Physics Settings Deep Dive
A comprehensive reference for every physics parameter and how it affects your simulation.
In This Tutorial
Gravity
Gravity is the constant acceleration applied to all balls every physics frame. Positive values pull downward, negative values push upward. At 0, balls float weightlessly. The default value (9.8) mimics Earth gravity. Extreme values (40+) create fast, chaotic simulations. Low values (1–3) create gentle, floaty motion perfect for ambient content.
- →Default: 9.8 m/s²
- →Range: -50 to 50 m/s²
- →Direction: Configurable (default: downward)
- →Supports radial gravity (pulls toward center instead of downward)
Restitution (Bounciness)
Restitution defines how much kinetic energy a ball retains after collision. At 1.0, collisions are perfectly elastic — no energy is lost, and balls bounce forever. At 0.0, collisions are perfectly inelastic — balls stop dead on impact. Real-world rubber is around 0.8. For satisfying content, 0.85–0.95 gives the best visual bounce while maintaining realism.
- •Set to 1.0+ for "super bounce" effects (balls gain energy on collision).
- •Values below 0.5 make balls feel "dead" — avoid unless intentional.
- •Different balls can have different restitution values for variety.
Friction
Friction controls resistance when balls slide along the boundary wall. High friction (0.5+) makes balls stick and roll. Low friction (0.01) makes balls glide smoothly. Zero friction creates perfectly slippery surfaces. For visual content, low friction produces the most aesthetically pleasing, flowing motion.
- →Default: 0.1
- →Range: 0.0 to 1.0
- →Applies to ball-wall and ball-ball contacts
- →Static friction threshold: configurable in advanced settings
Air Resistance (Drag)
Air resistance gradually slows balls over time, simulating atmospheric drag. At 0, balls maintain velocity indefinitely (vacuum physics). At high values, balls slow quickly after each bounce. A small amount of drag (0.001–0.01) adds realism without noticeably damping motion. This is particularly useful for long-running simulations where you want balls to eventually settle.
Ball Mass and Size
Mass affects collision dynamics — heavier balls push lighter ones aside. Size is purely visual by default, but you can link size to mass in the Physics settings for physically accurate behavior. Large balls with high mass create dramatic, impactful collisions. Small balls with low mass create swarm-like behavior. Mix sizes for visual depth.
- •Link size to mass for physically accurate simulations.
- •Unlink size from mass for creative control over aesthetics.
- •Use size variation (random range) for organic-looking simulations.
Collision Detection Mode
The Creator Studio offers two collision detection modes: Standard (discrete) checks for overlaps each frame and is fast but can miss collisions at high speeds. Continuous (CCD) traces the full path of each ball between frames, catching every collision regardless of speed. Use CCD when balls move very fast or are very small.
- →Standard mode: O(n) per ball, suitable for up to 500 balls
- →CCD mode: O(n·k) per ball where k = substeps, suitable for up to 200 balls
- →Substeps range: 1 to 8 (higher = more accurate, slower)
- →Spatial partitioning: Grid-based, automatically sized
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