Avination donates physics code to OpenSim

Avination, a commercial grid running on the OpenSim software, announced the donation of 800 lines of physics code today, which will help OpenSim users simulate bouncing balls, reindeer pulling sleds, and feathers lightly floating down through the air.

The code was pushed to the OpenSimulator core repository on Friday, the company said. It includes support for such physics parameters as Shape Type, Density, Friction, Bounce and Gravity.

The code can also be used with the new Bullet physics engine, currently being developed by Intel.

“Avination will continue its policy of donating code to the open source project so stay tuned for more,” the company said in a press release.

Physics is one area in which OpenSim has been lagging behind Second Life, which uses the proprietary Havok physics engine. By default, OpenSim uses the free, open source ODE physics engine until Bullet is complete.

A better physics engine will allow for more realistic behavior by in-world objects, as well as better vehicles.

Avination’s major commercial competitor, InWorldz, has recently rolled out its own physics alternative, PhysX.

Maria Korolov