A reusable and interoperable component library for mechanics simulation

Machinery dynamics is an important branch of physics based on experiments which usually are inconvenient and expensive in reality. Computer simulation is a reasonable substitute for real experiments, but traditional mechanics simulation approaches also have many disadvantages, such as low interactivity, low flexibility, low reusability, high development difficulty and etc. With the introduction of game engine technology, especially the physics engine technology, mechanics simulation based on game engine achieves good effects. This paper proposes a method to build a component library for mechanics simulation based on game engine. Elements of this library fall into two categories: one comprising sources of various forces, such as gravity, buoyancy, spring, friction and etc, and the other comprising all classical simple machines which change the direction or magnitude of a force, such as Lever, Wheel and axle, Pulley, Inclined plane, Wedge, Screw and etc. Game designers can rapidly and flexibly set up various mechanics experiments in 3D games by reusing these components as building-blocks. Due to the high interoperability, these elementary building-blocks can be easily composed into complicated machines at design time.