Equipment: Physics Basic Shape
 |
|
Description
A physics basic shape uses the physics engine to impact products that are on physics equipment, and can detect collisions with other physics basic shapes.
A physics basic shape can be used as a diverter, as a product block, and more.
Creation
Drag and drop a physics basic shape from the ‘Physics’ section of the toolbox on to the simulation.
Access
Select physics basic shapes from the Project Explorer: Equipment > Physics Basic Shape. Or by directly clicking on a physics basic shape in the simulation.
Properties
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Model | The shape of the physics basic shape. Choose from cube, sphere, cylinder, or cone. |
| Width | The size of the Y axis (assuming no rotation) in project units (meters or feet) for cubes and cylinders. |
| Length | The size of the X axis (assuming no rotation) in project units (meters or feet) for cubes and cylinders. |
| Height | The size of the Z axis (assuming no rotation) in project units (meters or feet) for cubes, cones, and cylinders. |
| Diameter | The size of the X and Y axis for cones, and the size of every axis for spheres. All in project units. (meters or feet) |
| Friction | The friction of this object when colliding against products. A value from 0.0 to 10.0 that is multiplied with the product’s friction value to determine the coefficient of the collision in question. |
| Stop On Collision | When this shape is being animated, if this is enabled (the default) then that animation will stop when it collides (intersects with) another physics basic shape. If disabled, the animation will continue. (But collision events will still occur) |
A Note On Cylinders
Prior to 9.15, physics basic shapes using the cylinder used the diameter to determine the shape of cylinders, so they were always perfect circles.
Version 9.15 added the ability to create cylinders where the width and length differ.
It is recommended that unless it is required, the width and length of physics basic shape cylinders should be equal. Detecting collisions with elliptic cylinders is more expensive than with standard circlular cylinders.