Havok (Software)
Havok Physics, better known as Havok, has been developed by the Irish company Havok physics software development kit for games. It is often referred to as a physics engine, with Havok Physics but only provides functions which are integrated into the actual game engine and does not constitute an engine in the proper sense. Havok supports the platforms Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Xbox, Xbox 360, as well as Android and iOS.
The main functions provided by Havok are:
- Character animation with ragdoll effects
- Simulation of vehicle movements
- Simulation of physical effects in the environment, such as falling over boxes.
Use
Since the release of the software development kit in 2000, it has been used in over 150 video and computer games. These games are based principally in the first person shooter genre, as well as that developed by Valve Corporation Half-Life 2 for the game underlying source engine, a modified version of Havok was used. However, in real-time strategy games, such as StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty by Blizzard Entertainment, Company of Heroes, Relic Entertainment, Ubisoft's action adventure Assassin's Creed, Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Stronghold 3 it is used. They also can be found in Battlefield 3 by Electronic Arts.
Havok can also be used by plugins in 3D editors such as Autodesk's 3ds Max or Maya. Also exists for Adobe Director Shockwave 3D an Xtra (additional module ).
2012 appeared with Modern Combat 4 Zero Hour the first game with Havok engine for smartphones and tablets.
Havok FX
In 2006, a new physics tool was developed by Havok in close cooperation with Nvidia, which brings the total calculations for the physics engine on the graphics chip. While the Havok engine approach alone attracts the main processor for physical activities, sets the FX version on the hardware acceleration of the graphics card. The software just needs a card that supports OpenGL or DirectX Shader Model 3.0 can implement. Can be used the Havok FX engine therefore should be cards from the X1000er series of ATI from the GeForce 6 and 7 series from NVIDIA and Radeon at all. Nevertheless Havok advised to a computationally strong model since weaker cards usually are already busy with the usual graphical calculations.
The Benefits of FX Engine lie in exploiting the architecture of a graphics processor that is suitable for physics calculations is better than that of a main processor. In addition, the rendering and simulation are now collision queries accepted by the GPU, so that the main processor is now completely around the general game physics and their interaction can take care of with artificial intelligence itself. Thus physics calculation is up to 13 times faster.
After the purchase of the company by Havok Intel in September 2007 Havok FX was discontinued. While Intel could more involved, designed for central processors Havok engine in its own products, it lacks the company's portfolio currently of high performance graphics processors that would be suitable for Havok FX. Therefore, a possible future is uncertain.
In June 2008, Havok agreed to work closely with AMD.