From GPWiki

Series by Nicholas Gorski [GMan]

Contributions by User:Neko

This series will provide articles describing how to build a rigid body physics simulation in 2D.

The Engine

Here's a rundown of the engine:

• It uses Euler Integration
• It is impulsed-based
• It handles only convex objects

Like most engines, this can only handle convex polygons. However, you may add joints to the engine and combine convex objects into concave objects. It is a great trade-off for the speed this method brings.

The Series

This is a list of the articles in the series:

• Introduction
• Collision Detection
  • Intersection Detection
  • Collision Detection
  • Resolving the Collision
• Rigid Bodies
  • Rotation
  • Contact Points
  • Rigid Body Dynamics
• Extra 'stuff'
  • Information Packets
  • Segment Collision Detection
  • Springs
  • Joints
• Conclusion

Assumptions

There are a few things you should know before reading. The most important concept your head must be wrapped around are vectors. If you are a little weak on those, you can read about vectors here.