Patent ID: 8531463

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for discrete element modelling of a plurality of discrete elements corresponding to particles and physical geometry elements, the method comprising: performing, with an execution engine, a simulation through time of physical interactions of the particles with each other and with the physical geometry elements in a three-dimensional space, wherein said simulation includes one or more particle factories generating and initialising particles for use by the execution engine in the simulation, and wherein said execution engine produces a simulation output; and investigating the simulation output using an analysis tool by: specifying a virtual geometry object comprising a user-defined shape, wherein the virtual geometry object does not undergo physical interaction with the particles or physical geometry elements during the simulation, receiving user-defined parameters for determining the position, orientation and any movement of the virtual geometry object with respect to the three-dimensional space of the simulation, and accessing the simulation output to locate the virtual geometry object in the three-dimensional space during the simulation in accordance with the user-defined parameters and identifying the particles, physical geometry elements and/or physical interactions having a specified relationship with respect to the virtual geometry object, wherein the identification of the particles, physical geometry elements and/or physical interactions having a specified relationship with respect to the virtual geometry object is performed in respect of the simulation after completion of the simulation.