   Atoms in a 3D environment?
  Would it be useful to just use atoms to make a 3D environment?I mean.... (Water molecule)  /-----\/---\||/---\| H ||  O  || H |\---/\-----/\---/  Would it be efficient if at all possible to make a 3D world out of atoms?Pros:Easily react to physics (bend, break, etc.)React with each otherCons:HUGE amounts of atoms in a 3D world (may take a decade to render)Hard to implement the creation of new compounds and moleculesAny others?I really like ths idea, but from my point of view, the cons really outweigh the pros.Has this been attempted before?Were they successful?    [ Enter the Unspoken Realm ]    
  Yeah, it seems pretty much impossible. The average object could have trillions upon trillions of atoms. Even if you had a computer that could do 1 trillion operations per second, it would be impossible because you would need to process many different effects on a single atom. You''d need to calculate how every atoms interacted with the other atoms. It''s computationally impossible, and I suspect it will remain computationally impossible for quite a long time.However, on a smaller scale, it would work, depending on what you want to do. You could make a particle system that uses particles much larger than atoms to simulate atomic interaction. Just a though.    ________________________Grab your sword, and get prepared for the SolidSteel RPG engine, coming soon...(i.e. when it''s done)  ;  No, it''s nowhere near feasible. You might want to check out volumetric (voxel) engines, though; you may find them interesting.    Don''t listen to me. I''ve had too much coffee.  ;  I''ve always thought it would be cool to have a fully functioning engine which would just update atoms and let them react to eachother.  Of course now it would take decades to render.I just cant wait for the day when our computer games run at thousands of frames per second using a real world simulation of atoms and molecules with accurate physics effects and characters using human brains constructed from virtual molecules, running on a 10 foot screen with a resolution slightly sharper than the human eye can percieve.  Unfortunately I''ll be dead then ;quote:Original post by pi_equals_3  I''ve always thought it would be cool to have a fully functioning engine which would just update atoms and let them react to eachother.  Of course now it would take decades to render.  Sub atomic would be more accurate.quote:Unfortunately I''ll be dead then   Not only you.;quote:Original post by pi_equals_3  I''ve always thought it would be cool to have a fully functioning engine which would just update atoms and let them react to eachother.  Of course now it would take decades to render.I just cant wait for the day when our computer games run at thousands of frames per second using a real world simulation of atoms and molecules with accurate physics effects and characters using human brains constructed from virtual molecules, running on a 10 foot screen with a resolution slightly sharper than the human eye can percieve.  Unfortunately I''ll be dead then   Its called real life.  ;  lol, good point.But I''d still love to be able to explore a computer game world as real as real life, only I can carry a broadsword without getting weird looks and of course I can restart when I''m dumb enough to wander into the red dragon''s cave Ahhh computer games....the sweet escape from reality.  ;  The problem is that atoms are tiny... very very very very very very (not using clipboard..) very very very very very (getting tired hand) very very very very very (you get the point) very very tiny.It would be better to work on larger sized particles and pretend they were atoms. Instead of a rock having trillions upon trillions of atoms, how about just 100 or so?    Do not meddle in the affairs of moderators, for they are subtle and quick to anger.ANDREW RUSSELL STUDIOSCool Links :: [ GD | TG | MS | NeHe | PA | SA | M&S | TA | LiT | H*R ]Got Clue? :: [ Start Here! | Google | MSDN | GameDev.net Reference | OGL v D3D | File Formats | Asking Questions | Go FAQ yourself ]    ;  Even if it were possible to simulate billions upon billions of atoms, it wouldn''t simplify anything.  You would need to simulate the electrons if you were hoping to really accomplish anything, not to mention electro-magnetic effects.  You''d need to have the properties of millions of different materials at your program''s disposal if you wanted to get it to simulate the structural properties of the objects.  So really, your pros aren''t pros at all.Keeping track of each atom would be the least of your worries.CM  ;quote:Original post by Conner McCloud  You''d need to have the properties of millions of different materials at your program''s disposal if you wanted to get it to simulate the structural properties of the objects.  You just need to have the basic rules of the universe to simulate everything, though we haven''t completely discover all. Atoms act different because electrons, neutrons and protons have different number.  