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From Algodoo
What is Algodoo?
Algodoo is a 2D physics simulation software with an easy to use interface. It is hard to classify Algodoo, since we haven't quite seen anything like it before. At the same time, it can be a learning tool as well as a rather addictive open ended computer game, and it can potentially also be an animation tool, or an engineering tool. To be honest, we pretty much want Algodoo to be all of this and we leave it to you to find out how to best make use of Algodoo!
How can I keep up with the latest news on Algodoo?
Check out the news section, the official announcements in the forum and sign up for the Algodoo Newsletter (very low volume and no spam!).
Algodoo looks alot like Phun! Why?
Algodoo is derived from Phun, and developed by the same team. See changes for information about everything that has been added, fixed and improved. In particular, there has been much development on the visualization of physical properties, e.g. force vectors and velocities, as well as a versatile plotting system. The simulation method for incompressible fluids used in Algodoo is very novel, with a pending patent by Algoryx Simulation.
Where does Algodoo come from?
Algodoo was originally developed in 2007-2008 by Emil Ernerfeldt in his MSc thesis project in Computer Science at Umeå University, in Umeå, Sweden. It was released under the name "Phun" and was free for download for individual and non-commercial use. The accompanying video was (and is!) tremendously popular at YouTube and has had nearly two million views at the time of writing (Aug 2009). In May 2008, Emil and Phun moved into a spin-off company of Umeå University, named Algoryx Simulation AB, which was founded by Emil's supervisor Kenneth Bodin and his colleagues in 2007. Algoryx now continues to develop and sell the software under the name Algodoo, with Emil as lead programmer and project lead.
The name Algodoo is inspired by the two words "algorithm" and "do", which means that we use algorithms for getting things done! Algodoo is also very much about doing things, and we strive at promoting lots of user activity.
Why did you change name from Phun to Algodoo?
Well, on the web there are certain sites and domain names with the name "phun" that aren't great to have associated with software used by young people... This turned out to be a very serious problem and it really forced us to abandon "phun" as a name. In addition, it turned out to be nearly impossible to protect the name Phun as a trademark. Algodoo is now a copyrighted trademark owned by Algoryx.
Can I use Algodoo for education?
Of course! For educational use in schools, we offer favorable volume discounts. We also apply additional regional discounts for developing countries. Contact us at algodoo@algoryx.se for additional information.
I'd like to write a review. Can I get an evaluation license?
Yes, we love to read reviews, and we will of course issue licenses for this purpose. Contact us at algodoo@algoryx.se.
Where do I get Algodoo?
You can buy right away in our webshop! You can also download a free demo which later can be unlocked when you decide to buy Algodoo. The demo has some limitations in functionality and is also time limited.
How do I learn to use Algodoo?
The best way is often just to play around with the program. If you hover your mouse over a tool or button, a tooltip will appear explaining its function ans use.
There is also excellent tutorials available on our website, in the official forum and on youtube.
Are future updates included?
The license itself is eternal. Maintenance releases and bug fixes for the base version you purchase are included for at least one year. Plug-ins offering substantially extended functionality may be released under commercial terms, and future major upgrades (aka Algodoo 2.0) will also be released under commercial terms, with an upgrade program.
Is Algodoo available in my language, or will it be?
It may be. We have a brand new system for translations. Your installed version of Algodoo will even check for new language files. It is also fairly easy to translate Algodoo, so you might be able to contribute with a translation yourself! We will release more information about this shortly.
The Algodoo website is based on Mediawiki and thus also supports multiple languages. Once the dust has settled after the release, we will open multi-language support, which we think is particularly important for lessons and tutorials. Read more about the multi language policy.
If requested, we will also open multi language support for the forums and the scene sharing facility.
How do I install a translation of Algodoo?
First download the appropriate .cfg and .txt from http://www.algodoo.com/translations. Then locate your Algodoo home directory. On Windows it is at "My Documents/Algodoo/", on MacOS it's "~/Library/Application Support/Algodoo/" and on Linux it's in "~/Algodoo/". Now create the directory "data" under Algodoo, and under that the directory "language" so that you now can place your downloaded translation files in .../Algodoo/data/language/. Good luck.
I pressed the "Draw Cursor" and now my cursor won't show!
Find and delete "My Documents/Algodoo/config.cfg". That will fix it, but reset your Algodoo settings. An alternative is to edit the same file and add "; GUI.cursor = true;" to the end of it.
What sort of computer and operating system do I need to run Algodoo?
Minimum system requirements:
- Windows XP or Vista, Linux or Mac OS
- 1 GHz CPU
- 256 MB of RAM
- Video card with 96MB of memory
- 40 MB of free hard disk space
Recommended system requirements:
- Windows XP or Vista, Linux or Mac OSX 10.4
- 1.6 GHz CPU or better. Faster processors give faster simulations.
- 512 Mb of RAM
- Video card with 256MB of memory
- 100 MB of free hard disk space
Demo version for evaluation
If you feel uncertain about this, you should download and try the demo version of Algodoo. If the demo version works well, then the full product should also run smoothly.
Physical models and simulation methods
Are simulations in Algodoo accurate and correct, or is this just a toy?
Algodoo is indeed a digital toy, and nevertheless simulations are of very high quality, using cutting edge scientific methods for multiphysics simulation. However, there are some things to keep in mind:
- The time step in Algodoo is fixed to 1/100 second (100 Hz), so any modeling of real-world physics happening at shorter time scales will be hard to reproduce. Typically this also means that the physics occuring on very short length scales is hard to resolve with this timestep, so we don't recommend sub-centimeter physics at all. This scale limitation also holds for fluids.
