This isn’t super amazing just an attempt to show an alternative.
Just because physics is 2D and has gravity doesn’t mean it’s only useful for sidescrollers. By using physics in a top down mode you loose gravity (have to turn it off) and friction (at least against the ground, not other objects). That still leaves many features like collision and acceleration.
This example just contains two rectangular physics bodies (cars aka autos) and a circle for an accelerator. Notice when the p(player)car hits the o(other) car it’s speed reduces by half.
Now the sidescroller car in the included example is cooler since it uses an engine and the tires actually rotate and move via friction.
But even just having built in acceleration and collision of objects built into Codea is great.
--physics car
supportedOrientations(PORTRAIT)
function setup()
gr = (1+math.sqrt(5))/2 --golden rectangle
displayMode(FULLSCREEN)
physics.gravity(0,0) --no gravity since this is top down
s = 25 --car size
pcar = physics.body(POLYGON, vec2(0,s*gr), vec2(s,s*gr), vec2(s,0), vec2(0,0))
pcar.x = WIDTH/2
pcar.y = 100
gas = vec2(WIDTH -100,100)
og = false --on gas
ogt = nil --on gas touch id
ocar = physics.body(POLYGON, vec2(0,s*gr), vec2(s,s*gr), vec2(s,0), vec2(0,0))
ocar.x = WIDTH/2
ocar.y = 300
end
function draw()
background(40, 40, 50,255)
noSmooth()
strokeWidth(1)
stroke(255, 0, 0, 255)
fill(255, 0, 0, 255)
drawpoints(pcar)
drawpoints(ocar)
if og then
text("gas",300,300)
pcar:applyForce(vec2(0,10))
end
text(pcar.linearVelocity.y,100,200)
fill(0, 255, 35, 255) --gas button color
ellipse(gas.x,gas.y,100,100)
end
function touched(touch)
if og then
if touch.id == ogt then
if gas:dist(vec2(touch.x,touch.y)) > 50 --slipped off gas
or touch.state == ENDED
or touch.state == CANCELLED then
og = false
end
end
elseif gas:dist(vec2(touch.x,touch.y)) < 50
and (touch.state == BEGAN or touch.state == MOVING) then
og = true
ogt = touch.id
end
end
function drawpoints(body)
pushMatrix()
translate(body.x, body.y)
rotate(body.angle)
local points = body.points
local a, b
for j = 1,#points do
a = points[j]
b = points[(j % #points)+1]
line(a.x, a.y, b.x, b.y)
end
popMatrix()
end
I was thinking of adding a shoot button and showing bullet collision as well but just like the included example putting too much in one example confuses things.