Golf game / getting started with XNA, BEPU physics (+ source

[amdbcg]

Hello,
I'm trying to create a put-put golf game using XNA 4.0/BEPU physics.
I uploaded what I have so far on git-hub. It's a modification of the "getting started" guide :

Zip :https://github.com/fornof/BXBGolf/archive/master.zip
GitHub link: https://github.com/fornof/BXBGolf


Successes:
- loaded a "course"and textures from blender3d
- created a sample ball
- it compiles!

Current issues:
1. the sample ball currently has a box dynamic constraint around it - I think it needs to be sphere
2. I can import static (still) meshes, but I don't know how to modify them very much.

Current goals:
1. have the camera track the ball (as in, always pointed to ball ... perhaps move with it a bit )
2. learn how to create just 1 dynamic ball on the top of the hill
3. figure out how to move objects when keys are pressed (as in, I hold down a button and it "charges" the putter and puts the ball
4. Figure out how to set collision detection flags properly ("delete cube" from the getting started guideseems to be the example... but I'm not sure how to modify it)

what are some techniques to learn the API ? Where are the demos? (I've only found 2 ) . I tried looking on youtube for documentation / tutorials... but... no luck :\ - simple 2d / xna 3d were all I could find... (so if you know of some good ones, please post below )

any help or suggestions on where to go next in this game-making adventure would be appreciated.

[Norbo]

what are some techniques to learn the API ? Where are the demos? (I've only found 2 ) . I tried looking on youtube for documentation / tutorials... but... no luck :\

The documentation page covers some of these: http://bepuphysics.codeplex.com/documentation

On that page, you can find the API reference, the Getting Started documentation (that you've already found), and then some more topic-based documentation and demos. Other than the Getting Started documentation, it is not organized as a series of cumulative tutorials.

In addition to those pages, the source download itself contains the BEPUphysicsDemos project. That's where you'll find a few dozen different little simulations. That project is a great place to play around in.

BEPUphysics assumes a certain level of programming and math familiarity, so working on those fundamentals is your best bet to a more complete understanding. Starting out making a game based on 3D physics and graphics is jumping into the deep end which isn't always the best option. It may be less frustrating and faster to learn through simpler projects.

[amdbcg]

Hello, first of all , thank you for responding so quickly. I appreciate it

Starting out making a game based on 3D physics and graphics is jumping into the deep end which isn't always the best option. It may be less frustrating and faster to learn through simpler projects.

<rant>
Tell me about it ! This is for a elective class and it's the professor's first time teaching it... and we haven't really done much with C# this semester besides a brief walkthrough of the Learning XNA 3.0 book .The professor wants us to make a golf game using C# and xna. His hints? Well, he said for 3d physics we can use a port of classic C code from a book published about 20 years ago (which he ported to Ansi C) and then get that working in C# ... then somehow implement it. I'm not sure how to implement that ... so I looked for a physics engine and this is what popped up. Perhaps if we had the entire 18 weeks to port the physics and learn it we might be able to implement his hint. Instead , we have about 4 weeks to do this project, so I'm looking for speed and efficiency (get code working quickly) more than anything. I also need to get used to the syntax - it looks similar to C++ .
</rant>

BEPUphysics assumes a certain level of programming and math familiarity, so working on those fundamentals is your best bet to a more complete understanding.

Well, I may need to brush up on linear algebra a bit, but as a computer science undergrad, I'm fairly sure I understand the programming and math associated with the physics. I have also worked in 3d space for about 6 years http://www.flickr.com/photos/amdbcg/show/ (just not much with the game physics until now). It's the syntax that's getting me at the moment. those demos look helpful. The comments in that demo code should help a bunch .

Starting out making a game based on 3D physics and graphics is jumping into the deep end which isn't always the best option. It may be less frustrating and faster to learn through simpler projects.

Right. lol, I wish my professor felt the same way

Here's a screenshot of the game so far:

I'll post syntax errors here when I get them. Thanks.