Bouncy Bubbles

This example is for Processing 2+. If you have a previous version, use the examples included with your software. If you see any errors or have suggestions, please let us know.

Circle Collision with Swapping Velocities by Ira Greenberg.

Based on Keith Peter's Solution in Foundation Actionscript Animation: Making Things Move!

 
 
Ball[] balls =  { 
  new Ball(100, 400, 20), 
  new Ball(700, 400, 80) 
};

PVector[] vels = { 
  new PVector(2.15, -1.35), 
  new PVector(-1.65, .42) 
};

void setup() {
  size(640, 360);
  noStroke();
}

void draw() {
  background(51);
  fill(204);
  for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++){
    balls[i].x += vels[i].x;
    balls[i].y += vels[i].y;
    ellipse(balls[i].x, balls[i].y, balls[i].r*2, balls[i].r*2);
    checkBoundaryCollision(balls[i], vels[i]);
  }
  checkObjectCollision(balls, vels);
}

void checkObjectCollision(Ball[] b, PVector[] v){

  // get distances between the balls components
  PVector bVect = new PVector();
  bVect.x = b[1].x - b[0].x;
  bVect.y = b[1].y - b[0].y;

  // calculate magnitude of the vector separating the balls
  float bVectMag = sqrt(bVect.x * bVect.x + bVect.y * bVect.y);
  if (bVectMag < b[0].r + b[1].r){
    // get angle of bVect
    float theta  = atan2(bVect.y, bVect.x);
    // precalculate trig values
    float sine = sin(theta);
    float cosine = cos(theta);

    /* bTemp will hold rotated ball positions. You 
     just need to worry about bTemp[1] position*/
    Ball[] bTemp = {  
      new Ball(), new Ball()          
    };
      
    /* b[1]'s position is relative to b[0]'s
     so you can use the vector between them (bVect) as the 
     reference point in the rotation expressions.
     bTemp[0].x and bTemp[0].y will initialize
     automatically to 0.0, which is what you want
     since b[1] will rotate around b[0] */
    bTemp[1].x  = cosine * bVect.x + sine * bVect.y;
    bTemp[1].y  = cosine * bVect.y - sine * bVect.x;

    // rotate Temporary velocities
    PVector[] vTemp = { 
      new PVector(), new PVector()         
    };
    vTemp[0].x  = cosine * v[0].x + sine * v[0].y;
    vTemp[0].y  = cosine * v[0].y - sine * v[0].x;
    vTemp[1].x  = cosine * v[1].x + sine * v[1].y;
    vTemp[1].y  = cosine * v[1].y - sine * v[1].x;

    /* Now that velocities are rotated, you can use 1D
     conservation of momentum equations to calculate 
     the final velocity along the x-axis. */
    PVector[] vFinal = {  
      new PVector(), new PVector()          
    };
    // final rotated velocity for b[0]
    vFinal[0].x = ((b[0].m - b[1].m) * vTemp[0].x + 2 * b[1].m * 
                   vTemp[1].x) / (b[0].m + b[1].m);
    vFinal[0].y = vTemp[0].y;
    // final rotated velocity for b[0]
    vFinal[1].x = ((b[1].m - b[0].m) * vTemp[1].x + 2 * b[0].m * 
                    vTemp[0].x) / (b[0].m + b[1].m);
    vFinal[1].y = vTemp[1].y;

    // hack to avoid clumping
    bTemp[0].x += vFinal[0].x;
    bTemp[1].x += vFinal[1].x;

    /* Rotate ball positions and velocities back
     Reverse signs in trig expressions to rotate 
     in the opposite direction */
    // rotate balls
    Ball[] bFinal = { 
      new Ball(), new Ball()         
    };
    bFinal[0].x = cosine * bTemp[0].x - sine * bTemp[0].y;
    bFinal[0].y = cosine * bTemp[0].y + sine * bTemp[0].x;
    bFinal[1].x = cosine * bTemp[1].x - sine * bTemp[1].y;
    bFinal[1].y = cosine * bTemp[1].y + sine * bTemp[1].x;

    // update balls to screen position
    b[1].x = b[0].x + bFinal[1].x;
    b[1].y = b[0].y + bFinal[1].y;
    b[0].x = b[0].x + bFinal[0].x;
    b[0].y = b[0].y + bFinal[0].y;

    // update velocities
    v[0].x = cosine * vFinal[0].x - sine * vFinal[0].y;
    v[0].y = cosine * vFinal[0].y + sine * vFinal[0].x;
    v[1].x = cosine * vFinal[1].x - sine * vFinal[1].y;
    v[1].y = cosine * vFinal[1].y + sine * vFinal[1].x;
  }
}

void checkBoundaryCollision(Ball ball, PVector vel) {
  if (ball.x > width-ball.r) {
    ball.x = width-ball.r;
    vel.x *= -1;
  } 
  else if (ball.x < ball.r) {
    ball.x = ball.r;
    vel.x *= -1;
  } 
  else if (ball.y > height-ball.r) {
    ball.y = height-ball.r;
    vel.y *= -1;
  } 
  else if (ball.y < ball.r) {
    ball.y = ball.r;
    vel.y *= -1;
  }
}




class Ball{
  float x, y, r, m;

  // default constructor
  Ball() {
  }

  Ball(float x, float y, float r) {
    this.x = x;
    this.y = y;
    this.r = r;
    m = r*.1;
  }
}