Discussion Overview
The discussion centers around the behavior of a sphere passing through a plane in Unity 2017.1, specifically whether this phenomenon is a bug or an expected behavior of the physics engine. Participants explore the conditions under which the sphere intersects the plane and the implications for physics calculations within the game engine.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested, Technical explanation
Main Points Raised
- One participant describes a scenario where a sphere with a rigidbody passes through a plane at specific altitudes, noting that this occurs at 3.5 and 5.0 units but not at 5.1 or 4.9 units.
- Another participant suggests reporting the issue directly to Unity, indicating that there are forums for developer inquiries.
- A later reply reiterates the initial observation about the sphere's behavior and argues that this is not a bug, explaining that the physics engine operates on discrete frames, which can lead to such occurrences.
- This participant also mentions using ray tracing for fast-moving objects as a workaround to avoid the issue of passing through the plane.
- Another contributor, with experience in software testing, agrees that the behavior described is not a bug, emphasizing that a bug typically involves the software failing to handle calculations correctly.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally disagree on whether the observed behavior constitutes a bug. Some argue it is an expected outcome of the physics engine's design, while others suggest it should be reported as a potential issue.
Contextual Notes
The discussion highlights the limitations of the physics engine's discrete calculations and the conditions under which the sphere's behavior occurs, but does not resolve the underlying question of whether this is a bug.
Who May Find This Useful
Developers working with Unity, particularly those interested in physics simulations and collision detection, may find this discussion relevant.