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ActionScript 3 Physics Engines

Nov 20, 20079 Comments

When making a flash game, it’s always nice to have believable physics. However, having to code your own physics engine is not always so nice. The good news is…you don’t have to. Below is a list of AS3 class libraries that make simulating physics relatively easy.

  • fisix_1.jpgThe Fisix Engine
    The documentation appears to be very thorough and there seems to be a nice community being formed around this engine. The only drawback is that it can only be used in Flex.

  • ape_1.jpgActionScript Physics Engine
    APE is written and maintained by Alec Cove, and can be used in Flash or Flex. I have actually had time to play around with this one, and can say that it is very easy to use.

  • foam_1.jpgFOAM
    This engine trades efficiency for modularity and extensibility. Although there is no documentation, a look through the well commented code should have you up and running in no time.

  • box_1.jpgBox2DFlashAS3
    Box2DFlashAS3 is an open source port of Erin Catto’s powerful c++ physics library Box2D. Judging from the demos, this engine seems to be quite good.

With the increased performance of AS3 and Flash Player 9, I won’t be surprised to see a few more physics engines pop up in the coming months.

9 Comments
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  1. ChrizDee Nov 27, 2007

    Oh very nice overview.
    Maybe it will be useful for my next projects.
    Thx - Chriz

  2. Andris Nov 30, 2007

    Very useful collection for inspiration :)

  3. rje Jan 18, 2008
  4. Min Thu Jan 22, 2008

    Informative!

    I will have to learn those engines. :)

  5. Fysik i ActionScript 3 - Nu meget nemmere! · omFlash(); Jan 23, 2008

    [...] Herry Jones har lavet en lille liste med 4 open-source ActionScript 3 fysik moduler, som gør det væsentligt nemmere at komme igang: ActionScript 3 Physics Engines [...]

  6. Angel Romero Jan 23, 2008

    Well done. Although some of these present more flaws than others, the era of Actionscript 3.0 has just begun and as communities for these engines get larger so will the support. Again, good job on the article.

  7. KC Feb 5, 2008

    tanx will come in handy i just got my degree as a multimedia specialist
    K

  8. Ollie Mar 30, 2008

    Does anyone know the relative efficiency/speeds of the various engines? I’ve been using APE and it’s very easy to get started on but the performance isn’t fantastic…

  9. ryan Dec 22, 2008

    nice list dude…

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About Henry

Henry Jones is a web designer and developer living in Kingsport, Tennessee. He has over seven years of experience in the web industry and a background in 3D animation.

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