SpringForge

An interactive physics simulator for exploring the rotational motion of configurable spring-wheel systems and custom 2D shapes.

Overview

A visualization on how springs create torque on a rotating objects. It supports both the small-angle approximation and a nonlinear model, making it easy to compare simplified harmonic motion with a more complete physics simulation. Also includes the ability to create custom objects.

Key Features

• Configure systems with one to three springs
• Adjust wheel mass, radius, spring constants, natural lengths, and attachment positions
• Set the initial angular displacement
• Enable or disable the small-angle approximation
• Draw custom polygonal objects directly in the simulation
• Calculate the center of mass and moment of inertia of custom shapes
• Move a custom object's center of mass to the axis of rotation
• Dynamically graph angular position, velocity, and acceleration
• Pause, resume, and reset the simulation

Tech Stack

• Python
• VPython
• Computational geometry using the shoelace formula and parallel-axis theorem
• Numerical integration for nonlinear rotational motion

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/Bi1ku/SpringForge.git
cd SpringForge

Install VPython:

python -m pip install vpython

Usage

Start the simulation with:

python main.py

Inside the simulation:

1. Choose whether to use the small-angle approximation.
2. Configure the wheel and springs using the provided controls.
3. Optionally draw a custom object by plotting at least three points.
4. Set the initial angular displacement.
5. Run the simulation and view the resulting motion and graphs.