Symulation

Symulation is a native C++ simulation playground for interactive physics and computational engineering demos. It brings multiple numerical experiments into one desktop application, combining custom visualization, parameter exploration, and solver-focused workflows behind a single UI shell.

Built with raylib, ImGui, ImPlot, ImPlot3D, Eigen, and CGAL, the project currently spans mechanics and electromagnetics, from time-domain motion studies to field visualization and finite-element eigenmode analysis.

A compact simulation lab for exploring how different numerical models behave, how they are parameterized, and how their results can be inspected visually.

Why Symulation?

The name is intentional: Symulation combines simulation with symbolic, visual, and systems-oriented exploration. The project is meant to feel like a small lab where numerical models can be inspected, adjusted, and compared directly.

Current Modules

Module	Focus	Documentation
BCC Spring-Mass Lattice	Interactive 3D body-centered cubic spring-mass lattice with local impulses, damping, and integration controls.	Technical note, GIF
Hertzian Dipole	Animated electric and magnetic field visualization for an idealized dipole.	Technical note, GIF
Linear Dipole (MoM + Pocklington)	Thin-wire dipole current solve with impedance, near/far field, and directivity views.	Technical note, GIF
Double Pendulum	Chaotic two-link pendulum motion with damping, trails, and direct manipulation.	Technical note, GIF
Three-Body Gravity	Softened three-body gravity demo with trails, velocity vectors, and energy drift display.	Technical note, GIF
Helmholtz FEM (Bezier, mixed BC)	Editable Bezier-domain FEM eigenmode solve with mixed boundary conditions and 2D/3D plots.	Technical note, GIF

Features

• Single-window native GUI with a shared runtime shell for multiple simulations.
• Modular simulation architecture with one active solver/scene loaded at a time.
• Interactive controls for physical parameters, solver settings, and visualization modes.
• Mixed 2D and 3D rendering paths for trajectories, fields, meshes, and modal structure.
• Current simulations include spring-mass lattices, dipole radiation models, chaotic mechanics, gravitational dynamics, and Helmholtz FEM modes.

Technical Highlights

• C++17 application shell built on raylib, rlImGui, ImGui, ImPlot, and ImPlot3D.
• Shared simulation interface for registering, activating, resetting, updating, and drawing modules.
• Custom lightweight 3D viewport helpers for ImGui draw-list based simulation views.
• Numerical modules using direct integration, dense complex linear solves, CGAL triangulation, and Eigen eigenvalue routines.
• GPU backend reporting is currently a CPU fallback/stub; CUDA support is not implemented yet.

Requirements

• CMake 3.25 or newer.
• A C++17 compiler.
• A working desktop OpenGL setup on Linux.
• Git submodules for GUI dependencies: raylib, imgui, implot, implot3d, and rlImGui.
• System packages for Eigen and CGAL.

On Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install build-essential cmake git libeigen3-dev libcgal-dev xorg-dev libgl1-mesa-dev

Build

Clone with submodules, then build from the repository root.

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/mmaharebi/symulation.git
cd symulation

cmake -S . -B build-local
cmake --build build-local -j

The executable is produced at build-local/symulation.

Run

./build-local/symulation

Layout

• main.cpp starts the application.
• src/sym/application.cpp owns the main ImGui shell and simulation registration.
• src/sym/simulation_manager.cpp manages simulation lifetime and activation.
• src/sym/simulations/ contains the individual simulation modules.

Usage

• Open the Simulations menu to switch the active module.
• Use the View menu or side panel to toggle helper windows.
• Use each simulation's control panel to tune its parameters.

Notes

• The GUI dependencies live in Git submodules. If they are missing, run git submodule update --init --recursive.
• Eigen and CGAL are expected from system packages, though a local eigen/ checkout is still supported for development.
• GIFs under docs/media/ are part of the documentation and are intended to be committed.
• GPU reporting is currently a CPU fallback/stub; CUDA support is not implemented yet.
• build-local is the preferred out-of-tree build directory for day-to-day work.

License

This project is released under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.