Physical based toolkit for real-time distributed virtual world

Abstract

This thesis addresses three deficiencies in the NPSNET simulated world. First, although a full set of algorithms have been defined for Dead Reckoning (DR) entities in a distributed simulation, NPSNET only implements a few simple linear algorithms. Second, NPSNET lacks a set of physically-based models for munition trajectories having, currently, only algorithms for the bullet and bomb. Third, NPSNET lacks physically-based models for engine power curves using, instead, a simple linear approximation. The pmpose of this thesis work is to implement an object-oriented programming toolkit which corrects these deficiencies. The code, in C++, utilizes class hierarchies. The toolkit implements the nine class hierarchies of DR algorithms described by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for the Distributed Interactive Simulation standard. The toolkit also provides treatment of a physically-based class hierarchy for munitions trajectories. In addition, a physically-based, mathematical model for the engines class was implemented. As a result, a set of DR algorithms have been built to predict the position of simulated entities in all cases. The munitions class implements trajectories for a variety of projectiles. With this arsenal, future versions of NPSNET will be more realistic. The engine class, with new mathematical models, far more realistically represents engine behaviors than the current linear approximation. In summation, the implementation of this toolkit dovetails very well with the needs of NPSNET, and will be integrated into future releases.