The ArmorSim scene editor is a free-build terminal ballistics workspace where you assemble multi-layered target arrays, choose structural and protective materials, and position internal vehicle modules. Instead of relying on predefined health bars or hit points, every target created in the editor is evaluated by physics-based analytical or continuum solvers when struck by kinetic penetrators or shaped charges.
Setting up targets effectively requires understanding how the 3D viewport interacts with the properties menu, how layered modules interact, and how to resolve common interface quirks.
How to Build and Position Plates in the Editor
Building a target in ArmorSim involves creating individual plates, adjusting their spatial orientation, and ordering them into a composite array.
- Add a Plate: Insert a basic plate object into the graphical scene space.
- Select the Object in the Viewport: Before adjusting any parameters, left-click directly on the specific plate inside the 3D scene. The right-hand properties panel remains unresponsive until a piece of geometry is explicitly highlighted.
- Adjust Dimensions and Angles: Set plate thickness and spacing using the dimension sliders. You can rotate and position plates at varying impact obliquities to simulate sloped vehicle armor or spaced side skirts.
- Duplicate and Batch Select: When building multi-layered arrays (such as consecutive 10-layer or 20-layer steel targets), you can use multi-selection by holding Shift or pressing duplicate shortcuts (such as Ctrl + Shift + D) to clone existing plates quickly.
If you cannot interact with a newly placed plate, check whether a cross-section cut plane is active. Active cross-section views can block raycasting in the 3D workspace; toggling off the cut plane restores normal plate selection.
Armor Materials and Protective Modules
ArmorSim features an extensive material database with 14 documented armor materials, 4 penetrator cores, and specialized defensive layers. Each material constant in the database is classified by its source: measured, derived, fitted, or assumed from open technical literature.
| Component / Layer Type | Available Options and Materials | Operational Role in Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Structural & Backing Plates | Cast steel, aluminum, titanium alloys | Forms base hull plates, spall liners, and vehicle structural framing. |
| Specialized Composites | Composite textolite, fiberglass | Serves as non-metallic backing or filler in composite armor sandwiches. |
| Ceramics | Aluminum oxide, carbide ceramics | High-hardness disruption layers designed to erode and shatter incoming kinetic rods. |
| Heavy Metals | Tungsten alloy, depleted uranium | High-density passive protection or heavy core penetrator alloys. |
| Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) | Kontakt-1 active protection elements | Front-facing disruption cassettes placed before main armor arrays. |
| Volumetric Modules | Engine compartment (700 mm default base, adjustable density/void ratio) | Simulates bulk mechanical systems that absorb residual energy behind front plates. |
| Internal Targets | Crew compartment models | Anatomical targets with toggleable internal organ cross-sections to assess behind-armor spalling. |
When configuring active protection, ensure reactive cassettes are positioned as the initial impact face. Placing ERA behind solid plates will disrupt its intended interaction with incoming warheads.
Camera Controls and Viewport Navigation
Analyzing plate deformation and projectile trajectories requires maneuvering the camera across the target assembly:
- Orbit Camera: Hold the middle mouse button and drag to rotate your viewing perspective around the target center.
- Zoom / Viewing Angle: Scroll the mouse wheel up or down to adjust your distance from the impact point.
- Damage Inspection: Following a shot, rotate freely around the array to inspect entry channels, plug ejection, and residual spall cones.
The scene camera centers primarily on the target focus point. Free-flight cameras and projectile-locked chase views are not currently implemented in early access builds.
Selecting and Customizing Projectiles
After building a target in the scene editor, configure the threat projectile through the ammunition library:
- Historical Service Munitions: Choose authentic ordnance from the United States, Germany, and the USSR/Russia. Available options span older cold-war options to modern rounds, including the American M774 (105 mm) and M829 series (such as M829A2 and M829A3 120 mm), German DM-series rounds (such as DM13), Soviet/Russian munitions, and shaped-charge warheads like the PG-7V, PG-7VR, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), PARS 3, and top-attack systems like the Javelin.
- Custom Projectiles: Adjust caliber, flight velocity, rod length, and core material (including solid core, tungsten, and depleted uranium) to test hypothetical or extreme ballistic scenarios.
Choosing the Right Solver Mode
ArmorSim processes the scene you create using one of three calculation engines:
- Normal Mode: Fast analytical solver running Alekseevskii-Tate rod erosion integration, Recht-Ipson residual velocity models, Rosenberg ricochet criteria, and Grady fragmentation. Calculations execute in fractions of a second, making it ideal for testing incremental plate thickness or angle adjustments.
- Advanced Mode: Breaks down the analytical solve across each individual layer. It generates per-layer ballistic limit data, wear fractions, and remaining penetrator velocity, revealing exactly where a projectile ran out of energy.
- ULTRA Mode: An axisymmetric Lagrangian continuum solver running Johnson-Cook plasticity, Mie-Grüneisen equations of state, and element erosion. ULTRA produces calculated physical crater shapes and tearing, but takes significantly longer to compute and is restricted strictly to normal-incidence (head-on) impacts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the right-side properties panel not work when I click it?
The properties panel requires an active geometry selection. Click the specific plate or module inside the 3D viewport first. Once the object is selected, the right-hand panel unlocks to let you change materials, thickness, and angles. If clicks fail to register, disable any active cross-section plane and click the plate again.
Can I test curved or round armor plates in the scene editor?
The scene editor currently relies on flat plates, volumetric blocks (such as engine compartments), and discrete layered slabs.
What should I do if the simulation runs slowly or lags after firing?
Complex volumetric modules (such as engine compartments) combined with heavy multi-layer arrays require substantial calculation. If you experience performance drops, test your layout in Normal mode before running Advanced mode, and ensure your system meets the CPU requirements for intensive physics iterations.
