Many of my recent ideas involve creating large draggable mechanisms. I've found that in some situations the game seems quite sensitive to the mass distribution of the blocks. For instance, there is a quite notable preference for the blocks-down orientation in the following two motor system, but less when only one motor is included. Spoiler Has anyone investigated the effects of mass in this physics engine? Open questions: Do all blocks have the same mass? How is the momentum of large assemblies calculated? Is it just the center of mass? Is angular momentum factored in for motors? Can we manipulate the strength that a motor has to lock in to one of the four orientations?
Check this card for some demonstrations: Spoiler 1. To answer your first question, I think all blocks have the same mass no matter how they look. See the stick that looks unbalanced but is actually balanced. 2. I don't think you can lock the motor in a practical way since the motor is very strong. However the mass does have an impact. When you rotate the block to the side, it would fall downward and then pull back up. 3. The slider is much weaker than the motor. Just attach a bunch of blocks and it can't rise anymore.
Yes, that is true in most cases, but that's where the forcefield effect comes in, based on my observations. See the card below. Spoiler I tried putting B on the other side, too, and tested it in numerous ways, and it seems it always tips to the thicker side. You may have to wait a while in this example. I have some more examples in my level collection. EDIT: Now I'm not so sure. I did some more tests and it seemed to always tip in the same direction.
Thanks for the results! The lever setup makes a good way to test. Its too bad they are all the same mass. That could have led to some new mechanisms. In my tests with B, I always see the lever tip up on the side with B. This could be explained by B's collision box extending slightly outward due to his limbs, so he exerts a slight upward force around him.
Really? I completed my tests and concluded that they all get pulled into a certain point. See the image below (I marked the point with the tower made out of rails). Spoiler Note that some configurations triggered by the forcefield can be set to a certain direction, and won't move towards the point unless set in that direction. But this only happens because the object tilts to the direction it is set to due to a careful balance of weight that makes it lean without falling (like the tree in my Deserted level).
Interesting, this is very different for me. So for you, all the objects tilt towards the camera (southeast). Then when B bumps into them they tip the rest of the way. I see all of them tilted to the left (southwest). I've tried reproducing your level myself, and I get even two other different directions depending on whether it's in the editor or imported as a card. Maybe this is device specific? I could see it depending on numeric instabilities in the floating point unit.
Interesting... now it's more like scientific work than a mere puzzle game. hahaha.... but it's fine, i really enjoy all of your research. fascinating.
