How to Use Physics Simulation in KeyShot Studio
1K views · 2026-07-23
Industrial Design
Physics Simulations is one of the most powerful and useful tools in KeyShot. In this short tutorial, Ozan shows you how it works and how to get the best results.
Today, we'll create a keychain using detailed split ring models to really push the tool to its limits. Before starting, make sure your models aren't too close to the ground, otherwise they may collide with the floor as soon as the simulation begins.
Now I'll open the Physics Simulation tool and select the models I want to include. If there's a part you don't want to fall in this case, the "top ring" simply uncheck it.
If you have multiple objects within the same part, make sure to enable As Parts so each piece is simulated independently.
Getting the result you want usually takes a bit of trial and error with these settings.
As you can see, the simulation failed on the first attempt. When this happens, I recommend lowering the Friction and especially the Bounciness values before trying again.
We're getting closer, but a few pieces still aren't settling correctly. This is where Simulation Quality becomes important. Increase it and run the simulation again.
The calculation takes a little longer now, but the simulation runs perfectly. It's a great example of how well KeyShot's Physics Simulation tool handles even complex models.
Since my project runs at 30 FPS and I simulated using 60 keyframes per second, I can now stretch the animation to twice its original length without losing the motion.
If you notice parts ending up too far apart, simply add a basic Translation animation to the model and move it back into position at the beginning of the timeline.
For fast moving objects, don't forget to enable Motion Blur for a more realistic result.
And finally, if your simulation is still unstable, here's a useful trick: Create simple placeholder models with the exact same size and position as your detailed ones, and use those for the simulation instead.
Once the simulation is finished, hide the placeholders and copy the keyframe animations to your original detailed models. This gives you much faster and more reliable simulations.
➡️ Try KeyShot for free: https://trial.keyshot.com/
Today, we'll create a keychain using detailed split ring models to really push the tool to its limits. Before starting, make sure your models aren't too close to the ground, otherwise they may collide with the floor as soon as the simulation begins.
Now I'll open the Physics Simulation tool and select the models I want to include. If there's a part you don't want to fall in this case, the "top ring" simply uncheck it.
If you have multiple objects within the same part, make sure to enable As Parts so each piece is simulated independently.
Getting the result you want usually takes a bit of trial and error with these settings.
As you can see, the simulation failed on the first attempt. When this happens, I recommend lowering the Friction and especially the Bounciness values before trying again.
We're getting closer, but a few pieces still aren't settling correctly. This is where Simulation Quality becomes important. Increase it and run the simulation again.
The calculation takes a little longer now, but the simulation runs perfectly. It's a great example of how well KeyShot's Physics Simulation tool handles even complex models.
Since my project runs at 30 FPS and I simulated using 60 keyframes per second, I can now stretch the animation to twice its original length without losing the motion.
If you notice parts ending up too far apart, simply add a basic Translation animation to the model and move it back into position at the beginning of the timeline.
For fast moving objects, don't forget to enable Motion Blur for a more realistic result.
And finally, if your simulation is still unstable, here's a useful trick: Create simple placeholder models with the exact same size and position as your detailed ones, and use those for the simulation instead.
Once the simulation is finished, hide the placeholders and copy the keyframe animations to your original detailed models. This gives you much faster and more reliable simulations.
➡️ Try KeyShot for free: https://trial.keyshot.com/