Google announced 1.1 release of LiquidFun, an open-source 2D physics engine including fluid simulation. The engine opens new possibilities to both game developers and UI designers, says Google. LiquidFun now officially supports iOS in addition to Android, Linux, and OS X.
LiquidFun is based upon Box2D, a physics engine that performs constrained rigid body simulation, and adds particle-based fluid simulation on top of it. LiquidFun can be used as a drop-in replacement for Box2D, which makes it easy to integrate it in any program written in C++, Java, or JavaScript, says Google. The library is written in platform independent C++ and this makes possible to use it on any platform that has a C++ compiler. Google provides a method to build the LiquidFun library, example applications, and unit tests for Android, Linux, OS X and Windows.
Version 1.1 of LiquidFun adds the following new features, among others:
- Browser compatibility: Google translated LiquidFun into JavaScript using Emscripten.
- iOS support.
- Performance optimization: LiquidFun 1.1 improves performance on ARM processors thanks to code partially written in NEON.
The new release also includes two physics-based, open-source games from Google: VoltAir, written in C++, and LiquidFunPaint, written in Java via SWIG bindings. Both programs are currently available in the US Play Store and their source code is released as open source to provide developers with examples of how to integrate the engine in their apps.
LiquidFun can be useful not only to game developers but to UI designers as well, says Google. Game developers can use physics to drive new game mechanics and add realistic physics, while designers can use this library to build interactive experiences that feel real by adding behaviors such as gravity, springs, and liquid simulation to their user interfaces.
Since its introduction in March 2014, LiquidFun has been integrated in several existing game engines, including Cocos2d-X, Corona Pro, and YoYo Games' GameMaker: Studio.