Quick Start

This guide walks you through creating your first simulation — a conveyor belt controlled by a PLC program. By the end, you will have a running simulation with a motor, a sensor, and basic control logic.

Step 1: Create an Account

Go to simassist.app and sign up with your email or Google account. No credit card is required for the free tier. Once signed in, you land on the dashboard.

Step 2: Create a New Project

1. Click New Project on the dashboard.
2. Enter a name, for example "My First Conveyor".
3. Choose a blank template or select one of the starter templates.
4. Click Create. The project editor opens with an empty 3D scene.

Step 3: Import a 3D Model

1. Open the Assets panel on the left sidebar.
2. Drag and drop a .glb or .gltf file onto the viewport, or click Import Model and select a file from your computer.
3. The model appears in the scene and in the Component Tree. You can reposition it using the Move tool (G key).

If you do not have a model ready, open the Marketplace tab and search for "conveyor" to find a pre-built component you can add directly.

Step 4: Add a PLC Program

1. Switch to the PLC tab at the top of the editor.
2. Click New Program and choose FBD (Function Block Diagram) as the language.
3. Name the program "ConveyorControl".
4. The FBD editor opens with an empty network. Drag a TON (Timer On-Delay) block from the function block library on the left and place it on the canvas.
5. Add an input variable StartButton (BOOL) and an output variable MotorRun (BOOL) by clicking Add Variable in the variable panel.
6. Wire StartButton to the TON input, and wire the TON output Q to MotorRun.

Step 5: Connect I/O to the Scene

1. Go back to the Scene tab and select the conveyor component in the Component Tree.
2. In the Properties panel, find the I/O Binding section.
3. Bind the MotorRun output variable to the conveyor's Speed property. When MotorRun is TRUE, the conveyor will move.
4. If you have a button model in the scene, bind StartButton to its Pressed state.

Step 6: Run the Simulation

1. Click the Play button in the top toolbar (or press F5).
2. The PLC scan cycle begins executing your FBD program.
3. Click the start button in the 3D scene (or force StartButton to TRUE in the variable watch panel).
4. The TON timer counts up, and after the preset time, MotorRun goes TRUE and the conveyor starts moving.
5. Click Stop to end the simulation and return to edit mode.

Next Steps

• Read Core Concepts to understand how projects, I/O binding, and the execution cycle work.
• Explore the Scene Editor to learn viewport navigation and camera controls.
• Try writing the same logic in Structured Text for a text-based approach.
• Visit the Marketplace to find ready-made components and Toolboxes.