Player Physics

Player Physics in Decentraland

Apply forces to the player's avatar using the Physics API from @dcl/sdk/ecs. All physics operations affect the local player only.

Why this skill exists — the Transform mistake

The player's Transform (on engine.PlayerEntity) is engine-controlled and read-only from scene code. Writing to it via Transform.getMutable, Transform.createOrReplace, or direct .position / .rotation mutation silently does nothing — the code compiles, the system ticks, no error is thrown, and the avatar never moves.

If your goal is to lift, float, push, knock back, or apply any sustained force to the player, use this skill's Physics API. For instant teleports / smooth slides to a specific position, use movePlayerTo from ~system/RestrictedActions (skill: player-avatar).

// WRONG — has no effect in-world
const t = Transform.getMutable(engine.PlayerEntity)
t.position.y += 0.1  // ignored every frame

// CORRECT — lift the player upward
import { Physics } from '@dcl/sdk/ecs'
import { Vector3 } from '@dcl/sdk/math'
Physics.applyImpulseToPlayer(Vector3.create(0, 50, 0))   // one-shot upward launch
// or, sustained lift / hover:
const lifter = engine.addEntity()
Physics.applyForceToPlayer(lifter, Vector3.create(0, 1, 0), 12)  // continuous upward force
// stop with: Physics.removeForceFromPlayer(lifter)

Impulse (One-Shot Push)

Apply a single instantaneous force with Physics.applyImpulseToPlayer(direction, magnitude?). Direction is auto-normalized when magnitude is passed separately. Multiple calls within the same frame are accumulated. Use for launch pads, jumps, and explosions.

Knockback (Push Away from a Point)

Push the player away from a source position with Physics.applyKnockbackToPlayer(sourcePos, magnitude, radius?, falloff?). Direction is computed automatically from source to player.

KnockbackFalloff Options

If the player is exactly at the source, they are pushed straight up. A negative magnitude pulls the player toward the point. Same falloff values apply to applyRepulsionForceToPlayer(). Prefer KnockbackFalloff.LINEAR for most area effects — it feels natural and predictable.

Continuous Force

Apply a persistent directional force identified by an entity (the force "owner"). Multiple forces from different entities stack.

• Apply: Physics.applyForceToPlayer(entity, direction, magnitude?)
• Remove: Physics.removeForceFromPlayer(entity)

Use with trigger zones for wind tunnels, conveyor belts, and gravity fields.

Timed Force

Apply a force for a fixed duration: Physics.applyForceToPlayerForDuration(entity, seconds, direction, magnitude?). Expires automatically.

Repulsion Force

Continuous push away from a fixed point with distance-based falloff, recalculated each frame: Physics.applyRepulsionForceToPlayer(entity, position, magnitude, radius). The position must be passed explicitly — not read from the entity's Transform automatically. Remove with Physics.removeForceFromPlayer(entity).

Coordinate Conversion (Local to World Direction)

Convert local direction to world space with Transform.localToWorldDirection(entity, localDir). Use when pushing relative to an entity's orientation (e.g. "forward from this cannon").

Quick Reference

Trigger-zone collider layers — which player fires the trigger

Physics.* always affects the local player. When you drive forces from a TriggerArea, the collider mask decides which avatars fire the callback (verified in test scene 5,5-collider-layers):

Prefer CL_MAIN_PLAYER for player-physics trigger zones. Because the callback then only fires for the local player, you do not need a remote-vs-local guard, and the force is applied to the one avatar it can affect. A launch pad using CL_PLAYER alone will NOT fire for the local player (only for remote avatars), so it never launches the person standing on it — a common bug.

If you do use CL_PLAYER | CL_MAIN_PLAYER, guard with result.trigger?.entity === engine.PlayerEntity — result.trigger?.entity is the entity that entered. Note: result.triggeredEntity is the trigger area's OWN entity, not the entrant, so comparing it to PlayerEntity never distinguishes who entered.

Forces while gliding

While the player is gliding (glider open), forces behave differently:

• Continuous forces (applyForceToPlayer, applyForceToPlayerForDuration, applyRepulsionForceToPlayer) are 1.5× stronger — the open glider catches the airflow, so wind zones/currents feel more responsive.
• The upward component of a continuous force can lift a gliding player. glidingFallingSpeed (in AvatarLocomotionSettings) only caps descent speed; it does not cancel upward motion, so an angled or vertical current pushes the player along the full force direction. Enables thermal updrafts / wind corridors.
• One-shot impulses (applyImpulseToPlayer, applyKnockbackToPlayer) are NOT affected by gliding — identical whether the glider is open or closed.

For full code examples (launch pad, wind tunnel, repulsion field, coordinate conversion), see {baseDir}/references/physics-patterns.md.