Toolbars

Physion provides several tools that you can use to create and manipulate items in the Scene. These tools are available in the toolbars located at the top of the screen.

Edit Toolbar

The Edit Toolbar contains tools for performing basic operations such as delete, cut, copy, paste, undo and redo. Depending on the current selection, some of the items in this toolbar might be enabled or disabled. For example, the copy tool will only be enabled if there are currently selected item(s). Most of the tools in this toolbar can also be found in the Edit Menu.

Design Toolbar

Select Tool

Use this tool to select items in the Scene. The simplest way to select an item is by left-clicking on it. The ctrl key can be used to preserve the previous selection (and add/remove items to it by clicking on them). Items can also be selected using window selection. In this case you click and drag from left to right in order to create rectangular area. All items that are entirely inside this area will be selected. You can also select items using crossing selection. In this case you click and drag from right to left in order to create rectangular area. All items that intersect with this are will be selected. In order to clear the currently selected items (i.e. deselect all) you can press Esc. Once you have some items selected, you can use the Property Editor to modify their properties. The keyboard shortcut for this tool is S.

Move Tool

The move tool can be used to move the currently selected items in the Scene. Note that you'll first have to select the objects you want to move (using the select tool) and then select the move tool in order to move them. The keyboard shortcut for this tool is M.

Mirror Tool

Use this tool to mirror the currently selected items. The Mirroring page explains this a little bit more.

Knife Tool

The Knife Tool allows you to cut existing shapes within the scene. To use it, select the tool and draw a polyline across the scene. Right-click to finalize the polyline; any shapes that intersect it will be sliced along its path, creating separate pieces.

Circle Tool

This tool can be used to create and add a Circle Node in the scene. After this tool is selected, you can click (and hold) on the scene to define the center of the circle and then drag the mouse to define the circle's radius.

Rectangle Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Rectangle Node in the scene. Select the tool and then click and drag within the editor to define the opposite corners of the rectangle. Releasing the mouse button finalizes the shape and places it into the scene.

Capsule Tool

Creates capsule-shaped objects (a rectangle with rounded ends). To use it, select the Capsule Tool from the toolbar. Click and drag within the editor to define the capsule’s width and height. Once you release the mouse button, the capsule will be created and added to the scene.

Polygon Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Polygon Node in the scene. Once the tool is selected, you can start constructing your polygon by clicking points on the screen. To finalize the polygon press the right mouse button.

note

Self-intersecting polygons are not supported.

Regular Polygon Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Regular Polygon Node in the scene. The Sides option of this tool allows you to define the number of sides that the regular polygon will have.

Text Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Text Node in the scene. The Text option of this tool allows you to define the text to be created (it can be a single or multiple characters). Also, you can change the Resolution option which defines the number of points that will be used to construct the outline of the text (the lower the resolution is the less points will be used and vice-versa).

Polyline Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Polyline Node in the scene. The Width option allows you to change the width of the polyline created. You can also change the Join Type and the End Type using the corresponding options.

Spiral Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Spiral Node in the scene.

Gear Tool

The Gear Tool is used to create gears in the scene. After selecting the tool, click and drag within the editor to set the gear’s center and radius. Additional properties, such as tooth height, tooth density, and whether a revolute joint should be automatically added, can be adjusted through the overlay in the top-left corner of the editor.

Rope Tool

The Rope Tool creates a flexible rope or chain between two points by generating a series of connected segments joined by revolute joints. To use it, select the tool and click and drag from the start point to the end point of the rope. You can configure the segment type (rectangle or circle), segment size, and whether the ends should be pinned to the bodies they touch.

Weld Joint Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Weld Joint Node in the scene. A weld joint can be used to "glue" two bodies together and it can be created between two bodies or between a single body and the background.

Revolute Joint Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Revolute Joint Node in the scene. A revolute joint can be created between two bodies or between a body and the background.

Distance Joint Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Distance Joint Node in the scene.

Wheel Joint Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Wheel Joint Node in the scene. A wheel joint connects a wheel body to an axle body, constraining the wheel to move only along a defined axis while allowing it to rotate freely. It includes a built-in spring that can be configured for suspension-like behaviour. This joint is ideal for building vehicles and wheeled mechanisms.

Mouse Joint Tool

This tool can be used to pick and move bodies in the Scene. Note that this tool is only enabled if the simulation is running.

Spring Tool

Use this tool to create and add a Spring Node in the scene. A spring connects two bodies (or a body and a fixed background point) with a configurable stiffness and damping ratio. Unlike a distance joint, a spring actively pushes and pulls the connected bodies toward the rest length, making it suitable for suspension systems, oscillators, and elastic connections.

Particle Group Tool

The Particle Group Tool converts a selected physics body into a Particle Group Node, a group of LiquidFun particles that simulates liquid, soft-body, or elastic behaviour. Click on a body in the scene to convert it. The resulting particle group inherits the shape of the original body and its particles interact with surrounding rigid bodies. Use the Property Editor to control particle flags such as fluid, elastic, viscous, and more.

Tracer Tool

The tracer tool allows you create tracers. A tracer is an object that gets attached to a body and follows its trajectory leaving behind a trail. To create a tracer simply click on the body for which you want to create a tracer for.

Particle Emitter Tool

The Particle Emitter Tool creates a Particle Emitter Node that continuously emits a stream of particles from a position relative to a traced body. To create an emitter, select the tool and click on the body you want the emitter to follow. The emitter position, emission rate, particle lifetime, and other properties can be adjusted via the Property Editor.

Sprite Tool

The Sprite Tool places a Sprite Node in the scene. Unlike physics bodies, a sprite is a purely decorative image that is rendered on top of or below other objects without participating in the physics simulation. To use it, select the tool and click in the scene. The sprite's texture is set via the texture property in the Property Editor, pointing to an image Asset in the scene's Assets Library.

Graph Tool

The Graph Tool creates a Graph Node that plots one or more properties of a body over time during the simulation. After selecting the tool, click on the body you want to monitor. Use the Property Editor to choose which properties to chart (e.g. velocity, angle, position). The graph updates in real time while the simulation is running, making it useful for analysing motion and verifying physics behaviour.

Scene Control Toolbar

Toggle Simulation Tool

Use this tool to toggle the simulation. The keyboard shortcut for this is spacebar.

Boolean Toolbar

This toolbar contains tools which allows you to perform boolean operations on the currently selected objects. For more information, please see the Boolean Operations page.

Snap Toolbar

This toolbar allows you to mofidy the current snapping behavior. For more information, please see the Snapping page.