Physics Settings Deep Dive
Every physics parameter in the Studio, with its range, its default, and what changing it does to a run.
In This Tutorial
Read the Units Before You Start
The Studio uses simulation-space units, not real-world physical units. Gravity is not measured in metres per second squared and bounciness is not a material constant. The numbers are tuned so the useful range is easy to reach on a slider, which is why gravity tops out at 0.5 rather than 9.8. If you come in expecting real-world values you will set everything to the wrong end of its range. Every figure below is the range you will find on the control itself.
- •Every setting has a numeric input as well as a slider. Type exact values when you are reproducing a setup.
Gravity
Gravity accepts 0 to 0.5 in steps of 0.001 and ships at 0. Zero is not a broken default: many modes are built around a ball that keeps its energy and travels in straight lines between impacts, which is what makes bounce patterns predictable enough to sync to music. Add gravity when you want the ball to settle, fall or pool. Around 0.02 to 0.08 gives a slow drift. Around 0.15 to 0.3 gives a definite fall. Above 0.4 the ball spends most of its time on the floor of the arena.
- →Gravity: 0 to 0.5, step 0.001 (default 0)
- →Set in the Physics tab under Physics and Dynamics
- →Collision effect particles have a separate gravity, 0 to 2, in the Arts tab
Bounciness and Bounce Randomness
Bounciness accepts 0 to 2.0 in steps of 0.01 and ships at 1. At 1 the collision is perfectly elastic and no energy is lost, which is the default because a ball that keeps its energy keeps producing bounces and therefore keeps producing notes. Below 1 the ball loses energy and eventually settles. Above 1 it gains energy on every impact and accelerates until it hits a speed limit, which is a legitimate effect for escalating clips but will run away if you leave the limits open. Bounce Randomness, 0 to 1.0, adds variation to the reflection angle and stops a ball settling into a repeating loop.
- →Bounciness: 0 to 2.0, step 0.01 (default 1)
- →Bounce Randomness: 0 to 1.0, step 0.01
- →Above 1.0 the ball gains energy each impact. Set Maximum Speed Limit before using it.
Weight
Ball Weight accepts 0.1 to 10 in steps of 0.1 and ships at 1. It governs how ball-to-ball collisions resolve, so it only matters in modes with more than one ball. Increase Weight Over Time is a separate group that ramps weight during a run: Starting Weight and Maximum Weight each accept 0.1 to 100, and Weight Growth Duration accepts 1 to 300 seconds. A ball that gets heavier as the clip runs will start pushing others aside near the end, which builds escalation without touching speed.
- →Ball Weight: 0.1 to 10, step 0.1 (default 1)
- →Starting Weight / Maximum Weight: 0.1 to 100 each
- →Weight Growth Duration: 1 to 300 s
Speed: Limits and Build-up
Starting Speed accepts 0 to 5.0. Minimum Speed Limit accepts 0 to 50 and floors the velocity so a ball never fully stops. Maximum Speed Limit accepts 0 to 200 and is your safety net whenever bounciness is above 1. Speed Increase Mode chooses whether speed builds over time, on collisions, or stays static. Speed Build-up Rate accepts 0 to 0.1 in steps of 0.0001 and Speed Acceleration accepts 0 to 0.01 in steps of 0.00001. Those two steps are that small because the effect compounds every frame, and a value that looks tiny produces a dramatic ramp over thirty seconds.
- →Starting Speed: 0 to 5.0, step 0.05 (default 1.0)
- →Minimum Speed Limit: 0 to 50, step 0.1 (default 0.1)
- →Maximum Speed Limit: 0 to 200, step 1 (default 80)
- →Speed Build-up Rate: 0 to 0.1, step 0.0001
- →Speed Acceleration: 0 to 0.01, step 0.00001
- →Speed Increase Mode: Static, Time, Collision
Ball Size and Growth
Ball Radius lives in the Arts tab under Ball Studio and accepts 1 to 150, with 10 as the default. Growth is configured in the Physics tab. Growth Trigger Mode offers None, Time, Collision and Playlist Sync. Minimum Ball Size accepts 1 to 50 and Maximum Ball Size accepts 5 to 1000, with an option to match the outer ring instead of a fixed number. Timed growth lets you name a target and a duration, from 1 to 600 seconds or collisions, and pick whether it grows or shrinks to reach it. Manual growth uses a Size Growth Rate from 0 to 2.0 and a Size Growth Acceleration from 0 to 0.1.
- →Ball Radius: 1 to 150 (default 10, Arts tab)
- →Minimum Ball Size: 1 to 50 | Maximum Ball Size: 5 to 1000
- →Growth target duration: 1 to 600 seconds or collisions
- →Size Growth Rate: 0 to 2.0 | Size Growth Acceleration: 0 to 0.1
- →Growth Trigger Modes: None, Time, Collision, Playlist Sync
Arena Resizing
Starting Arena Size accepts 10 to 800, with 200 as the default. Resize Trigger Mode offers None, Time and Collision. Resize Speed accepts -5.0 to +5.0 in steps of 0.001, where negative grows the arena and positive shrinks it, and Resize Acceleration accepts -0.1 to +0.1. Minimum Arena Size accepts 10 to 2000 and Maximum Arena Size accepts 10 to 5000. A slowly shrinking arena is the most reliable way to guarantee a clip builds to a climax, because the ball has progressively less room and the impact rate rises on its own.
- →Starting Arena Size: 10 to 800 (default 200)
- →Resize Speed: -5.0 to +5.0, step 0.001 (negative grows, positive shrinks)
- →Resize Acceleration: -0.1 to +0.1, step 0.0001
- →Minimum Arena Size: 10 to 2000 | Maximum Arena Size: 10 to 5000
Advanced Physics
Four settings sit under Advanced Physics. Substeps accepts 1 to 20 and divides each frame into smaller physics steps, which is the fix for fast balls passing through walls. Raise it only when you see tunnelling, since it costs performance in direct proportion. Air Resistance accepts 0 to 1.0 in steps of 0.001, with 1.0 as the default meaning no drag. Max Velocity, 1 to 100, and Min Velocity, 0 to 50, are the engine-level clamps. Anti-Stall Force accepts 0 to 10 and pushes a ball that has settled into a corner back into play.
- →Substeps: 1 to 20, step 1
- →Air Resistance: 0 to 1.0, step 0.001 (default 1.0, meaning no drag)
- →Max Velocity: 1 to 100, step 0.1 | Min Velocity: 0 to 50, step 0.1
- →Anti-Stall Force: 0 to 10, step 0.1
Ball Placement
Ball Initial State controls where a run starts, and a repeatable start is what makes a repeatable clip. Horizontal and Vertical Position each accept -100 to +100 as a percentage offset from the centre. Position Angle accepts 0 to 360 and Distance from Center accepts 0 to 100 for polar placement. Start Angle, 0 to 360, sets the launch direction and Speed sets the initial velocity. Setting these explicitly, rather than leaving them at defaults, is the first step to being able to reproduce a good run.
- →Horizontal / Vertical Position: -100 to +100
- →Position Angle: 0 to 360 degrees | Distance from Center: 0 to 100
- →Start Angle: 0 to 360 degrees
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