Ageia unveils new APEX development platform

Ageia has announced a new asset library and toolset, the APEX development platform, designed to help facilitate the implemention of PhysX-based physics into games.

APEX, which stands for Adaptive Physics Extensions, is composed of three core components: Pipeline Offload, which ensures that physics processing tasks are efficiently offloaded to the PhysX processor if present; the Scaling Level of Detail system which dynamically scales the amount of physical simulation depending on the hardware present; and Pre-built Verticals, which are pre-built scenario libraries for quick physical simulation implementation.

APEX will support the Xbox 360 and PS3 in addition to the PC, and will initially launch in early 2008 as a part of Unreal Engine 3 – with support for other engines to follow later that year.

“Physics is the future of gaming and AGEIA is committed to enabling as many developers as possible to deliver on that promise more quickly and effectively than ever before,” said Manju Hegde, CEO of AGEIA Technologies.

“We believe that all games should have great physics and every developer should have the tools to be creative in this realm. With AGEIA APEX, physics-based game design just got easier.”