What is "working model"

Model \Mod"el\, n. [F. mod[`e]le, It. modello, fr. (assumed) L. modellus, fr. modulus a small measure, dim. of modus. See Mode, and cf. Module.]

1. A miniature representation of a thing, with the several parts in due proportion; sometimes, a facsimile of the same size; as, a [frac1x100] scale model of the B-52 bomber.

   In charts, in maps, and eke in models made.
   --Gascoigne.

   I had my father's signet in my purse, Which was the model of that Danish seal.
   --Shak.

   You have the models of several ancient temples, though the temples and the gods are perished.
   --Addison.

2. Something intended to serve, or that may serve, as a pattern of something to be made; a material representation or embodiment of an ideal; sometimes, a drawing; a plan; as, the clay model of a sculpture; the inventor's model of a machine.

   [The application for a patent] must be accompanied by a full description of the invention, with drawings and a model where the case admits of it.
   --Am. Cyc.

   When we mean to build We first survey the plot, then draw the model.
   --Shak.

3. Anything which serves, or may serve, as an example for imitation; as, a government formed on the model of the American constitution; a model of eloquence, virtue, or behavior.

4. That by which a thing is to be measured; standard.

   He that despairs measures Providence by his own little, contracted model.
   --South.

5. Any copy, or resemblance, more or less exact.

   Thou seest thy wretched brother die, Who was the model of thy father's life.
   --Shak.

6. A person who poses as a pattern for an artist; as, the artist used his daughter as a model for an Indian maiden.

7. A person who is employed to wear clothing for the purpose of advertising or display, or who poses with a product for the same purpose; a mannequin[1]; as, a fashion model.

   Syn: mannequin[1].

   A professional model.
   --H. James.

8. A particular version or design of an object that is made in multiple versions; as, the 1993 model of the Honda Accord; the latest model of the HP laserjet printer. For many manufactured products, the model name is encoded as part of the

   model number.

   Syn: modification[2].

9. An abstract and often simplified conceptual representation of the workings of a system of objects in the real world, which often includes mathematical or logical objects and relations representing the objects and relations in the real-world system, and constructed for the purpose of explaining the workings of the system or predicting its behavior under hypothetical conditions; as, the administration's model of the United States economy predicts budget surpluses for the next fifteen years; different models of the universe assume different values for the cosmological constant; models of proton structure have grown progressively more complex in the past century.

   Working model, a model of a machine which can do on a small scale the work which the machine itself does, or is expected to do.

Working Model is an engineering simulation software product by Design Simulation Technologies, Inc.. Virtual mechanical components, such as springs, ropes, and motors are combined with objects in a 2D working space. After the software is run, the program will simulate the interaction of the model's parts and can also graph the movement and force on any element in the project. It is useful for basic physics simulations, and can be quite a powerful dynamic geometric analytical tool, once you learn it. One drawback is the pulley simulation feature is limited to the 'string through a hole' type. WM has a sister program Called Interactive Physics the fundamental difference between the two seems to be WM will read . dxf files which can be converted to 'objects' inside WM.

WM was originally introduced in the early 1990s as a boxed software product from Knowledge Revolution in San Francisco, for Macintosh. Knowledge Revolution was acquired by MSC Software in Santa Ana, CA, and WM than resold to Design Simulation Technologies, Inc. of Canton, Michigan.

WM has a retail price of ~US$2,500, but a free evaluation 'demo' version, which will import .dxf, but has 'save' disabled, is at http://workingmodel.com/WM2D/demo.php

Similar, but not as analytical, 2D physics sandbox simulators are: Physion(free), and Phun.