bow-simulation
Option to release the bow string gradually instead of instantly
The release of the arrow in the dynamic simulation is currently instantaneous, which is of course an idealization. Releasing the string force more gradually (via a user-controlled setting) could have some benefits:
- More realistic performance results, since actual archers or release mechanisms are not perfect
- Releasing the arrow instantly creates a mechanical "shock" travelling through the string and limbs that might not happen to that extent in real life. Maybe a gradual release makes that transition from the static to the dynamic phase smoother and more realistic.
Both of those are hypothetical though, it needs to be tested what effects this change really has.
Since the rewrite for version 0.10, the solver can handle external forces that vary arbitrarily over time. In a makeshift experiment I already tried a linear reduction of the draw force (see picture below) with a given release time, but that didn't work out very well. It seemed to slow down the release too much even for small release times. Maybe a quicker reduction curve (quadratic for example), would produce better results. None of those curves are backed by any physics or measurements though, just pure assumption right now.
