Book Image

Box2D for Flash Games

Book Image

Box2D for Flash Games

Overview of this book

Physics games are getting more and more popular, and Box2D is the best choice if you are looking for a free, stable and robust library to handle physics. With Box2D you can create every kind of 2D physics game, only coding is not the fun part, but the game itself. "Box2D for Flash Games" will guide you through the process of making a Flash physics game starting from the bare bones and taking you by hand through complex features such as forces, joints and motors. As you are learning, your game will have more and more features, like the physics games you are used to playing. The book analyzes two of the most played physics games, and breaks them down to allow readers to build them from scratch in a step-by-step approach. By the end of the book, you will learn how to create basic primitive bodies as well as complex, compound bodies. Motors will give life to cars, catapults and siege machines firing bullets, while a complete collision management will make your game look even more realistic. If you want to make full Flash games with physics, then Box2D for Flash Games will guide you through the entire process of making a Flash physics game.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)
Box2D for Flash Games
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Different body types – static, dynamic, and kinematic


There are three types of Box2D bodies: static, dynamic, and kinematic.

A static body does not react to any force, impulse, or collision and does not move. A static body can only be moved manually by the user. By default, every Box2D body is a static body, and that's why the ball does not move. A static body also does not collide with other static or kinematic bodies.

A dynamic body reacts to forces, impulses, collisions, and any other world event. Dynamic bodies can also be moved manually, although I'd suggest to let them be moved by world forces, and collide with all body types.

A kinematic body is something hybrid between a static and a dynamic body. Kinematic bodies do not react to forces, but can be moved both manually and by setting their velocity. Kinematic bodies do not collide with other static or kinematic bodies.

Back to our simulation now. Which type of body would you assign to the ball and the floor?

The floor must be a static...