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PHYSICS bug: Wheel colliders do not wake up.

Discussion in '5.3 Beta' started by Foxxis, Nov 27, 2015.

  1. Foxxis

    Foxxis

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2006
    Posts:
    1,108
    (Where is the Physics prefix? ;-) )

    Just want to add this here as well since it applies to 5.3 as well:

    Case 747895 https://fogbugz.unity3d.com/default.asp?747895_gmsqj94tlfnrf6q3

    Basically, wheel colliders will not roll unless they have motortorque applied. So, having a cart (without motor) and attempting to push it will not work with the current wheel collider implementation. Same thing goes for attaching a trailer to a car. The trailer will not roll even though the car is attempting to pull it with a large force. Only after applying motortorque (can be a very small value, say 0.1) will the wheels "wake up" and behave properly.

    This has been verified by QA, apparently bounced with the physics team (who considers it a feature). I have logged it as a feature request as well. https://feedback.unity3d.com/sugges...he-wheel-collider-to-enable-it-to-roll-freely)

    But really, this is a bug. Having the requirement of adding motor torque to a wheel in order for it to respect external forces applied to its rigid body has to be considered a bug.

    Please, please fix this. Having the wheels waking up when external forces are applied to the rigid body has to be a relatively simple check to add...?

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. hippocoder

    hippocoder

    Digital Ape

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2010
    Posts:
    29,723
    In your OnCollisionEnter for the rigidbody, you can wake up the wheels with ease. 4-5 lines of code? This will get done in 10 mins tops vs waiting for (presumably) forever for the train that's not coming?

    I do agree for what it is worth :)
     
  3. Foxxis

    Foxxis

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2006
    Posts:
    1,108
    We currently do that, of course. But it requires detecting cases where the wheels should be able to move freely which can be complex in a dynamic environment. We have to detect cases such as the player pushing a box, which pushes another box, which in turn pushes a cart. So we have to check for collisions on the cart and then add motortorque if a collision (or any other external force) is detected.

    So I am definitely not waiting for the train to arrive. I am taking another train for now, while at the same time I am telling the engine driver that his train is broken and asking him to fix it and hurry to the station. ;)
     
  4. hippocoder

    hippocoder

    Digital Ape

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2010
    Posts:
    29,723
    There's leaves on the line at Unity HQ!
     
  5. Foxxis

    Foxxis

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2006
    Posts:
    1,108
    Haha - aptly put! :D
    Seriously though, while not having insight into how the code looks, improving the waking conditions for the wheel colliders has to be relatively simple, and I am sure the current behaviour is not really desired by Unity either....

    But given the state of 5.2, 5.3 beta, Speed Tree performance (cough, cough) I am guessing the team are a tiny bit busy. :)