Table of Contents

Editor: PhysicalComponent

What is a PhysicalComponent?

A PhysicalComponent is the default class for all physics components in a simulation. Its the skeleton for all reaction wheels, sensors, computers and other components present in Editor. You can configure thermal properties, mass properties as well as EM signature properties.

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When should I use a PhysicalComponent?

If you are building a group of static components that don’t involve any complex physics or mathematical models (ex: Chassis, bolts, frames) - you can use PhysicalComponent to achieve that.

Otherwise, you should use the sub-classes for any other complex models (ex: HRB, Earth Horizon Sensor, Thrusters)

How do I build a Chassis with PhysicalComponent?

There are only a few key areas in our PhysicalComponent blueprint to build a chassis.

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  1. The Components panel in the top left allows us to add any meshes with a StaticMesh or sub-components using a ChildActorComponent. For building a chassis, you only need a StaticMesh component and assign the 3D model using the details panel.
  2. The Viewport panels allows you to visualize the component with all the meshes attached to it. Make sure your component is placed at the centre of the blueprint.
  3. The final step is to edit the blueprint’s initial values in the Details panel. This involves any mass, center of mass, thermal and packaging information for your component. This will ensure your component will behave as expected in the simulation.