SOFTWARE

Vortex provides a robust C++ API framework for building realistic virtual worlds of dynamic objects based on the fundamental laws of physics. With Vortex, users have the tools, libraries, and powerful features they need to develop and integrate real-time, high-fidelity simulations.

Putting Virtual Worlds in Motion

Vortex performs fast collision detection and stable collision response on arbitrary and primitive geometries. It allows users to add accurate physical motion and interactions to all objects in a scene, creating a natural interactive environment with no artificial restrictions on behaviour or interactions, and no need for scripted animations. Vortex solves real-time simulation issues by calculating dynamic response, collision and contacts, and by allowing runtime modification to objects and constraints. It allows users to easily build, visualize, test, and integrate accurate physics-based graphic objects and environments into OpenSceneGraph (OSG), Vega Prime, and other scenegraphs.

Versatile Collision Geometry Toolkit

Vortex supports many collision geometry types that allow a full range of performance characteristics and geometrical accuracy. These include numerous primitives, mesh, convex mesh, triangle list, and heightfields. Users can associate multiple geometries to a single part for highly complex collision geometry, associate objects with geometric shapes used for collision detection and collision response, define realistic contact properties, and specify multiple fluid interaction properties.

Extensive Library of Constraints

Vortex features an extensive library of constraints, including multi-body constraints. With constraints such as hinge, prismatic, ball and socket, cylindrical and slider, users can simulate a large number of mechanisms like motors, actuators, springs, dampers, and suspensions. These constraints allow restrictions on positions, orientations, and velocities, on a single rigid body, pairs of rigid bodies, or arbitrary groups consisting of three or more bodies. Vortex Core also includes constraint relaxation, which allows users to simulate slightly compliant objects such as long beams and cables.

Specialized Grasping Module

Vortex includes specialized modules for robotics simulations and hand-modeling/grasping applications.The VxGrasp module determines grasp quality for a collection of contacts between a manipulator or gripper and target objects. It provides an easy and effective method to model robotics grasping, as well as heavy equipment behaviour like grappling claws. Grasp quality is based on a six-degrees-of-freedom wrench set generated by the grasp, and the module includes numerous options to change the reference coordinate system, rescale torques, add friction and more.