[Feature] Add Vehicle Movement Controls Using WASD/Arrow Keys With Realistic Wheel Rotation & Physics
Feature: Add Vehicle Movement Controls Using WASD/Arrow Keys with Realistic Wheel Rotation & Physics
✨ Description
Incorporating interactive controls that enable users to drive a vehicle model using either the WASD keys or arrow keys is a crucial aspect of creating an immersive experience in a landing scene. This feature should simulate basic car-like movement, including forward/backward driving and left/right turning, while realistically rotating the wheels and steering based on the direction. By implementing this feature, we can lay the foundation for future mobility-based interactions and enhance the overall user experience.
📋 Requirements
To achieve this feature, we need to meet the following requirements:
- Enable movement using both WASD and ↑ ↓ ← → keys: The user should be able to control the vehicle's movement using either the WASD keys or the arrow keys.
- Simulate real-world physics (acceleration, deceleration, basic momentum): The vehicle's movement should be simulated using real-world physics, including acceleration, deceleration, and basic momentum.
- Rotate wheels as the car moves: The wheels of the vehicle should rotate realistically as the car moves.
- Animate front wheels for steering: The front wheels of the vehicle should animate to indicate steering.
- Maintain smooth camera tracking (if applicable): The camera should track the vehicle smoothly during movement.
- Ensure compatibility with existing scene layout and object setup: The feature should be compatible with the existing scene layout and object setup.
📋 Acceptance Criteria
To ensure that the feature meets the requirements, we need to meet the following acceptance criteria:
- Pressing W/↑ moves the car forward with rolling wheel animation: The car should move forward when the W key or ↑ key is pressed, with a rolling wheel animation.
- Pressing S/↓ moves it backward (optional: reduced speed): The car should move backward when the S key or ↓ key is pressed, with an optional reduced speed.
- Pressing A/← and D/→ turns the vehicle left/right, rotating front wheels: The vehicle should turn left or right when the A key or ← key is pressed, and the front wheels should rotate accordingly.
- Movement respects scene boundaries (no driving through the void): The vehicle should not be able to drive through the void or outside the scene boundaries.
- No performance drops during movement: The feature should not cause any performance drops during movement.
- Works on both desktop and mobile (optional touch support for future): The feature should work on both desktop and mobile devices, with optional touch support for future development.
🧩 Sub-Issues / Tasks
To implement the feature, we need to break it down into smaller sub-issues and tasks:
- feature/vehicle-controls-keyboard
- Add basic keypress listeners: Add listeners to detect key presses and releases.
- Implement directional movement logic: Implement the logic for directional movement, including forward, backward, left, and right movement.
- Integrate basic physics (inertia, speed cap, etc.): Integrate basic physics to simulate real-world movement, including inertia and speed caps.
- Animate wheel rotation synced to movement: Animate the wheel rotation to match the movement of the vehicle.
- Add visual steering to front wheels: Add visual steering to the front wheels to indicate steering.
- Debug and test edge cases (stuck, out of bounds, etc.): Debug and test the feature to ensure that it works correctly in edge cases, such as stuck or out-of-bounds movement.
- feature/vehicle-controls-mobile (optional, future)
- Add on-screen joystick/buttons: Add an on-screen joystick or buttons to control the vehicle on mobile devices.
- Responsive control overlay: Create a responsive control overlay that adapts to different screen sizes and orientations.
📎 Additional Context
When implementing the feature, we might want to consider using libraries like cannon-es, three.js, or use-cannon for physics handling. These libraries can help us simulate real-world physics and create a more realistic experience.
Implementation
To implement the feature, we can follow these steps:
- Add basic keypress listeners to detect key presses and releases.
- Implement directional movement logic to simulate forward, backward, left, and right movement.
- Integrate basic physics to simulate real-world movement, including inertia and speed caps.
- Animate wheel rotation synced to movement to create a realistic experience.
- Add visual steering to the front wheels to indicate steering.
- Debug and test the feature to ensure that it works correctly in edge cases, such as stuck or out-of-bounds movement.
Conclusion
Incorporating interactive controls that enable users to drive a vehicle model using either the WASD keys or arrow keys is a crucial aspect of creating an immersive experience in a landing scene. By implementing this feature, we can lay the foundation for future mobility-based interactions and enhance the overall user experience. We can use libraries like cannon-es, three.js, or use-cannon for physics handling and create a more realistic experience.
Q&A: Vehicle Movement Controls Using WASD/Arrow Keys with Realistic Wheel Rotation & Physics
✨ Introduction
In our previous article, we discussed the feature of adding vehicle movement controls using WASD/arrow keys with realistic wheel rotation and physics. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to this feature.
