Chapter 4.

2
Collision Detection and
Resolution
Collision Detection
Complicated for two reasons
1. Geometry is typically very complex,
potentially requiring expensive
testing
2. Naïve solution is O(n2) time
complexity, since every object can
potentially collide with every other
object

2
Collision Detection
Two basic techniques
1. Overlap testing

Detects whether a collision has already
occurred
2. Intersection testing

Predicts whether a collision will occur in
the future
Overlap Testing
 Facts
 Most common technique used in games
 Exhibits more error than intersection
testing
 Concept
 For every simulation step, test every
pair of objects to see if they overlap
 Easy for simple volumes like spheres,
harder for polygonal models

4
Overlap Testing:
Useful Results
 Useful results of detected collision
 Time collision took place
 Collision normal vector

5
Overlap Testing:
Collision Time
 Collision time calculated by moving
object back in time until right before
collision
 Bisection is an effective technique
A

t0
A
A
t 0.25 A A
A
t 0.375
t 0.4375 t 0.40625
t 0.5

t1

B B B B B B
In itial O v erlap Iteratio n 1 Iteratio n 2 Iteratio n 3 Iteratio n 4 Iteratio n 5
T es t F o rw ard 1 /2 Bac k w ard 1 /4 F o rw ard 1 /8 F o rw ard 1 /1 6 Bac k w ard 1 /3 2
6
Overlap Testing:
Limitations
 Fails with objects that move too fast
 Unlikely to catch time slice during overlap
 Possible solutions
 Design constraint on speed of objects
 Reduce simulation step size
w in d o w

t -1 t0 t1 t2
b u llet

7
Intersection Testing
 Predict future collisions
 When predicted:
 Move simulation to time of collision
 Resolve collision
 Simulate remaining time step

8
Intersection Testing:
Swept Geometry
 Extrude geometry in direction of
movement
 Swept sphere turns into a “capsule”
shape

t0

t1

9
Intersection Testing:
Sphere-Sphere Collision
t
 Α Β   A B 2  
B 2 Α 2  rP  rQ 
2
, A P1  Q1
B P2  P1   Q 2  Q1 .
2
B

Q2
t= 1

P1
t= 0
P

P2
Q
t= 1

Q1
t= 0
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Intersection Testing:
Sphere-Sphere Collision
 Smallest distance ever separating
two spheres:
2
d A 2 A B 
2

B2

 r 
2 2
If d P  rQ


there is a collision

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Intersection Testing:
Limitations
 Issue with networked games
 Future predictions rely on exact state of
world at present time
 Due to packet latency, current state not
always coherent

 Assumes constant velocity and zero

12
Dealing with Complexity
Two issues
1. Complex geometry must be
simplified
2. Reduce number of object pair tests

13
Dealing with Complexity:
Simplified Geometry
 Approximate complex objects with
simpler geometry, like this
ellipsoid

14
Dealing with Complexity:
Minkowski Sum
 By taking the Minkowski Sum of
two complex volumes and creating
a new volume, overlap can be
found by testing if a single point is
within the new volume

15
 Dealing with Complexity:
Minkowski Sum

X  Y { A  B : A  X and B  Y}

X  Y = X Y = X Y

16
 Dealing with Complexity:
Minkowski Sum

t1 t1

t0 t0

17
Dealing with Complexity:
Bounding Volumes
 Bounding volume is a simple
geometric shape
 Completely encapsulates object
 If no collision with bounding volume,
no more testing is required
 Common bounding volumes
 Sphere
 Box

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 Dealing with Complexity:
Box Bounding Volumes

Ax is - Alig n ed Bo u n d in g Bo x O r ien ted Bo u n d in g Bo x

20
Dealing with Complexity:
Achieving O(n) Time
Complexity
Another solution is the plane sweep
algorithm
y
B1
A1
R1 B
A
B0
A0 R
C1
R0
C

