Today I’ve finished my third day of work. I’m enjoying it so far, and I think I will long-term. I haven’t really got to work on the project I’m supposed to be doing yet, but it’s a necessary thing. I have to set up my computer how I like it first, and then start researching and studying the things I’m working with: the Havok physics engine and Android programming. We’re not actually sure yet if I can combine the two, but we’re finding it out, and in the meantime I’m reading up on them and trying some programming tutorials. The environment itself is great, a nice office (with a mini-kitchen, even), good computer, and cool people that I’ll hopefully be getting to know better.
I’ve started looking at this book given to me by a research assistant at work called Game Physics Engine Development by Ian Millington. It’s basically a look at how to create a simple physics engine, and it would give me the basic information on how a simpler version of Havok might work. It’s not that I’m creating my own engine at all, probably not even tweaking Havok, but I’m sure that it would be helpful for me to know how it works, if I am to use it to create applications. There is a bit of complex math (or maths if you’re from the UK) involved, but it’s reviewed at the beginning of the book, and I’m finding it surprisingly understandable. I did 3D calculus last year–or two years ago, if you count the school year just past–and didn’t do incredibly well, but the basics stuck with me. It was the professor that really was the difficult thing anyway. Reading these sections, though, is reminding me how much I miss math classes. How weird am I? But I do. I know some of the classes I’m taking next year will involve math, and I hope that means they’ll be enjoyable.
I’m slowly starting to meet people and get adjusted to all this new stuff. My days are pretty full, and even though I don’t have to bring work home with me, I only have a few hours in the evenings to myself. Perhaps that’s for the best, though. I finally won’t have a boring summer.