Creating a ragdoll in Tokamak is very simple.
First, you need a layout of joint markers or a skeleton - I created a simple humanoid shape in a modelling program that has a sphere at the position of each joint (neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles) and also a sphere at the centre of each body part (head, torso, upper arms, lower arms, upper legs and lower legs).
You could use an animated human mesh for this - just make sure you have these markers for the joints and body parts.
Then, when you need to invoke the ragdoll, use the orientation of the markers to position a TOKAMAK rigid body at each body part position, and point these RBs at the relevant joint - for example, create a long thin cube at the lower arm position, then point it at the elbow joint marker, create a block at the head position and point it at the neck joint.
Finally, create the joints at the joint marker positions and orientations, and connect them to the relevant rigid bodies. When you activate the Tokamak simulation the ragdoll will crumple to the ground. You can blow it across the room by, for example, applying a single impulse to the torso as the ragdoll is created.
When writen down this sounds more complicated than it really is - create a test program and you'll see it's really pretty easy to do.
Joint limits are harder to implement if the ragdoll can start in any position, but can still be done.
Here is a demo program - http://www.jameskett.dsl.pipex.com/Ragdoll.zip
Here is the skeleton object used to construct the ragdoll at runtime - green are RBs, red are JOINTS, yellow is the base pivot -
and a couple of simple screenies -
First, you need a layout of joint markers or a skeleton - I created a simple humanoid shape in a modelling program that has a sphere at the position of each joint (neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles) and also a sphere at the centre of each body part (head, torso, upper arms, lower arms, upper legs and lower legs).
You could use an animated human mesh for this - just make sure you have these markers for the joints and body parts.
Then, when you need to invoke the ragdoll, use the orientation of the markers to position a TOKAMAK rigid body at each body part position, and point these RBs at the relevant joint - for example, create a long thin cube at the lower arm position, then point it at the elbow joint marker, create a block at the head position and point it at the neck joint.
Finally, create the joints at the joint marker positions and orientations, and connect them to the relevant rigid bodies. When you activate the Tokamak simulation the ragdoll will crumple to the ground. You can blow it across the room by, for example, applying a single impulse to the torso as the ragdoll is created.
When writen down this sounds more complicated than it really is - create a test program and you'll see it's really pretty easy to do.
Joint limits are harder to implement if the ragdoll can start in any position, but can still be done.
Here is a demo program - http://www.jameskett.dsl.pipex.com/Ragdoll.zip
Here is the skeleton object used to construct the ragdoll at runtime - green are RBs, red are JOINTS, yellow is the base pivot -
and a couple of simple screenies -