Velocity and Acceleration

Summary

This chapter covered basic velocity and acceleration, the two factors that will make up the vast majority of your scripted animations. You’ve learned about vectors and vector addition. You’ve seen how to accomplish velocity on a single axis, two axes, and on an angle by converting it to its x and y components. And you’ve learned about acceleration—how it relates to velocity and how to apply it to a single axis, two axes, or an angle.

The biggest thing to take from this chapter is a basic understanding of the application of acceleration and velocity, as described in the following steps:

• Convert existing angular velocity to component x, y velocities.

• Convert angular acceleration to component x, y acceleration.

• Add the acceleration on each axis to the velocity on that axis.

• Add the velocity on each axis to the position on that axis.

In the next chapter, you’ll build on these concepts, adding some environmental interaction with bouncing and friction.