car simulation

[samsooom]

if i want tomake asimulation on a car .is it better to make the vectors(of thrust and weight and drag and friction and velocity)onthe wheels (tyres)or on the center of the car?
i thought that if it were on the center then the whole car will move horizantly when it climps up a hill or getting down? what is the right solution?
i will make it on c++ opengl... thank you

[Fu-Kwun Hwang]

It depends on how much you want the simulation to be closer to the real situation.
If you only interesting in one dimension motion and want to know how position/velocity changes with time.
You can treat the car as a point. However, the drag will depends on the cross section of the car.

If you want to simulated different  weight between front/rear tires, you need to calculate different normal forces when car is accelerated or de-accelerated (Please check out Normal forces on front and rear tires when car is accelerated!). 

You need to re-calculate it if the car is moving up or going down a hill.

Write down detail description of your model (with equations) and I will check it for you!

[donnaj8887]

It depends on how much you want the simulation to be closer to the real situation.
If you only interesting in one dimension motion and want to know how position/velocity changes with time.
You can treat the car as a point. However, the drag will depends on the cross section of the car.

If you want to simulated different weight between front/rear tires, you need to calculate different normal forces when car is accelerated or de-accelerated (Please check out Normal forces on front and rear tires when car is accelerated!).

You need to re-calculate it if the car is moving up or going down a hill.

Write down detail description of your model (with equations) and I will check it for you!

Such a very amazing link!
Thanks you for the post.

-*-

[desertrose3]

Thank you for making it so comprehensive. You don't know how much this helps my understanding.