Computer Animation, 3rd Edition

Chapter 7

Physically Based Animation

Animators are often more concerned with the general quality of motion than with precisely controlling the position and orientation of each object in each frame. Such is the case with physically based animation. In physically based animation, forces are typically used to maintain relationships among geometric elements. Note that these forces may or may not be physically accurate. Animation is not necessarily concerned with accuracy, but it is concerned with believability, which is sometimes referred to as being physically realistic. Some forces may not relate to physics at all—they may model constraints that an animator may wish to enforce on the motion, such as directing a ball to go toward making contact with ...