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Help

This area of the website is provided to try and help you understand how to use AnimatLab. We will try and give you a better idea of what the different parts of the program are and how you use each one. This area has been split into several different components. There is a lot of information available here, so I have put together a list of tutorials that will help you get started using AnimatLab as quickly as possible. These tutorials will show you the basics, and then you can explore the others at your leisure, or as you need them.

If you have found a bug, need to report an issue with the program, or would like to suggest a modification or addition to the program then please see the forum.


1.

Documentation
A. Project Workspace
This is the control center for creating and maintaining the parts and properties of the simulation. This also describes the basics of how the user interface and docking toolbars work, and the items in the menu's and toolbars. This includes things like how to create a new project.
B. Neural Network Editor
This editor allows you to build the neural network that controls the behavior of a biomechanical organism.
C. Biomechanical Editor
This editor allows you to build the body of your biomechanical organism using a variety of different body part types that are connected using different types of joints.
D. Simulator
This window runs the simulation and provides a view of the 3-D virtual world.
E. Data Tools
This is a list of data analysis tools that can be used to analyze the results of simulations.
F. Stimuli
This is a list of stimuli that can be applied to objects within the simulation.
 

2.

Tutorials And Examples
A. Using AnimatLab
This is a series of video tutorials on getting around in the user interface of this application.
B. Examples
This describes how to run some of the example simulations that have been provided.
C. Body Parts
This page has tutorials that demonstrate how to use the different body parts.
D. Mechanical Tests
This page contains a number of simple mechanical tests that have been run on AnimatLab to demonstrate that the physics engine is working correctly. Each test is worked out mathematically and then compared to the results obtained from the application.
E. Neural Networks
This is a series of video tutorials that demonstrate how to use the different neural plug-in systems.
F. Sensory Systems
This is a series of video tutorials that demonstrate how to implement sensory feedback for your simulation from a variety of different sensory modalities.
G. Stimulus Tutorials
This is a series of video tutorials that demonstrate how to apply stimuli.
H. Software Developors Kit (SDK) Tutorials
This is a series of video tutorials that show you how to install and use the Software Developers Kit (SDK).