What does engine mean?

Engine is the core component of developing programs or systems on electronic platforms. Using the engine, developers can quickly create and deploy the functions required by the program, or use it to assist the operation of the program. Generally speaking, an engine is the supporting part of a program or a system. Common program engines include game engines, search engines, anti-virus engines, etc.

Extended information: Game engine

Game engine refers to the core component of some edited computer game systems or some interactive real-time graphics applications. These systems provide game designers with a variety of tools needed to program games. The purpose is to allow game designers to easily and quickly create game programs without having to start from scratch.

Compare the game engine to the racing engine. The engine is the heart of the car and determines the performance and stability of the car. The speed of the car and the joystick, which are directly related to the driver, are all based on the engine.

The same is true for games. The plot, levels, art, music, operations and other content experienced by players are directly controlled by the game engine. It plays the role of a midfield engine and integrates all aspects of the game. The elements are bundled together, and they are directed to work simultaneously and orderly in the background.

Simply put, the engine is "the main program that controls all game functions, from calculating collisions, physics systems, and the relative position of objects, to accepting player input and outputting sounds at the correct volume, etc. ."

It can be seen that the engine is not a mysterious thing, whether it is a 2D game or a 3D game, whether it is a role-playing game, a real-time strategy game, an adventure puzzle game or an action shooting game, even if it is only a Each 1MB mini-game has such a piece of code that plays a controlling role. After continuous evolution, today's game engine has developed into a complex system composed of multiple subsystems, from modeling and animation to light and shadow, particle effects, from physics system, collision detection to file management, network characteristics, and Professional editing tools and plug-ins cover almost all important aspects of the development process. The following is a brief introduction to some key components of the engine.

The first is the light and shadow effect, that is, the way the light source in the scene affects the people and objects in it. The light and shadow effects of the game are completely controlled by the engine. Basic optical principles such as refraction and reflection, as well as advanced effects such as dynamic light sources and colored light sources, are all achieved through different programming technologies of the engine.

The second is animation. The animation system used in the game can be divided into two types: one is the skeletal animation system, and the other is the model animation system. The former uses built-in bones to drive objects to move, which is more common, while the latter It is deformed directly on the basis of the model. The engine has pre-embedded these two animation systems into the game, making it easier for animators to design rich action styles for characters.

Another important function of the engine is to provide a physics system, which can make the movement of objects follow fixed rules. For example, when a character jumps, the system's default gravity value will determine how high he can jump. As well as how fast he falls, the trajectory of the bullet and the way the vehicle bumps are all determined by the physics system.

Collision detection is the core part of the physics system, which can detect the physical edges of each object in the game. When two 3D objects collide, this technology prevents them from passing through each other. This ensures that when you hit a wall, you will not pass through the wall or knock the wall down, because Collision detection determines your position and interaction based on the characteristics between you and the wall.

Rendering is one of the most important functions of the engine. After the 3D model is produced, the artist will assign material maps to the model according to different faces, which is equivalent to covering the bones with skin, and finally use the rendering engine to All effects such as models, animations, light and shadow, and special effects are calculated in real time and displayed on the screen. The rendering engine is the most complex among all components of the engine, and its power directly determines the final output quality.

Another important responsibility of the engine is to be responsible for the communication between the player and the computer, processing signals from the keyboard, mouse, joystick and other peripherals. If the game supports networking features, networking code will also be integrated into the engine to manage communication between the client and the server.

Through the above boring introduction, we can at least understand one thing: the engine is equivalent to the framework of the game. After the framework is built, level designers, modelers, and animators only need to fill in the content.

Therefore, in the development process of 3D games, engine production often takes up a lot of time.

It is precisely out of the three considerations of saving costs, shortening the cycle and reducing risks that more and more developers tend to use third-party ready-made engines to make their own games, creating a huge engine licensing market. Already formed.

For more related knowledge, please visit: PHP Chinese website!

The above is the detailed content of What does engine mean?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!