Ian Walker (iwalker@ucsc.edu)
Server: unix2.ic.ucsc.edu
System: Windows XP
Info:
This project models the motion of bodies due to gravity. One is able to place the objects on the screen and watch their interaction based on gravitational forces.
There are 4 types of objects that can be placed on screen:
Spheres - These are generic objects. Can be given initial position, velocity and mass.
Black Hole - These are excessively massive objects. Can be given initial position and mass.
Particle Generator - Generates 50 particles whose movement is defined by gravitational forces of surrounding objects.
Streamlines - Generates three streamlines from an initial position. h step and integration time can be changed.
Mini-Guide:
Widgets:
Bottom:
Step Size (h) - This is the value of h used for the RK4 integration. Initially, it is set to 1/128.
Camera Height - This slider controls the camera height.
Top:
S, B, P, St - These buttons correspond to the four different objects that can be added to the scene. S - If you click this button, then click anywhere on the OpenGL window, a sphere will appear. B - Click this will create a Black Hole centered at the origin. P - This button will create a particle generator at the origin. St - This will create a stream-line generator centered at the origin.
X, S, V, D - These buttons correspond to different mouse modes. X - Camera rotation mode. S - Object select mode. If you click an object in this mode, it will open that objects properties windows. V - Object move mode. Click an object to select it, then move the object using the mouse. D - This will delete the object that is clicked on.
A, R - These buttons control the animation. A - begin animation. R - reset objects to initial position.
Screen Captures:
Particles being attracted to a black hole.
Spheres being attracted to a black hole.
Streamlines around a black hole.
Short MPEG Movie:
This is a short MPEG encoded movie of the program's use. This movie shows a black hole being placed at the origin, then being moved to the upper-right corner. Next, a particle system is added at the origin. The mass of the black hole is then adjusted using the slider. Finally, the animation button is clicked and the particles are generated.