C0
A0 A1 R 0 B0 R 1 C 0 B1 C1 x
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Terrain Collision Detection:
Height Field Landscape

T o p - D o wn Vie w T o p - D o wn Vie w ( h e igh t s a dde d)

P e r sp e c t iv e Vie w P e r sp e c t iv e Vie w ( h e igh t s a dde d)

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 Terrain Collision Detection:
Locate Triangle on Height
Field

z
Q Q

R Qz > Qx Rz > 1 - Rx

Qz <= Qx Rz <= 1 - Rx

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Terrain Collision Detection:
Locate Point on Triangle
 Plane equation: Ax  By  Cz  D 0
 A, B, C are the x, y, z components
of the plane’s normal vector
 Where D  N P0
with one of the triangles
vertices beingP0
 Giving: N x x   N y y   N z z    N P0  0
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Terrain Collision Detection:
Locate Point on Triangle
 The normal can be constructed by
taking the cross product of two sides:

N P1  P0 P2  P0 
 Solve for y and insert the x and z
components of Q, giving the final
equation for point within triangle:
 N x Q x  N z Q z  N P0 
Qy 
Ny
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Terrain Collision Detection:
Locate Point on Triangle
 Triangulated Irregular Networks
(TINs)
 Non-uniform polygonal mesh
 Barycentric
P
Coordinates
2
P o in t = w 0 P 0 + w 1 P 1 + w 2 P 2
Q Q = ( 0 ) P 0 + ( 0 .5 ) P 1 + ( 0 .5 ) P 2
R
R = ( 0 .3 3 ) P 0 + ( 0 .3 3 ) P 1 + ( 0 .3 3 ) P 2
P1
P0

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 Terrain Collision Detection:
Locate Point on Triangle
 Calculate barycentric coordinates for
point Q in a triangle’s plane
 w1  1  V22  V1 V2   S V1  S Q  P0
w      V1 P1  P0
 2  V1 V2  V1 V2 
2
2 2
  V1 V2 V12   S V2 
V2 P2  P0
w0 1  w1  w2
 If any of the weights (w0, w1, w2) are
negative, then the point Q does not lie
in the triangle
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Collision Resolution:
Examples
 Two billiard balls strike

Calculate ball positions at time of impact

Impart new velocities on balls

Play “clinking” sound effect
 Rocket slams into wall

Rocket disappears

Explosion spawned and explosion sound effect

Wall charred and area damage inflicted on nearby
characters
 Character walks through wall

Magical sound effect triggered

No trajectories or velocities affected 28
Collision Resolution:
Parts
 Resolution has three parts
1. Prologue
2. Collision
3. Epilogue

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Collision Resolution:
Prologue
 Collision known to have occurred
 Check if collision should be ignored
 Other events might be triggered
 Sound effects
 Send collision notification messages

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Collision Resolution:
Collision
 Place objects at point of impact
 Assign new velocities
 Using physics or
 Using some other decision logic

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Collision Resolution:
Epilogue
 Propagate post-collision effects
 Possible effects
 Destroy one or both objects
 Play sound effect
 Inflict damage
 Many effects can be done either in
the prologue or epilogue

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Collision Resolution:
Resolving Overlap Testing
1. Extract collision normal
2. Extract penetration depth
3. Move the two objects apart
4. Compute new velocities

33
Collision Resolution:
Extract Collision Normal
 Find position of objects before impact
 Use two closest points to construct the
collision normal vector

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Collision Resolution:
Extract Collision Normal
 Sphere collision normal vector
 Difference between centers at point of
collision
t0
t0.25
t0.5
t0.75
t0
t1
t0.25
Co
N o llis io t0.5
rm n
al
t0.75

t1

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Collision Resolution:
Resolving Intersection
Testing
 Simpler than resolving overlap
testing
 No need to find penetration depth or
move objects apart
 Simply
1. Extract collision normal
2. Compute new velocities

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