Mass Spring System
Sean Soraghan -- @HangarSeason
2017
Overview
This package includes a compute shader and accompanying script that implement a mass-spring model. There is also functionality to transfer touch and mouse input events to pressure that is applied to the mass-spring grid.
Requirements
Compute shaders in Unity closely match DirectX 11 DirectCompute technology. Platforms where compute shaders work:
Windows and Windows Store, with a DirectX 11 graphics API and Shader Model 5.0 GPU.
Modern OpenGL platforms (OpenGL 4.3 on Linux or Windows; OpenGL ES 3.1 on Android). Note that Mac OS X does not support OpenGL 4.3, so no compute shaders there yet.
Modern consoles (Sony PS4 and Microsoft Xbox One).
Usage
The main parameters that can be used to tweak the mass spring grid are accessible from the Mass Spring System component in the editor. They are as follows:
Mass
The mass of individual mass points in the mass spring model. Increasing this will make the mass points more resistive to the springs in the model, but will also reduce their velocity
Damping
The level of damping in the system. Increasing this value will cause the system to return to a more 'stable' state quicker, and will reduce the propagation of forces throughout the grid.
Stiffness
The stiffness of the spings in the grid. Increasing this will cause mass points to 'rebound' with higher velocity, and will also decrease the time taken for the system to return to a 'stable' state.
Spring Length
The lenght of the springs in the grid. This defines how far each mass unit is at a resting state.
