Simulate 3D space in 2D

Question

I'm starting to code my first game and I want to make simple 2D sprite game. However I want to simulate 3D space & physics and am searching for some tutorial/guide/algorithms that would teach me the basics... but so far without luck.

Do you have any recommendations? Books? I don't care about programming language, any language will do as I can read algorithms in most languages and for start I just want to understand exiting solutions for 3D -> 2D problem.

Thanks!

Edit: I am not so much looking into physics for now as for projecting 3D space onto 2D

This is the best article I've found on subject: http://www.create-games.com/article.asp?id=2138

Another great article: http://pixwiki.bafsoft.com/mags/5/articles/circle/sincos.htm

Answer 1

If you're doing 2D, you might like to start with simple 2D physics. I'd especially recommend Box2D for that purpose! It's easy to learn and integrate, and it's tutorials will let you on the basics of physics in games.

Answer 2

If you're talking about the process of rendering a 3D scene as a 2D image (i.e. on a screen), then you'll want to look at perspective projections. It's quite heavy on maths, though, and involves a lot of work with transformation matrices and linear algebra.

You should make sure you're up to scratch on both linear algebra and calculus if you're planning on creating a 3D physics-based game.

Answer 3

1980's games systems used parallax techniques to give a feeling of depth with 2D implementations.

Answer 4

You don't say what language you're using, but OpenGL and variants of it exist, I believe from internet search, for several common programming environments.

It provides some very powerful tools for creating 3D objects, setting viewports into the virtual 3D space, placing lights, defining textures. It might take a couple weeks of spare time to master, but it certainly spares you doing much of the perspective math you would need to roll your own 3D tools. There are good tutorials on the intenet.

Good luck