Gravity about a point without joints

Physics
#1

I am working on a game that would simulate launching ships into orbit around a planet. I have found examples that use joints, but the joints seem to add behavior to the gravity that do not seem realistic to me. When I attempt to apply thrust perpendicular to the ‘pull’ of the joint, it behaves radically different than when the force is at or near parallel to the joint. I was hoping for samples or suggestions on how to simply apply force to an object relative to is position from the center of a planet.

Suggestions?

Thank you.

#2

See the code I wrote for my 7 Games in 7 Days challenge.  Specifically look at the code for the ‘Gravity Flipper’ game.  This might help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYkZ0MvoUHs

https://gumroad.com/l/tbZN

If you don’t find it helpful, you might consider using forces calculated per-object and updated per-frame to point towards your gravity source.

Remember, forces are additive, so you can have one piece of code add your ‘gravity force’ to an object, and another add the ships thrust force.

Finally, you can do this all without physics, but that will require a bit of 2D vector math and (maybe) some calculus.

Best of luck on this.  It sounds like an interesting problem.

#3

See the code I wrote for my 7 Games in 7 Days challenge.  Specifically look at the code for the ‘Gravity Flipper’ game.  This might help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYkZ0MvoUHs

https://gumroad.com/l/tbZN

If you don’t find it helpful, you might consider using forces calculated per-object and updated per-frame to point towards your gravity source.

Remember, forces are additive, so you can have one piece of code add your ‘gravity force’ to an object, and another add the ships thrust force.

Finally, you can do this all without physics, but that will require a bit of 2D vector math and (maybe) some calculus.

Best of luck on this.  It sounds like an interesting problem.