If you experience poor animation make sure you have
the Java Console displayed (there is a System.println statement
that seems to make the animation run smoother?!)... In windows you
can enable the console everytime a java plugin is called by Control
Panel > Java Plugin > Enable Console
If you don't see
something like this in the
console then you probably don't have a java
plugin installed.
Java(TM) Plug-in: Version stanleyh Using JRE version
1.3.0 Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM
If the pendulum locks up just hit the stop then
start buttons again and it should unlock...
If you "View Plots make sure you stop the applet
first otherwise the canvas3d might not show up...
You can adjust the parameters on the fly and the engine should
handle it.
If you "View Plots" you can use the "Stream VS
Real" to toggle between the real data points and a smooth
fit...
The phase diagram is there primarly for when i add the driven
pendulum capabilities. When the pendulum is driven it will start
behaving in a chaotic fashion and you can see the subsequent
bifurcations in the phase plot.
When you adjust the angle or the radius on the fly you
*might* add or take energy from the system and this can
lead to crazy motion or YO YO effects.
In the future I might add some more pendulums to simulate a real
rope or make it rotate in more than one plain but i am itching to
start work on a game...