As a first-time ArmorSim user, open the scene editor, add a plate, set its thickness, angle, material, and spacing, pick a penetrator from any national service family, choose the NORMAL solver, and fire. Read the ballistic limit, residual velocity, ricochet, fragmentation, plug, spall, and petalling fields from the result panel to understand what happened. Each output is explained in the penetration mechanics glossary.
First-run steps
Open the scene editor
Launch ArmorSim into the scene editor. The editor loads with an empty 3D space.
Add a plate
Drop a single armor plate into the scene. Start with RHA steel for a familiar baseline.
Set plate properties
Configure thickness, angle, material, and spacing. The defaults are reasonable, but changing thickness or angle dramatically affects the solve.
Pick a penetrator
Choose a penetrator from the American, Soviet/Russian, or German service family. National rounds are the easiest way to read consistent behavior.
Choose NORMAL solver
Use NORMAL on the first run. NORMAL uses Alekseevskii–Tate erosion, Recht–Ipson residual velocity, Rosenberg ricochet, and Grady fragmentation.
Fire and read the solve
Fire. The result panel shows ballistic limit, residual velocity, ricochet, fragmentation, plug ejection, spall, and petalling. Each output is defined in the penetration mechanics glossary.
Done when: Result panel shows all seven outputs.
How to read the result
Ballistic limit is the velocity at which the penetrator is expected to perforate; residual velocity is what remains after the plate. Ricochet means the round deflected, fragmentation means the plate broke apart, plug ejection means a disc-shaped piece of plate exited, spall means small fragments flew off the back face, and petalling describes the plate bending outward. These outputs are explained term-by-term on the penetration mechanics page.
After your first solve
Once the first solve runs cleanly, change one variable at a time: increase thickness, change the angle, switch material from RHA to ceramic with backing, or pick a heavier penetrator. Re-run NORMAL after each change to compare outputs. When the differences stop surprising you, move to ADVANCED (layered/spaced arrays, reactive packs) and finally ULTRA. For a meaningful first solve of each named configuration, follow the per-configuration recipe on the first-test recipes page.
FAQ
Which solver should a new ArmorSim player pick first?
Pick NORMAL on the first run. NORMAL uses Alekseevskii–Tate erosion, Recht–Ipson residual velocity, Rosenberg ricochet, and Grady fragmentation. Move to ADVANCED when you start building layered, spaced, or reactive stacks, and reserve ULTRA for continuum-grade physics.
What is a good first plate for an ArmorSim beginner?
Start with RHA steel at default thickness and angle. RHA is the documented baseline material; once you can read the seven outputs for RHA you can compare other materials against it.
Which penetrator should a beginner pick first?
Pick any national service round (American, Soviet/Russian, or German) on the first run. National rounds give consistent behavior so you can isolate the effect of plate variables.