MSDN Magazine - June 2008 - (Page 66)

MSRS, you will see that it mentions the use of an optional accelerator card provided by AGEIA (see ageia.com). It is not necessary for you to purchase and install this physics card in order to work with the simulations in this article; physics will still be available to your simulation through the AGEIA PhysX software engine. Running a Simulation At this point, you are probably anxious to see a simulation. Before you create your own simulation, you should try running one of the Figure 3 Insert New Entity in New simulations provided with MSRS. Once inEntity Dialog Box stalled, MSRS creates a menu folder that contains seven simulations. The first simulation in this folder, Basic Simulation Environment, will render a scene similar to Figure 1. You might think that the basic simulation includes only two entities: a world globe and a box. In fact, the simulation scene also includes entities that represent the main camera, the ground, sky, and Programmatically sun. You can see which entities are Adding a New Entity Figure 4 Create New DSS Service in the Visual Studio included by clicking Mode and MSRS offers more than one 2005 Template Edit from the VSE menu. way to create and work with Edit mode, shown in Figure 2, includes a left-hand pane where simulations. In addition to VSE, you can add entities programyou can modify properties associated with each entity. These prop- matically to a simulation by creating a DSS service project. MSRS erties control everything from the name of the entity to its posi- provides a Visual Studio template that can be used to create a new tion in the simulation environment. Furthermore, they also allow DSS service. Once MSRS is installed, just select Simple Dss Seryou to precisely control how the entity is rendered, affecting how vice (1.5) as the template when creating a new Visual Studio projit appears in the simulation. ect (see Figure 4). If you return to Run mode, you can move around the simulation Creating a new DSS service using the template will result in the by using the mouse or arrow keys. This changes the point of view creation of two class files. The implementation class, which by defor the main camera, which is your view into the simulation. An- fault has the same name as the project, is where you will add code other important point to mention is that VSE allows you to render to create a new entity. Simulations created programmatically will the scene in different modes. Visual mode is the default and is a require access to assemblies not included with the Simple DSS realistic view of the simulation scene. However, the Render menu item allows you to choose from Wireframe, Physics, Combined, Figure 5 Assemblies Included with Simulation Project or No Rendering modes. Assembly Name Description The No Rendering option is included because rendering is just PhysicsEngine Provides access to the underlying AGEiA one aspect of a simulation. What is most valuable about running software physics engine. a simulation is the interaction among various entities. Since renRoboticscommon Provides access to the PhysicalModel dering entities within a simulation scene is expensive in terms of namespace, which is used to define the physical characteristics of robots. resources, the No Rendering option can be useful when there are simulationcommon Provides access to type definitions used a large number of entities involved. associated with a particular type of entity. The values for these properties can be changed once the entity is created, but the entity type defines which properties are included. VSE requires an entity type in order to add an entity to a simulation. For example, to add a robot such as the Create by iRobot, you would add a new entity from within VSE by clicking Entity and New, while in Edit mode. This will bring up the New Entity dialog box (see Figure 3). The Create by iRobot is one of the robots for which MSRS provides an entity type. This means you can add a new Create robot to your simulation by simply using the New Entity dialog box. From the New Entity dialog box, you would select iRobotCreate as the Type and enter a unique name, such as “Create Entity.” Once you press OK, the Create robot would appear in the simulation scene. Entities and Entity Types when working with the simulation and physics engines. An entity type allows you to define a new instance of a particular type of entity. For example, the world globe included in the basic simulation environment is a single shape entity type. The entity type acts as a template for the new entity in that it specifies properties 66 msdn magazine simulationEngine simulationEngine.proxy Provides access to the simulation engine. Represents a proxy for the simulation engine, which is used when loading the simulation engine as a partner. Robotics Studio http://www.ageia.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of MSDN Magazine - June 2008

MSDN Magazine - June 2008 Contents Toolbox CLR Inside Out Cutting Edge Patterns In Practice SAAS Concurrency Robotics Form Filler GUI Library Service Station Foundations Windows With C++ Concurrent Affairs Going Places { End Bracket }

MSDN Magazine - June 2008

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