Tank Rampage's Tank 2- Tracks

            Tank Rampage’s tank is our pièce de resistance. It’s build up from 25 separate sprites and 27 joints. Its movements are fully simulated, including the tracks and antenna.  

Making simulated tank tracks in Box2D is not as straightforward as it sounds.

Just making track parts and linking them with joints is not an option, as this breaks very easily and is also very hard to implement.

Instead, we made an illusion. The end parts of the tracks are bodies completely fixated to the tanks main body. In between these two bodies, three straight track parts are attached that can move freely. When the tank starts driving, an animation is played on the tracks and the visual wheels start rotating. However, none of these parts actually move the tank. For moving the tank, six invisible circle bodies are attached to the tracks. Using all this we’re able to attain an effect of fully functional tank tracks, when the tank is actually just an ordinary car (with six wheels).

The tank's bodies

This article is part of a small 4-piece series on the tank of Tank Rampage. Next up: firing the tank!Please let me know if you want any more info on this subject, or perhaps a tutorial?