Falling Sand Simulator

A realistic falling sand physics simulator built with Svelte and Canvas. Experiment with different materials including sand, water, and gas, each with their own unique physics behaviors.

Features

• Three Material Types:

  • Sand - Falls straight down, piles up naturally
  • Water - Falls down, flows horizontally, displaces gas
  • Gas - Rises upward and spreads randomly

• Realistic Physics:

  • Gravity simulation for solid and liquid materials
  • Buoyancy effects (gas rises through liquids)
  • Material displacement interactions
  • Real-time particle simulation

• Interactive Controls:

  • Click and drag to add materials
  • Material selection buttons
  • Clear canvas functionality
  • Responsive design

Demo

Visit the live demo: [Coming Soon]

Technology Stack

• Frontend Framework: Svelte + SvelteKit
• Language: TypeScript
• Graphics: HTML5 Canvas
• Physics: Custom vanilla JavaScript engine
• Styling: CSS3 with responsive design

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm, pnpm, or yarn

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/falling_sand_py.git
   cd falling_sand_py
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Start the development server:

   npm run dev
   

4. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:5173

Building for Production

To create a production build:

npm run build

Preview the production build:

npm run preview

How to Use

1. Select a Material: Click one of the three material buttons (Sand, Water, Gas)
2. Add Materials: Click and drag on the black canvas to add particles
3. Watch Physics: Observe how different materials interact with each other
4. Clear Canvas: Use the "Clear Canvas" button to reset the simulation

Physics Simulation Details

Sand Physics

• Falls straight down due to gravity
• Settles diagonally when blocked
• Forms stable piles and slopes

Water Physics

• Falls down like sand but flows horizontally
• Displaces lighter materials (gas)
• Seeks the lowest level (levels out)

Gas Physics

• Rises upward (negative gravity)
• Spreads randomly when blocked
• Gets displaced by heavier materials

Project Structure

src/
├── lib/
│   ├── SandCanvas.svelte      # Canvas component
│   └── sand-simulation.ts     # Physics engine
├── routes/
│   └── +page.svelte          # Main page
└── app.html                  # HTML template

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

Future Enhancements

• More material types (stone, oil, fire)
• Temperature system
• Chemical reactions between materials
• Save/load simulation states
• Performance optimizations
• Mobile touch controls

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by classic falling sand games
• Built with modern web technologies
• Physics simulation optimized for 60fps performance