Basics

Introduction

Lucifer's Atoms is a physics-based construction game where players have to build and control objects to complete various challenges.

Everything in the game is made from cylinders, spheres, and flat sheets. Despite being simple elements, they can be combined to form more complex things.

Each level has its own rules for successful completion and can also specify restrictions on what is allowed to be built.

In addition to the single-player levels, there is a multiplayer mode, where players compete or co-operate with their creations. Players can also make and share their own levels.

Editing and playing

The game starts on the choose level screen. Click on a level to show a preview of it, then you can either click on Play or Design level.

After you've chosen a level to play, the game switches to the edit screen. This shows four views of the level (front, right, top, and free) and a panel of buttons down the left side of the screen. All the building is done from this screen.

Clicking on the green arrow button (or pressing Space) switches to the play screen, which runs the physics simulation and allows you to control your creation, if it has any motors. Press Esc from here to go back to the edit screen.

Definitions

Navigation

You will probably want to move and zoom the views on the edit screen while building your creations to get a better view of the bit you're working on. All four views keep looking at the same point and have the same zoom, so moving or zooming one updates them all. You can click and drag the view borders to resize them.

When the mouse is over multiple objects, you can switch between them with the up/down arrow keys.

Editing modes

The top group of buttons represent the editing modes – the one that's pressed is the current editing mode.

Mode		Action					Notes
		Click	Shift + click	Right click	Shift + right click
	Add link	(+ drag) Create link Shift = don't join objects	(+ drag) Move object Shift = don't join objects	Delete object		*	Links connect two nodes in a straight line. New links are created with the current material and radius.
	Modify link(s)	Select link	Select multiple links			**	The selected link's material and radius can be changed by editing the values.
	Add ball	(+ drag) Create ball Shift = don't join objects	(+ drag) Move object Shift = don't join objects	Delete object		*	New balls are created with the current material.
	Modify ball(s)	Select ball	Select multiple balls			**	The selected ball's material and radius can be changed by editing the values.
	Add fixed joint	(+ drag) Create joint			Delete joint		Fixes two links together.
	Add hub joint						Fixes the first link to the second one, but allows the second link to rotate.
	Add angle joint						Keeps a constant angle between two links, but allows both the links to rotate.
	Add rotation motor reaction fixed joint						Like the fixed and hub joints, but fixing to the reaction part of the first link. For a rotation motor to turn a link, it must apply an opposite reaction force to something – these joints do that. Therefore every link that has a rotation motor must have at least one of these joints connecting it to another link.
	Add rotation motor reaction hub joint
	Add geared angle joint						Connects the rotations of two links together (rotationlink1 = rotationlink2). Geared angle joints also keep a constant angle between the links.
	Add geared joint
	Add axle fixed joint						Fixes a link to a ball.
	Add axle hub joint						Fixes a link to a ball, but allows the ball to rotate.
	Add differential angle joint	(+ drag, then click again) Create joint					Connects the rotations of three links together (rotationlink1 = ½(rotationlink2 − rotationlink3)). Differential angle joints also keep a constant angle between the links.
	Add differential joint
	Add sheet	(+ drag) Create sheet			Delete sheet		Sheets connect between three links forming a triangle. Sheets have the same material as their first link.
	Add cylinder curve	(+ drag) Create curve Shift = don't snap position	(+ drag) Move curve control point Shift = don't snap position	Delete curve		*	Concave curved surfaces. See designing levels.
	Add torus curve
	Add flat curve
	Align curve edge	(+ drag) Align curve edge					Drag between two control points on the same curve to create a string of links bordering the edge of the curve. Drag between two curves' end points to align the first one with the second one. See designing levels.
	Add target	(+ drag) Create target	(+ drag) Move target	Delete target		*	Regions of space that the rules can reference. See designing levels.
	Add multiplayer start position	(+ drag) Create/move multiplayer start position		Delete multiplayer start position		*	Initial positions for the player creations in multiplayer levels. See designing levels.
	Add chase camera	(+ drag) Create/move camera		Delete camera		*	Moves and rotates to follow the tracked objects.
	Add direction camera						Doesn't rotate, but moves to follow the tracked objects.
	Add static camera						Doesn't move, but rotates to follow the tracked objects.
	Add attached camera						Fixed to the tracked objects.
	Delete	Delete object	Select multiple objects			**
	Move	(+ drag) Move object Shift = don't join objects or snap curve position	Select multiple objects			**
	Rotate	(+ drag) Rotate object	Select multiple objects			**	The centre of rotation is the position of the object clicked on. The rotation axis is the direction of the view.
	Scale	(+ drag) Scale object	Select multiple objects			**	The centre of scaling is the position of the object clicked on.
	Mirror	(+ drag) Mirror object	Select multiple objects			**	The axis of reflection is defined by the position of the object clicked on and the direction dragged.
	Toggle tracked	Toggle objects tracked	Select multiple objects			**	When this mode is activated, the tracked objects are black and the untracked objects are white. The tracked objects are followed by the cameras.
	Toggle anchored	Toggle objects anchored	Select multiple objects			**	Anchored objects are fixed in place and can't move. See designing levels.
	Length motor	Select link	Select multiple links			**	See motors section below.
	Rotation motor
	Thrust motor

The add joint, add curve, add camera, and motor buttons are combined into a single button each – pressing it shows a popup menu with the other buttons.

