Physics & Collisions

Physics lets objects in your scene behave realistically — boxes fall off conveyors, products collide with each other, and sensors detect when something passes through.

When Do You Need Physics?

• Products on conveyors — Boxes, bottles, or pallets that need to move along a belt
• Sensors — Detecting when a product enters a zone (e.g., photoelectric sensors)
• Actuators — Cylinders, pushers, or lifts that move objects
• Spawners — Creating products that drop onto a conveyor

If your scene is purely visual (no interaction between objects), you don't need physics.

Setting Up Physics on a Model

1. Select the mesh

In the Parameter Editor, find the Physics section (under Advanced). Click Mesh ID and select which part of your 3D model should have collision.

[IMAGE: Parameter editor showing Physics section with Mesh ID dropdown expanded]

2. Choose a collider shape

The collider determines how the physics engine "sees" your object:

[IMAGE: Side-by-side comparison of a model with different collider shapes visualized]

Tip: Use Cuboid or Ball for products that move. Use Trimesh only for static scenery like conveyor frames where exact shape matters.

3. Static vs Dynamic

• Dynamic (checkbox ON) — Object is affected by gravity and forces. Use for products, boxes, anything that should move freely.
• Static (checkbox OFF) — Object stays fixed in place. Use for conveyor frames, walls, floors, machine structures.

[IMAGE: Scene showing dynamic boxes falling onto a static conveyor belt]

4. Physics Material

Choose a material that matches your object:

Custom lets you set exact values for friction, bounce (restitution), density, and damping.

How Physics Works with Your PLC Program

Conveyors move products

When you configure an output node as a Conveyor, the physics engine applies surface velocity to any dynamic object touching the conveyor mesh. Your PLC program controls the speed:

// In your PLC program
ConveyorSpeed := 500.0;  // mm/s

Products on the conveyor move at the speed your program sets.

[IMAGE: Conveyor with arrows showing product movement direction and speed value in parameter editor]

Sensors detect products

Input nodes configured as Detection Zones use physics to detect when a dynamic object enters the zone. The sensor's Active output becomes TRUE:

// In your PLC program
IF PhotoSensor.Active THEN
    // Product detected — stop conveyor, activate pusher, etc.
END_IF

[IMAGE: Photoelectric sensor with detection zone highlighted, showing a product entering the zone]

Actuators push and lift

Output nodes configured as Actuators control mesh movement. The physics engine moves the mesh and any objects touching it:

• Translational — Pushes objects along a straight line (cylinders, pushers)
• Rotational — Rotates objects around an axis (turntables, gates)

[IMAGE: Cylinder actuator pushing a box from one conveyor to another]

Geometry Information

Each physics mesh shows its bounding box dimensions and center position in the Advanced section:

• Width / Height / Depth — Bounding box size in mm
• Position X / Y / Z — Center position relative to the model origin

These values are read-only — they're computed automatically from the mesh.

Performance Tips

[IMAGE: Performance panel showing physics stats with good vs poor performance comparison]