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Interview with Paul Topping, Director of Product Marketing, of MathEngine


If you would, could you give us a very brief overview of what MathEngine is and how it differs from a commercial 3D tool kit?

MathEngine is a real-time physics simulation API. We can basically use the technology here in games at runtime to give you collision detection and many types of physics, but principally rigid-body dynamics. That will let you do everything from throwing tables around to car dynamics to rope bridges to most solid objects.

So it works independently of the graphics itself. It is essentially a modeling of the physics?

It works independently of the graphics pipeline, although it sometimes interacts with it. You don't have to buy our collisions with our dynamics. Each component is separate.

So it works independently of the graphics itself. It is essentially a modeling of the physics?

We've got a fairly open architecture with four core components and a dynamic scheduler layer. You can use it directly to get something running quickly or you can look at the core components and rewire them.

I notice you have a Playstation 2 here. Is this your new focus?

It's our lead platform at the moment. We've had one for a while, and we've got our first games with MathEngine coming out next week.

So you're shipping. Congratulations. I also presume that with the announcements this morning that you'll be supporting the new Microsoft X-Box.

Oh yes. As soon as we can get hold of it.


Return to the GDC 2000 interview page