417	(3)
Interpolation	420	(2)
Basic Physics	422	(3)
Index	425