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Sim4Life Plugin Framework

Welcome to the Sim4Life Plugin Framework documentation. This framework enables you to develop custom simulation plugins for the Sim4Life simulation platform.

What is Sim4Life Plugin Framework?

The Sim4Life Plugin Framework is an extensible architecture for creating custom physics simulations within the Sim4Life platform. It provides a structured way to:

  • Create interactive UI components for simulation setup and configuration
  • Implement numerical solvers for the simulation equations
  • Visualize and analyze simulation results

The framework follows a Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern to separate simulation logic from user interface components, making it easier to develop, test, and maintain simulation plugins.

Key Features

  • Tree-based UI Structure: Organize simulation components in an intuitive tree structure
  • From Views: Automatically generate form views for simulation configuration and options
  • Drag-and-Drop Geometry Support: Easily associate geometry with simulation components
  • Solver API: Streamlined data transfer between UI and numerical solvers
  • Extractor Framework: Powerful result visualization and post-processing capabilities

Example: Heat Conduction Plugin

This documentation uses a heat conduction simulation plugin as a comprehensive example. This plugin solves the steady-state heat equation:

\[\nabla \cdot (k \nabla T) + Q = 0\]

Where:

  • \(T\) is the temperature field
  • \(k\) is the thermal conductivity
  • \(Q\) is the volumetric heat source

The heat conduction example demonstrates all core aspects of plugin development:

  • Creating a tree-structured simulation model
  • Defining material properties and boundary conditions
  • Implementing a finite difference solver
  • Extracting and visualizing temperature fields and heat flux

Heat Conduction Simulation

Getting Started

Ready to start developing? Check out the Quick Start Guide to create your first simulation plugin!

Next Steps