Hi,

I need to simulate a robot for a study-project. After evaluating serveral possibilities/softwares, I ended up at the Open Dynamics Engine (ODE) by Russel Smith, which is used often in robotics. (It is important to use a physics-engine, because I need the support of friction. This is why modelling my robot in MATLAB/SIMULINK wont work.)

Is there any possibility to use ODE instead of Physx? Or otherwise, do you have any better ideas for my purpose? Is there maybe a better software to use with ODE? (I think it is easier to use ODE with Gamestudio than with its own drawstuff-functions or OpenGL or with some other software like Webots...)

Thanks.

Why do you want to use ODE and not PhysX?
If you want a really solid physics simulation you probably want to use Newton or Havok.

ODE is very good for robotics, it is fast, accurate and stable (and easy!). Physx is just suitable for videogames, because it isn't physically correct. For example, Physx (and also Havok) ignore coriolis-forces in dynamics.

gamestudio a6 was ODE only i guess but it does not support lite-c.

I doubt you can find any up-to-date engine with ode support, so if ode is a must-have for your project you can write an ode plugin for a8

I'm sure ODE was used in A7 too, PhysX came with A8.

the thing you need to remember is that even though
gamestudio supported open dynamics engine (wich
is a game orientated physics dynamics engine in gamestudio most likely per implementation)

you would not have access to the most lower functions in ode because the plugin were most likely
written to keep it as simple as possible for gaming
purposes in gamestudio so I think you are going
to find that you cannot access functions that actually
enables/disabled most of the advanced functionality
of ode , I could be wrong but just a heads up ..

when ode suppots something it doesn't mean
that gamestudio implemented it .

the best way to get down to advanced functionality
if it's unsupported by gamestudio is to write the plugin yourself ..

if you really are trying to be scientific about all of this
you need to reconsider your approach in engine/physics choice , most advanced simulations usually
do not make use of game engines (not the normal kind anyway) .