Here’s a concise, step-by-step summary of everything we worked on and changed in your airplane bomb attack system:
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1. Bomb Drop Prediction & Accuracy
Problem:
Bombs were missing the car, especially at higher speeds or when the car changed direction.
Solution:
• Intercept Calculation:
We implemented a mathematical intercept algorithm (CalculateInterceptPoint) to predict where the car will be when the bomb lands, considering both the car’s velocity and the bomb’s speed.
• Kinematic Prediction:
The method PredictCarPosition uses the car’s velocity and acceleration to estimate its future position, making bomb drops more accurate for accelerating or turning cars.
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2. Bomb Physics & Trajectory
Problem:
Bombs were dropped with a simple downward velocity, not accounting for the car’s movement.
Solution:
• Initial Velocity:
Bombs are now given an initial velocity aimed at the intercept point, using:
• World Space Drop:
Bombs are instantiated directly below the airplane in world space, ensuring consistent drop position regardless of airplane rotation.
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3. Dynamic Trajectory Correction (Bomb Homing)
Problem:
If the car changed direction or speed after the bomb was dropped, the bomb would miss.
Solution:
• BombHoming Component:
We created a BombHoming script that attaches to each bomb.
This script periodically recalculates the intercept point as the bomb falls, adjusting the bomb’s velocity to “home in” on the car’s new predicted position.
• Integration:
In ConfigureBombComponents, we attach and initialize BombHoming for every bomb, passing references to the airplane and car.
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4. Pooling, Debugging, and Performance
Solution:
• Object Pooling:
Bombs are reused from a pool for performance, and reset when returned.
• Debug Visualization:
Debug lines are drawn in the editor to visualize bomb trajectories and intercept points.
• Performance Optimizations:
Update intervals and LOD (level of detail) systems were used to reduce unnecessary calculations when far from the player.
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5. Code Changes & Methods
Key methods and changes:
• CalculateInterceptPoint: Predicts where the car will be when the bomb lands, using quadratic math for moving targets.
• PredictCarPosition: Uses velocity and acceleration for future position prediction.
• ConfigureBombComponents:
• Sets bomb position and initial velocity.
• Attaches and initializes BombHoming.
• Handles pooling and debug visualization.
• BombHoming:
• Periodically updates bomb velocity to home in on the car’s new predicted position.
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6. Result
Before:
Bombs missed the car at high speeds or when the car changed direction.
After:
Bombs now:
• Are dropped at the right time and position.
• Aim at where the car will be, not where it is.
• Adjust their trajectory during descent to account for changes in the car’s movement.
• Are pooled and efficiently managed for performance.
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Summary:
You now have a robust, predictive, and dynamically correcting bomb drop system that works for cars at any speed or trajectory, with good performance and debugging support.