OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Domino Toppling 3D
Knock Over a Chain of Physics Dominoes in Your Browser
OneTask is free, with no sign-up, and built by one person.
If this tool saved you time, a coffee helps keep new ones coming.
How the 3D Domino Toppling works
This domino toppling 3D sandbox lets you set up and knock down runs. Choose a layout, set how many dominoes to stand up and how far apart they are, then press Topple to nudge the first one. The dominoes are solid 3D blocks in a real physics engine, so each one tips into the next, the wave runs the length of the line, and the stats count how many have fallen, how many are still standing and how long the run took. Click any domino to knock it over by hand. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, Save PNG to keep the result.
Domino toppling 3D: what to know first
Dominoes are the classic demonstration of a chain reaction: each block stores a little potential energy standing on its edge, and a tiny push releases it all in sequence. This tool stands the blocks up in a 3D physics simulation that runs entirely in your browser, with real mass, friction and collisions, so the outcome depends on the same things it does on a table: how far apart the dominoes are, how hard the first one is pushed and how cleanly each block lands on its neighbour.
Layouts. A Straight line is the quickest to read and the easiest to time. A Circle sends the wave all the way round and back to the domino you pushed. A Spiral winds outward from the centre so the chain lasts longer with the same number of blocks, and a Wave snakes from side to side so you can watch the dominoes turn corners. All four are built from the same block, half a unit wide, one unit tall and a slim fraction thick, the same proportions as a real domino.
Spacing is what makes or breaks the run. Too close and each domino leans on the next before it has any momentum, so the chain stalls or falls over in a lump; too far and a falling block cannot reach the one in front and the run stops dead. Around half to three quarters of the block height is the sweet spot, which is exactly what real domino builders use. If a chain breaks, the status line tells you how many are still standing and you can click the first upright domino to restart the wave from there.
Timing. The Elapsed counter starts on the first push and stops once nothing is moving, so you can compare how fast a wave travels through a tight line against a loose one, or through a straight line against a spiral. Changing any setting rebuilds the layout; Restart stands the current one back up. Everything happens locally in the page and nothing is uploaded.
FAQ
Why did the chain stop partway?
The spacing is too wide for a falling block to reach the next one, or a block landed slightly off-line. Tighten the spacing towards half the block height and press Topple again, or click the first standing domino to continue the run.
Why did they all fall over at once?
The spacing is too tight, so the blocks lean on each other before the wave arrives. Widen it a little; the sweet spot is between half and three quarters of the block height.
How many dominoes can it handle?
The slider goes to several hundred. On a phone the frame rate drops with the biggest spiral, but the physics runs at a fixed step so the result is the same, only shown more slowly.
Can I draw my own layout?
Not in this version; the four layouts are generated. You can knock any domino over by clicking it, which is enough to start a wave from any point or to break a chain on purpose.
See also: all Simulations & Screensavers tools, Images, Audio, Video & Screen, PDF, SVG, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, Diagram Makers, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
Related tools
Domino Run Simulator
Lay a line of dominoes, press Topple and watch the chain reaction.
3D Dice Roller
Throw physics dice in 3D, then read every face and the total.
Marble Run
Release marbles down a 3D zigzag or spiral track with real physics.
Physics Sandbox
Drop shapes, drag them around and play with gravity, bounce and friction.
3D Jenga
Pull blocks from a 3D physics tower until it falls.