Editing multiple objects

Editing operations can be performed on multiple objects simultaneously, which can make things a lot quicker. You just need to select the objects you want to change, then do the operation as you would for a single object.

Other editing functions

	Undo	Undo the previous editing operation.
	Redo	Redo the next editing operation in the undo history.
	Snap position/length	If pressed, the positions and lengths of editing operations are snapped to the grid.
	Snap angle/scale	If pressed, the angles and scales of editing operations are snapped. Angles are snapped to 7.5° increments and scales are snapped to integer values (…, ÷4, ÷3, ÷2, ×1, ×2, ×3, ×4, …).
	Sheets transparent	If pressed, display all sheets as transparent when editing. Useful to stop sheets getting in the way of other things you want to see.
	Hide large objects	If pressed, hide objects larger than the view. Useful to stop large objects from interfering with editing smaller objects.
	Rules	Show the level rules, which can be edited when designing a level.
	Input rules	Edit the rules for the motor automated inputs.
	Save	Save the current creation or level.
	Start	Run the simulation.
	Back	Go back to the previous screen.
	Menu	Shows a popup menu that lets you start a network multiplayer game, change game options, and other useful things.

Materials

There is a choice of materials to build things from, each with different properties.

Material		Mass	Strength ÷ mass	Elasticity	Bounciness	Friction	Special
	Metal
	Wood
	Rubber
	Super
	Ice
	Plastic
	Damp						Links act as dampers, absorbing motion.
	Rocket						Links can be propelled with thrust motors.
	Helium						Objects are lighter than air, so they float.

Motors

Motors exert a force on a link – use them whenever you want to make something move.

For each of the motor types, there are 16 motor slots available for each link, labelled A-P. So a maximum of 16 motors of each type can be assigned to each link. The motor slot buttons are highlighted in red if any links have a motor on that slot.

To create a motor, select the link(s) you want to assign it to and the slot you want to use and then pick a virtual input (an axis or button). These virtual inputs are bound to physical inputs (keys and game controllers).

No motor	Always on	Half axes	Full axes	Buttons	Automated

The full axes are defined like the half axis in the direction of the darker arrow, with the opposite side being implicitly mirrored. The automated inputs are controlled by rules, which allows more complex inputs to be defined. To delete a motor, set the virtual input to no motor.

Length motors

A length motor acts like a hydraulic piston, creating a force that either pushes the link's nodes apart or pulls them together.

Rotation motors

A rotation motor acts like an electric motor, creating a rotation force. An opposite reaction force is applied to neighbouring links connected by a rotation motor reaction joint. Rotation motor links must have at least one rotation motor reaction joint connecting them to another link.

Parameter		Description
	Force 1	The force to apply when the input is 0, as a factor of the link's breaking force. Positive for clockwise rotation, negative for anticlockwise rotation.
	Force 2	The force to apply when the input is at its maximum extent, as a factor of the link's breaking force. Positive for clockwise rotation, negative for anticlockwise rotation.
	Speed	The maximum rotation speed, in revolutions per second. 0 to make the motor act as a brake and apply force in the direction opposite to the rotation.
	Swap link direction	Swaps the link's direction, so that its rotation motors turn it the other way.

Thrust motors

A thrust motor acts like a rocket, creating a force that propels the link forward. Thrust motors only work when assigned to links that are made from the rocket material.

Parameter		Description
	Force 1	The force to apply when the input is 0, as a factor of the link's maximum thrust force.
	Force 2	The force to apply when the input is at its maximum extent, as a factor of the link's maximum thrust force.
	Swap link direction	Swaps the link's direction, so that its thrust motors propel it the other way.

Common motor parameters

Cycles

As well as receiving inputs directly, motors can be set to operate cyclically.

Parameter		Description
	No cycle	The input is sent directly to the motor.
	Sine	The input controls a sine wave, which is sent to the motor.
	Ramp	The input controls a cyclical ramp function, which is sent to the motor.
	Frequency	The input modulates the frequency of the cyclical function.
	Amplitude	The input modulates the amplitude of the cyclical function.
	Period	The time for one cycle, in seconds.
	Offset	The initial cycle position, between 0 and 1. 0 represents the start of the cycle and 1 represents the end.
	A	For the ramp cycle, the position of point A, between 0 and 1.
	B	For the ramp cycle, the position of point B, between A and 1.
	C	For the ramp cycle, the position of point C, between B and 1.

Input bindings

Although you can use whichever virtual inputs you like when creating motors, it's a good idea to consider the default virtual-to-physical input bindings, which try to cover common configurations of keys and game controllers.

These input bindings allow axes 1 and 6 to be used for the standard controls found in many racing games.

Game controller

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Keyboard

	Esc																										Pause
	Stop																										Pause
	`	1			2										-			+			Backspace
	Chat	Previous camera			Next camera										Previous camera			Next camera
	Tab
	Caps Lock																			Enter
	Shift					Z			X										Shift							↑
	Control									Space												Control			←	↓	→
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