Where can I learn the basics of game physics and t

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I taken math in college (trigonometry, calculus II...) but I don't know why you use tan, arctan, etc., in game physics. I know I can find working code and understand everything except why I am using a particular trig function, but I don't want that.

I want to know why I am using arctan or sin. Where can I learn about why I am using that particular math function to make a ball bounce realistically?

Thanks for any help.

EDIT: Do I need to have taken an entry level physics class to understand game physics?

Answer 1

Over the years I read quite a couple of books on the topic, but the one that stuck with me the most (because of it's clarity) is "Game Physics Engine Development".

It'll teach you most of the things you need to know, like mass-spring systems, rigid body mechanics, collision detection and simple particle systems. Other books, such as Game Physics are more comprehensive but are way harder to understand because it dives into the math more deeply.

Answer 2

I'd recommend Game Physics Engine Development. I've only read some of it so far, but it seems pretty good to someone who is happy with a bit of calculus.

A colleague of mine bought the O'Reilly book (mentioned by Brian), but he complained that there weren't enough actual "direct application" and usage examples. I haven't read it to compare it, so this is a second hand opinion!