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ChipmunkXna

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:38 pm
by Nick
I'm currently working on an XNA port of Chipmunk. I love the library so much so I've begun working on a full C# port for use with XNA. So far it works on a basic level and currently has a completely static interface matching that of the C library. I'm in the process of converting everything over to a more OO style to make things much more at home in C#. You can check it out at http://www.codeplex.com/chipmunkxna.

Re: ChipmunkXna

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:21 am
by numsgil
I think a .Net version is a good idea, however I don't think a port is the way to go. While at about 5K lines of code, it's tempting to just straight port it in .Net, it's not a good long term solution. You see, with a port you either have to constantly play catch-up with the main version, or break off and form a new project based on the original. Neither is desirable. A better method might be to program a wrapper. Something that links to the C libraries and forms an interface for any .Net language to use. I'd like to use Chipmunk in a .Net project I'm working on, and I'm committed enough to put the effort into a wrapper, and even have a little experience writing marshalled classes, and I'm hoping maybe I can convince you to go with a wrapper instead of a full on port. That way, it's easy to stay in sync with the main Chipmunk development.

Re: ChipmunkXna

Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:35 pm
by Nick
Wow. Totally missed that there was a comment here.

Anyway, about the wrapper-vs-port, I am currently planning another go at a port since the first one didn't turn out so great. The reason I'm not doing a wrapper is that a wrapper won't be usable on the Xbox 360, one of the chief targets for XNA Game Studio. I'm not making a general .NET port; I'm making a very specific XNA-centric port. I plan to utilize XNA math types where I can and make it very much integrated with that API. I want to do a port so it will work on the Xbox 360 even if that means it will be harder to update and maintain.

The first attempt at the port had some issues (mainly cutting down some allocations of arrays), but I'm hoping I'll get some time in the near future to have another go at it because I really do like this physics API and would love to see it in use for 2D XNA games.

Re: ChipmunkXna

Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:46 am
by bluescrn
<- interested in ChipmunkXNA

Just spent a while searching the web for more info, and it was looking like a dead project - nice to hear you're thinking about giving it another go :)

I've not yet used XNA myself (and only used C# for tools jobs) - I've always been very much a C/C++ person - but I'm planning a little physics-based-platformer project that I'd like to see running on 360 - and I'd really like to use Chipmunk, rather than trying to build my own (minimal) physics system, or using a less familar/less mature 2D physics system

Good luck with it !