- When simulating a scene, Algodoo is solving a large system of equations using numerical methods. In order to ensure interactivity, the solution is approximate and this may lead to artefacts in certain cases.
- The simulation engine in Algodoo is rather complex, and as with all software it may contain bugs. If you have found an inconsistency in the simulation that you believe should not be there, you should report this!
- We do our very best to make sure Algodoo has high fidelity physics, but legally Algoryx has to issue the usual statement that: The software is provided as is, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement of third party rights. In no event shall the authors or copyright holders, Algoryx Simulation AB, be liable for any claim, damages or other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort or otherwise, arising from, out or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.
So, what simulation methods are actually used in Algodoo?
Warning - technical description...
Well, Algodoo basically simulates mechanical systems that are described by Newton's equations. However, rather than starting with Newton's laws, resulting in coupled differential equations and thereafter discretizing these, we start with a Lagrangian formulation of mechanics. The Lagrangian is discretized in
time and space, and thereafter we apply a discrete variational principle resulting in difference (or "stepping")
equations for the system. In this way we can describe particle systems, rigid body systems
with constraints and motors, impacts, contacts and dry friction, as well as incompressible fluids and visco-elasto-plastic materials.
For constraint stabilization and regularization, we use a method called SPOOK, developed by
Claude Lacoursière in his PhD thesis, Ghosts and machines: regularized variational methods for interactive simulations of multibodies with dry frictional contacts, Dept. of Computing Science, Umeå university, 2007. The resulting time stepper is closely related to the Leapfrog integration scheme. The time step is fixed to 0.01 s, that is, 100 Hz. At each timestep Algodoo typically solves a large number of equations (roughly as many equations as there are constraints and contacts in the system simulated) using an iterative method that is close to the Gauss-Seidel method and SOR, with some additional improvements and speed-ups.
The fluid simulations in Phun are based on a method called Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), but with fundamental differences and improvements over the standard SPH method. Algoryx has a pending patent for this simulation method.
The simulation runs really slow (as in slow motion), how do I fix that?
For small or empty scenes, Algodoo should run smoothly on modern computers. If not, try updating your graphics card drivers and also make sure you run the latest version of Algodoo. For large scenes and water simulations, Algodoo has to do a really hard job in solving thousands of equations 100 times per second. This is one of the most demanding tasks you can use a computer for, and the larger the system, the more demanding the simulation. In fact, for really, really large systems, scientists use supercomputers for doing these types of simulations!
So, while we work all the time on improving performance, and eventually also will release a version that is massively parallel, slow execution for large scenes is not a bug, but a fact that we deal with serious models of nature.
How do I set the viscosity in Algodoo's fluids?
You can't, for now, but this will be available in a forthcoming release (no date is set yet, so don't ask :-).
My hinges stretch / my objects gets crushed by larger objects.
Simulating large mass ratios is a hard problem which Algodoo cannot always solve accurately. If your chains stretch too much, increase their density. If a small object is getting squished by a large one, make the smaller one more heavy. This will eliminate the large mass ratios and so get rid of the problem.
Webshop related FAQs
What currencies do you support and what about exchange rates?
By default, prices are given in EURO (yes, that's what € stands for), but customers may choose to change currency to USD or SEK. If you don't use any of these currencies, your credit card or paypal account will still work and will then just exchange into your own currency. The actual amount you will see drawn from your bank account, or in your credit card bill, will thus be exchanged into your local currency. We have nothing to do with exchange rates. They are set by PayPal, your bank or credit card company. To find approximate prices of our products in your own currency, please refer to e.g. Google's currency converter. Note, that this exchange rate is approximate and the exact rate is set by your bank and/or credit card company and may differ by a few percent.
Do you have any discounts?
For educational use in schools, we offer favourable volume discounts. We also apply additional regional discounts for developing countries. However, please note that these discounts only apply at pre-orders at large volumes. Contact us at algodoo@algoryx.se for additional information.
What is this thing with 3-D secure?
Credit card companies like VISA and Mastercard have settled a new standard for improved security when purchasing things over the internet using a credit card. The 3-D Secure layer requires that you register a password, and thereafter always use this password when purchasing something on the web. It is mandatory for us to support this system, and we think it is good because it gives improved security for our customers. However, we are also aware that the system is new and that many customers have mixed feelings about it and quite don't trust it.
Please refer to the official information from VISA and Mastercard to learn more about 3-D secure. You can also read about 3-D Secure at Wikipedia.
I purchased Algodoo and got a license key. Now what?
The unlocking procedure is described on the download page.
I have purchased Algodoo, but I never got a license key. What should I do?
You should have received a license key as a last step when your credit card purchase was completed. You should also have received the same license in an e-mail. If you did not receive a key, your credit card purchase most likely did not go through. However, if you think your purchase went through, and you still haven't got a license, please contact us at: webshop@algodoo.com. Provide information about the full name and the email address used when purchasing Algodoo. Do NOT provide any credit card information!
I have purchased Algodoo, and got an empty email. Now what?
In september 2009, we have had a few reports about problems with empty emails and we are working isolating the problem. Please contact us at webshop@algodoo.com, and provide information about the full name and email address used for the purchase. Do NOT provide any credit card information.
Update: It seems that this was because of an oddity with email headers at hotmail.com and the problem should be resolved now, but please let us know asap if you experience this problem!
