Detect height of fall

[cebugdev]

Hi,
how can I test if my character (represented by bullet's kinematic character controller) fall from a great height let say for example fall from a top of a building?

How can i approach detecting the said event?

[serengeor]

do you really need the height, or you just need a way to calculate damage?

If you need to calculate damage you should get the velocity of impact.

If you need the height of the fall I think you should track it manually.

[dphil]

Yeah I would also say that just getting the velocity/force of impact would be a simpler and more realistic measure for damage or "splatting" effects. That way it's generic for any kind of falling (even if only falling from small height but accelerated by some force) and you don't have to manually keep track of the height at the start of a fall (and then perhaps having to update that if the object bounces/hits an object on the way down).

[cebugdev]

do you really need the height, or you just need a way to calculate damage?

If you need to calculate damage you should get the velocity of impact.

If you need the height of the fall I think you should track it manually.

Ok, so how do i dtermine velocity of impact then?
im sory im kinda new to this.

[cebugdev]

anyone?
im searching thru forums and i cant seem to find the correct search word on how to compute the force of impact.