Simulink 3D Animation

Simulate and visualize dynamic systems in a 3D environment

Simulink 3D Animation connects Simulink models and MATLAB algorithms to Unreal Engine^®, allowing simulation and visualization of dynamic systems in a photorealistic 3D environment. You can use pre-built scenes of indoor and outdoor environments or import scenes built in RoadRunner. Simulink 3D Animation lets you import objects at run-time or edit-time with support for file formats such as MAT, STL, FBX, and URDF. You can control vehicles, people, objects, lighting, and weather effects to customize your 3D scenes and simulations.

Camera, lidar, and other sensor models let you feed sensor data from the 3D environment into your control algorithms or generate synthetic data to design and train AI algorithms. MATLAB and Simulink add-on products are available for additional domain-specific assets and advanced sensor models. You can interactively navigate in the 3D environment using the Simulation 3D Viewer and manually control your dynamic systems using hardware devices. Simulink 3D Animation enables lock-step co-simulation with the game engine environment, providing deterministic simulation results.

A white single-propeller plane flies above photorealistic terrain with an airport runway visible below, and mountains visible in the distance.

Applications

Add alt text for image: Photorealistic rendering of a blue sedan driving up a two-lane on-ramp that merges with a highway, with a red sedan in the lane to the right.

Automotive

Photorealistic rendering of a white and green single-propeller plane flying above a coastline with the sun on the horizon.

Aerospace

Add alt text for image: Photorealistic rendering of a silver robotic arm with a gripper hovering over a red ball, with an assembly line visible in the background, including another robotic arm and a ramp.

Robotics and Industrial Manufacturing

Product Highlights

Photorealistic rendering of a rocky pit mine seen from the top showing paths in and out of the mine.

3D Scenes

Use prebuilt scenes, import scenes built in RoadRunner, or use a custom scene built in the Unreal^® Editor. Visualize scenes in a photorealistic 3D environment using the Unreal Engine from Epic Games^®.

Create 3D Simulations in Unreal Engine Environment

Documentation

Photorealistic rendering of various actors at an intersection, including parked cars, a pedestrian, a bicyclist, a motorcyclist, an airplane, a helicopter, and a drone.

Static and Dynamic Actors

Build, import, and interact with actors at edit time or run time including vehicles, objects, pedestrians, lights, and annotations. Simulate actors with object interaction events, including collision detection, using the physics engine in Unreal Engine.

Import CAD models to Simulink (30:44)

Documentation | Examples

Sensor Models

Obtain high-fidelity sensor data from the 3D environment. Perform closed-loop simulations or generate synthetic data sets using data from camera, lidar, and ultrasonic sensor models or from more advanced models available with Computer Vision Toolbox and Radar Toolbox.

Developing Sensor Fusion and Perception Algorithms for Autonomous Landing of Unmanned Aircraft in Urban Environments

Documentation | Examples

Split screen showing MATLAB Code (left) that is used to create a visualization (right) of a red sphere above a blue cube.

Programmatic Interfaces

Use MATLAB APIs to create and modify scenes, actors, objects, and sensors.

Build Actor from Imported 3D File using MATLAB

Documentation | Examples

Photorealistic rendering of a gray truck driving down a highway in rainy weather, including puddles on the road and raindrops on the camera lens.

Weather Effects

Customize the weather in the 3D environment, including sun position, clouds, snow, rain, and fog intensity.

Documentation

Hardware Interface

Interact with the 3D environment using interfaces to input hardware, including joysticks, steering wheels, and pedals.

Documentation

Product Resources:

Documentation Examples Requirements Release notes

Simulink 3D Animation FAQs

Simulink 3D Animation connects Simulink models and MATLAB algorithms to Unreal Engine, allowing simulation and visualization of dynamic systems in a photorealistic 3D environment.

Yes, MATLAB is required, and Simulink is required to use the Simulink 3D Animation block library.

Yes, Simulink 3D Animation supports importing objects in MAT, STL, FBX, and URDF file formats either through MATLAB functions or Simulink blocks.

With Simulink 3D Animation you can visualize your dynamic system in pre-built scenes of various environment, import scenes built in RoadRunner, or use custom scenes built in the Unreal Editor.

Simulink 3D Animation provides an interface between MATLAB and Unreal Engine, allowing you to connect your high-fidelity physical and controls models with the photorealistic visualization available in Unreal Engine. You can use Simulink 3D animation for 3D simulation out-of-the-box, or you can use a support package to perform co-simulation with your custom scene in the Unreal Editor too.

Simulink 3D Animation provides 3D simulation and visualization out-of-the-box with no additional downloads necessary. If you want to create and use a custom scene that leverages the powerful editing capabilities of Unreal Editor, you will need to license and download that separately.

Simulink 3D Animation provides sensor models for closed-loop simulation in a photorealistic 3D environment. Camera, lidar, and ultrasonic sensor models are available, with more advanced models such as a fisheye camera accessible through Computer Vision Toolbox and a radar via Radar Toolbox.

Yes, you can customize weather in the 3D environment, including sun position, clouds, snow, rain, and fog intensity.

Yes, you can interact with the 3D environment using input hardware interfaces, including joysticks, steering wheels, and pedals.

Simulink 3D Animation is designed for automotive, aerospace, robotics, virtual commissioning, synthetic data generation and industrial manufacturing applications.