Overview

Simulation behaviors overview

Simulation behaviors perform one of two tasks. Some Simulation behaviors, such as Gravity, animate the parameters of an object in a way that simulates a real-world phenomenon. Other Simulation behaviors, such as Attractor and Repel, affect the parameters of objects surrounding the object to which they’re applied. These behaviors allow you to create sophisticated interactions among multiple objects in your project with minimal adjustments. Like the Basic Motion behaviors, Simulation behaviors also affect specific object parameters. Examples include Attractor, Gravity, and Repel.

Important: Several Simulation behavior parameters contain object wells into which you drag target objects used as attractors, repellers, orbiters, and so on. Dragging an object to a well can be tricky—be sure to drag the object name (or thumbnail) from the Layers list to the object well in the Inspector (without releasing the mouse button). If you click the object in the Layers list and release the mouse button, that behavior object is deselected its parameters are no longer displayed in the Inspector. This applies to all wells, including mask source wells and image wells.

There are 16 Simulation behaviors:

  • Align to Motion changes the orientation of an object to match its direction along an animation path.

  • Attracted To pulls an affected object toward a designated target.

  • Attractor pulls objects toward the affected object.

  • Drag simulates the force of friction on a moving object, slowing it down over time.

  • Drift Attracted To pulls an affected object toward a designated target, then makes the object come to rest, rather than overshooting the target and bouncing around.

  • Drift Attractor pulls other objects toward the affected object, then makes those objects come to rest, rather than overshooting the affected object and bouncing around.

  • Edge Collision causes an object to collide with and bounce off the edges of the Canvas frame.

  • Gravity causes an object to fall over time.

  • Orbit Around causes the affected object to circle around a designated target.

  • Random Motion animates an object along a random path.

  • Repel pushes objects away from the affected object.

  • Repel From pushes the affected object away from a designated target.

  • Rotational Drag simulates the force of friction on spinning objects.

  • Spring causes the affected object to move back and forth around a designated target.

  • Vortex causes objects to circle around the affected object.

  • Wind “blows” an object in a specified direction.