Accurate and efficient collision detection in complex environments is one of the foundations of today’s
cutting-edge computer games. Yet collision detection is notoriously difficult to implement robustly
and takes up an increasingly large fraction of compute cycles in current game engines as increasingly
detailed environments are becoming the norm.
Real-time Collision Detection is a comprehensive reference on this topic, covering it with both breadth
and depth. Not only are the fundamental algorithms explained clearly and in detail, but Ericson’s book
covers crucial implementation issues, including geometric and numeric robustness and cache-efficient
implementations of the algorithms. Together, these make this book a “must have”practical reference for
anyone interested in developing interactive applications with complex environments.
–Matt Pharr,
Senior Software Developer, NVIDIA
Christer Ericson’s Real-timeCollision Detection is an excellent resource that covers the fundamentals
as well as a broad array of techniques applicable to game development.
–Jay Stelly,
Senior Engineer,Valve
Christer Ericson provides a practical and very accessible treatment of real-time collision detection. This
includes a comprehensive set of C++ implementations of a very large number of routines necessary
to build such applications in a context which is much broader than just game programming. The
programs are well-thought out and the accompanying discussion reveals a deep understanding of the
graphics, algorithms, and ease of implementation issues. It will find a welcome home on any graphics
programmer’s bookshelf although it will most likely not stay there long as others will be constantly
borrowing it.
–Hanan Samet,
Professor of Computer Science, University of Maryland
Real-Time Collision Detection is an excellent resource that every serious engine programmer should
have on his bookshelf. Christer Ericson covers an impressive range of techniques and presents them
using concise mathematics, insightful figures, and practical code.
–Eric Lengyel,
Senior Programmer, Naughty Dog
If you think you already know everything about collision detection, you’re in for a surprise! This book
not only does an excellent job at presenting all the collision detection methods known to date, it also
goes way beyond the standard material thanks to a plethora of juicy, down-to-earth, hard-learned
implementation tips and tricks. This produces a perfect blend between theory and practice, illustrated
by the right amount of source code in appropriate places.
Basically the book just oozes with experience. Christer doesn’t forget all the alternative topics that,
despite not directly related to collision detection,can ruin your implementation if you don’t include them
in your design. The chapters on robustness and optimization are priceless in this respect. Its carefully
crafted compact kd-tree implementation beautifully concludes a unique book full of luminous gems.
–Pierre Terdiman,
Principal Software Engineer, NovodeX AG
(author of the OPCODE collision detection library)
