Overview
A quick pass through the main workspace: canvas, controls, diagnostics, and observable panels.
Native macOS · 2D DEM · Granular media
Granular LAB
A native macOS laboratory for configuring and exploring prepared 2D DEM systems through teaching, exploratory research, and scientific visualization.
Designed as a transparent two-dimensional laboratory, not as an industrial 3D solver.
Release statusApp Store submission in preparation
Granular LAB in motion
Three short views of the App as a working laboratory.
Explore real-time DEM simulations, visual diagnostics, and scientific observables in a transparent desktop workflow.
Simulation loop
Run, pause, inspect, and iterate while the granular system evolves.
Parameter tuning
Adjust geometry, forcing, materials, and display options from a compact inspector.
What it does
A compact scientific interface for simulation, observation, and export.
Native macOS interface
Sidebar navigation, inspector controls, live canvas, export tools, and observable panels in a desktop workflow.
Interactive DEM presets
Explore silos, piles, granular gases, segregation, vibrating beds, rotating drums, shear cells, and annular Couette geometries.
Real-time visualization
Inspect particle motion, contact networks, force chains, velocity fields, color maps, and diagnostic overlays while the simulation runs.
Scientific observables
Live plots include velocity profiles, contact counts, energy, surface profiles, mixing indices, and h(x,t) maps.
Configurable parameters
Adjust particle number, diameter, density, friction, restitution, gravity, forcing, source rate, geometry, and preset-specific controls.
Export tools
Export images, simulation data, time series, and visual media for teaching, documentation, and exploratory analysis.
Particle architectures
From free disks to rigid composite particles.
Granular LAB supports several particle representations while keeping their geometry, composition, and size distribution legible during a simulation.
Free disks
Independent circular particles for standard two-dimensional DEM systems.
Rigid bead chains / clumps
Rigid composite particles assembled from connected subdisks.
Disk and clump mixtures
Mixed particle architectures for segregation and transport studies.
Color by particle size
A size-based color map for reading polydisperse systems at a glance.
Featured family
Shear and compaction
Four prepared protocols connect wall-driven motion with bulk response. They expose two-dimensional stresses, compaction, velocity and density profiles, and particle coordination in one consistent workspace.
- Simple shear cellWall protocols and shear profiles
- Biaxial compressionStress paths and sample deformation
- Isotropic compactionPressure, density, and coordination
- Couette cellCurved walls and radial observables
Simulation examples
Full app views, from flow experiments to dark-mode observables.
Preset catalog
31 implemented systems ready for teaching and exploration.
The catalog mirrors the implemented presets visible in the macOS App. Placeholders are deliberately excluded from this count.
Browse the current preset catalog31 visible presets
DEM validation
Normal restitution testTopological defects
Granular gases
Thermal boxPeriodic gasFree coolingFluidized instability
Transport and compartments
Maxwell compartmentSilo dischargeMulti-orifice silo dischargeGalton boardInclined mesh filtration
Granular flows
Inclined planeInclined plowHeap flowFree-fall granular stream
Deposition and piles
Angle of reposeSandpile memoryCurved-base deposition
Segregation
Brazil nutGranular mixing
Forced / nonlinear dynamics
Simple bounceVibrating baseVibrating ratchetVibrated bedV-shaped bedVibrated quasi-2D layerRotating drum
Shear and compaction
Simple shear cellBiaxial compressionIsotropic compactionCouette cell
Contact and citation
For access, collaboration, demonstrations, or scientific discussion.
Author
Germán Varas
Instituto de Física
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
[email protected]
Release and citation
App Store submission in preparation
Varas, G. Granular LAB: a native macOS laboratory for interactive 2D granular DEM simulations.Software in active development, 2026.