How 3D Simulation for Aerospace Blockset Works

The aerospace models run programmable maneuvers in a photorealistic 3D visualization environment. Aerospace Blockset™ integrates the 3D simulation environment with Simulink^® so that you can query the world around aerospace vehicles for virtually testing perception, control, and planning algorithms. The Aerospace Blockset visualization environment uses the Unreal Engine^® by Epic Games^®.

Understanding how this simulation environment works can help you troubleshoot issues and customize your models.

Communication with 3D Simulation Engine

When you run your algorithms using Simulink 3D Animation™, MATLAB^® and Simulink co-simulate the algorithms with the 3D simulation engine through, lock-step mechanism. The lock-step mechanism is a synchronization approach where the simulation progresses in fixed time steps, and the two simulation engines, either MATLAB or Simulink and the 3D simulation engine, run sequentially. One simulation engine waits while the other simulation engine proceeds, so each simulation produces consistent results.

Simulating models in the 3D visualization environment requires Simulink 3D Animation.

During each simulation step:

• MATLAB or Simulink configures the initial settings of the 3D environment, including actor transformations and properties and the custom scene viewpoint. MATLAB or Simulink also determines the configuration parameters of the 3D environment and the actors using the 3D simulation engine feedback.

• The co-simulation framework sends data from MATLAB or Simulink to the 3D simulation engine.

• The co-simulation framework sends a command signal to the 3D simulation engine indicating the end of data transfer.

• The 3D simulation engine executes the simulation. The 3D simulation engine configures the 3D environment and the actors based on the data from MATLAB or Simulink, then provides updated information about the 3D environment and the actors.

• The co-simulation framework sends data from the 3D simulation engine to MATLAB or Simulink.

• The co-simulation framework sends an acknowledge signal to MATLAB or Simulink, indicating the end of data transfer from the 3D simulation engine.

To communicate with the 3D simulation engine, MATLAB uses the sim3d.World (Simulink 3D Animation) class and Simulink uses the Simulation 3D Scene Configuration (Simulink 3D Animation) block.