Physics interpolation: when to enable it
Smooth rendering between physics ticks: quick setup, limits and the right guide.
The problem it solves
At 60 physics ticks/s and 144 rendered frames/s, some frames receive the same physics pose. Motion appears stepped, especially with a following camera. Interpolation renders intermediate poses between known states. It does not raise contact frequency, fix tunneling or replace network smoothing.
| Need | Open |
|---|---|
| See the difference in one level | 2D quick start |
| Understand previous/current poses and delay | Two clocks and interpolation fraction |
| Integrate an existing project | Movement, hierarchy and teleporting |
| Check 3D and implementation differences | 2D/3D interpolation |
| Configure a separate camera or MultiMesh | Special cases |
The global physics/common/physics_interpolation setting defaults to disabled. Entity Inherit/On/Off modes choose branch participation while the system is enabled. Update physics-driven transforms in _PhysicsProcess. For screen UI or manually updated cameras, define a separate movement method rather than enabling smoothing everywhere without checks.
Begin with the project's normal physics frequency. The tutorial uses 10 ticks/s to exaggerate stepping deliberately; that is diagnostic, not a shipping recommendation. Test the actual device, renderer and camera at the target frame rate.