The Phun Software Blends Creativity, Art and Physics

Algoryx has just released its beta 5.28 version of Phun. For those of you that have not heard of Phun, it is a computer graphics program that is free for non commercial use. Think of it as a 2D physics sandbox where you can play with physics and create art like never before. This program blends art with science and the only limitation to what you can make is your creativity. Phun is available for Windows, Mac and Linux and comes in many different languages. You will need a decent computer with hardware graphic acceleration.

The interface is fairly easy to learn and my son was 8 when he first started playing with Phun. The best way to start out is open some of the creations that come with the program install. Play around with the various settings and learn how it changes effect the creation.

Now it's your turn, just draw something freehand and then you can add motors, materials, or other objects that move. Use a list of materials for your creations like glass, gold, helium, ice, rubber, steel or wood and adjust the density and friction of a material. Create gravity to make your creations fall in certain directions.

The toolbar also includes a number of interesting tools to play around with. You can attach chains, springs, hinges, motors, gears, liquids and more to your creation. You can also adjust the properties of these items to make the motor spin at specific RPM and torque for example. The possibilities are endless. You can zoom in to make very specific details and then zoom out to watch your creation in action from a distance. Once you are done you just press the play button and you can see what your creation will do.

Just some of the things I have seen created with this tool are volcanoes, firework displays, a dancing robot, and even simple video games. My son created a race track. He would start the car running and it would follow his specific path that he created. (Don't ask me how he did it)

The open ended nature of this program will allow you to create just about anything in its 2 dimensional spaces. But beware; it is addicting and will bring out the creative side in anyone. You won't even realize you are knee deep in physics either.

Be sure to go to their website www.phunland.com , you can find tutorials from beginner to advanced showing you how to create all sorts of things like vehicles, rockets, weapons, multiplayer games, and so much more.

You can download the game and view the tutorials at www.phunland.com