Home
Programming Guide
The EDEM Programming Guide describes the EDEM API.
API GUI Guide
You can seamlessly integrate contact model and particle body force API plug-ins into EDEM. This allows changes to be made to plug-in parameters through the EDEM GUI, similar to any of the built-in Physics models.
Groups
Three Physics Chain groups are available that you can further group into sub-groups.

Welcome
What's New
This section describes the key features in EDEM version 2025.1.
About EDEM
EDEM is a high-performance simulation software for bulk and granular materials.
Hardware Requirements
This section details the minimum system requirements and requisites for running EDEM.
Release Notes EDEM 2025.1.1
This section contains information about the EDEM 2025.1.1 release, such as bug fixes.
Release Notes EDEM 2025.1
This section contains information about the EDEM 2025.1 release, such as key features, enhancements, and bug fixes.
Tutorials
Start using EDEM with our interactive tutorials.
Get Started with EDEM
The EDEM user interface comprises three icons for each simulation component - Creator, Simulator, and Analyst.
EDEM Creator
EDEM Creator is the pre-processor for creating an EDEM simulation model, including setting up equipment and defining the generation of bulk materials.
EDEM Simulator
EDEM Simulator is a powerful solver used for fast and efficient simulations.
EDEM Analyst
EDEM Analyst is the post-processor used to analyze and visualize the results of your simulation.
EDEM Physics Models
A Contact Model describes how elements behave when they come into contact with each other.
EDEM Cal Utility
EDEM Cal is a utility which works with EDEM and is designed to assist in performing calibration.
EDEM Calibration Kits
The EDEM Calibration kits are a collection of EDEM models of standard bulk solids characterization tests commonly used for EDEM material model calibration.
GPU CUDA Guide
The EDEM CUDA GPU module uses the latest General Purpose Computing on Graphical Processing Units (GPU) technology.
Programming Guide
The EDEM Programming Guide describes the EDEM API.
- Define the EDEM Simulation Sequence
  Depending on where the UDL lies in the chain, each stage connects to the relevant UDL (if applicable) before performing its main function (such as calculating contacts).
- EDEM API Files
  EDEM includes the C++ EDEM API v3.9.0 for Contact Models, v2.2.0 for Factories, and v3.9.0 for Particle Body Forces.
- EDEM API Flags
  The EDEM API allows the author to enable or disable certain API functionalities through the use of flags in the setup function of either the Contact Model or Particle Body Force interface classes. As an API Author, you can use these flags to potentially save on memory or reduce processing time, as well as to prevent bugs or crashes caused by running with solvers or particle shapes that the API is not designed for. Flags are available for particle body force, contact models, solvers, and particle shapes.
- Contact Model User Defined Libraries
  A Contact Model UDL consists of a shared library file and, optionally, a file containing preferences. Using the EDEM API, you can write and compile a custom Contact Model as a User Defined Library (UDL) written in C/C++.
- Particle Body Force User Defined Libraries
  A Contact Model UDL consists of a shared library file and, optionally, a file containing preferences. Using the EDEM API, you can write and compile custom particle body forces as a User Defined Library (UDL) written in C/C++.
- Particle Factory User Defined Libraries
  A Particle Factory UDL consists of a shared library file and, optionally, a file containing preferences. Using the EDEM API, you can write and compile a custom Particle Factory for creating and initializing particles.
- Custom Properties
  A Custom Property is a named group of one or more numeric (double precision floating point) values with an associated unit type.
- API GUI Guide
  You can seamlessly integrate contact model and particle body force API plug-ins into EDEM. This allows changes to be made to plug-in parameters through the EDEM GUI, similar to any of the built-in Physics models.
  - API Guide for Users
    This guide explains the usage of the plug-in from a user’s perspective. However, the usage for writing and compiling a plug-in is not included in this guide.
  - API Guide for Authors
    The API Guide for Authors explains the usage of the plug-in from an Author's perspective. The Authors of API plug-ins can create a dialog box (window) within EDEM’s GUI that allows editing of parameters without the use of preference files or recompiling. This guide assumes that you are familiar with EDEM’s API and have a complete plug-in that can be compiled and seamlessly used within EDEM. For more information about the basics of EDEM’s API, see the Altair Community page before continuing with authoring plug-ins.
  - Groups
    Three Physics Chain groups are available that you can further group into sub-groups.
  - Examples
    This section provides short examples of populated setApiParametersTemplate() and starting() functions, along with the dialog boxes that are created.
- Compile API Models to Libraries
  A Third-party compiler allows you to compile C++ code to a library (.dll in Windows or .so in Linux).
Coupling Interface Programming Guide
The Coupling Interface Programming Guide provides an overview of how to use the EDEM Coupling Interface to couple with a generic CFD code and/or Multi Body dynamics codes.
EDEMpy
EDEMpy is a Python library for accessing EDEM data from .h5 files (the underlying EDEM file format). EDEMpy does not require prior knowledge of advanced programming.
EDEM Solver Capabilities
EDEM contains four solver engines.
Appendix
This section provides additional information about how to estimate simulation time, supported EDEM File types, attribute definitions, and so on.
EDEM Terminology
Definitions of terms used in EDEM.
References and Bibliography
This section cites the contributions made by various authors and sources that have been used as reference material for EDEM, and the specifics of how they have been applied can be found in the individual contact model sections.

Groups

Three Physics Chain groups are available that you can further group into sub-groups.

The following Physics Chain groups are available:

Particle-Particle contacts (PARTICLE_PARTICLE)
Particle-Geometry contacts (PARTICLE_GEOMETRY)
Particle body forces (PARTICLE_BODY_FORCE)

Within these groups, you may further group the parameters into sub-groups. The four protected sub-group names are available:

Material interactions (LIST_INTERACTIONS)
Materials
- All Materials (LIST_ALL_MATERIALS)
- Bulk Materials (LIST_BULK_MATERIALS)
- Equipment Materials (LIST_EQUIP_MATERIALS)
Geometries (LIST_GEOMETRIES)
Particles (LIST_PARTICLES)

These groups must contain an additional LIST_TEMPLATE group within them. All parameters defined within a list template can be given different values for each list item.