🤔 Q1: What are the benefits of implementing vehicle movement controls?
A1: Implementing vehicle movement controls provides several benefits, including:
- Immersive experience: It allows users to interact with the vehicle in a more immersive way, creating a more engaging experience.
- Realistic simulation: It simulates real-world physics, making the experience more realistic and engaging.
- Foundation for future interactions: It lays the foundation for future mobility-based interactions, such as driving, parking, and more.
🤔 Q2: What are the requirements for implementing vehicle movement controls?
A2: The requirements for implementing vehicle movement controls include:
- Enable movement using both WASD and ↑ ↓ ← → keys: The user should be able to control the vehicle's movement using either the WASD keys or the arrow keys.
- Simulate real-world physics (acceleration, deceleration, basic momentum): The vehicle's movement should be simulated using real-world physics, including acceleration, deceleration, and basic momentum.
- Rotate wheels as the car moves: The wheels of the vehicle should rotate realistically as the car moves.
- Animate front wheels for steering: The front wheels of the vehicle should animate to indicate steering.
- Maintain smooth camera tracking (if applicable): The camera should track the vehicle smoothly during movement.
- Ensure compatibility with existing scene layout and object setup: The feature should be compatible with the existing scene layout and object setup.
🤔 Q3: What are the acceptance criteria for vehicle movement controls?
A3: The acceptance criteria for vehicle movement controls include:
- Pressing W/↑ moves the car forward with rolling wheel animation: The car should move forward when the W key or ↑ key is pressed, with a rolling wheel animation.
- Pressing S/↓ moves it backward (optional: reduced speed): The car should move backward when the S key or ↓ key is pressed, with an optional reduced speed.
- Pressing A/← and D/→ turns the vehicle left/right, rotating front wheels: The vehicle should turn left or right when the A key or ← key is pressed, and the front wheels should rotate accordingly.
- Movement respects scene boundaries (no driving through the void): The vehicle should not be able to drive through the void or outside the scene boundaries.
- No performance drops during movement: The feature should not cause any performance drops during movement.
- Works on both desktop and mobile (optional touch support for future): The feature should work on both desktop and mobile devices, with optional touch support for future development.
🤔 Q4: What are the sub-issues and tasks for implementing vehicle movement controls?
A4: The sub-issues and tasks for implementing vehicle movement controls include:
- feature/vehicle-controls-keyboard
- Add basic keypress listeners: Add listeners to detect key presses and releases.
- Implement directional movement logic: Implement the logic for directional movement, including forward, backward, left, and right movement.
- Integrate basic physics (inertia, speed cap, etc.): Integrate basic physics to simulate real-world movement, including inertia and speed caps.
- Animate wheel rotation synced to movement: Animate the wheel rotation to match the movement of the vehicle.
- Add visual steering to front wheels: Add visual steering to the front wheels to indicate steering.
- Debug and test edge cases (stuck, out of bounds, etc.): Debug and test the feature to ensure that it works correctly in edge cases, such as stuck or out-of-bounds movement.
- feature/vehicle-controls-mobile (optional, future)
- Add on-screen joystick/buttons: Add an on-screen joystick or buttons to control the vehicle on mobile devices.
- Responsive control overlay: Create a responsive control overlay that adapts to different screen sizes and orientations.
🤔 Q5: What libraries can be used for physics handling?
A5: Libraries like cannon-es, three.js, or use-cannon can be used for physics handling. These libraries can help simulate real-world physics and create a more realistic experience.
🤔 Q6: How can I implement vehicle movement controls?
A6: To implement vehicle movement controls, you can follow these steps:
- Add basic keypress listeners to detect key presses and releases.
- Implement directional movement logic to simulate forward, backward, left, and right movement.
- Integrate basic physics to simulate real-world movement, including inertia and speed caps.
- Animate wheel rotation synced to movement to create a realistic experience.
- Add visual steering to the front wheels to indicate steering.
- Debug and test the feature to ensure that it works correctly in edge cases, such as stuck or out-of-bounds movement.
🤔 Q7: What are the benefits of using a library for physics handling?
A7: Using a library for physics handling can provide several benefits, including:
- Simplified implementation: The library can simplify the implementation of physics handling, making it easier to create a realistic experience.
- Improved performance: The library can improve performance by handling physics calculations efficiently.
- Realistic simulation: The library can provide a realistic simulation of physics, making the experience more engaging and immersive.
🤔 Q8: Can I use a library for physics handling on both desktop and mobile devices?
A8: Yes, you can use a library for physics handling on both desktop and mobile devices. Many libraries, such as cannon-es, three.js, or use-cannon, are designed to work on both desktop and mobile devices, providing a consistent experience across different platforms.