Over the summer, Gennaro and his team of programmers have been developing a more advanced physics engine to power the online structural teaching tools on Workshed. The latest incarnation is now available online for you to take a look. It comes with a health warning though: it is still very much a work in progress! But we want your reaction.
Link to physics engine prototype
Trouble-shooting loading the physics engine – refer to our FAQs page
Compared with the first Push-Me-Pull-Me models, this engine has real-time structural mechanics coded for axial, shear and bending stiffness, so that it is possible to sketch up your own model and test it in real-time.
Over the next few weeks we will be creating new rooms on Workshed containing tools powered by this new physics engine. These rooms are likely to include a room where students and lecturers can build their own models and test them.
We also intend to create a number of specific models to show certain concepts – e.g. arch vs beam action; Vierendeel truss vs regular truss. If you are teaching structural engineering, then what example structures or concepts would you like to see featured on Workshed? (See this conversation about how such examples can be used to teach architects)
Read related posts about developing the physics engine
Link to the old physics engine ‘Catastrophe‘