Fundamentals of Vehicle Simulation Design

The Presentation Layer

The presentation layer of a vehicle simulator is chiefly concerned with creating the visual and auditory appearance of being in the vehicle itself, so management activities are kept to a minimum. When there are different gameplay modes at all, they usually offer the player a new perspective rather than a different set of challenges. The major exception is serious racing games, which generally provide a variety of camera angles while driving, but also a number of customization and tuning modes for modifying the car in the workshop.

Interaction Model

The interaction model in a vehicle simulator is normally quite straightforward: The player’s vehicle is his avatar. The machine’s controls are mapped onto the computer’s input ...