Pooltool: A Python package for realistic billiardssimulation

Abstract

Billiards, a broad classification for games like pool and snooker, supports a robust, multidisciplinary research and engineering community that investigates topics in physics, game theory, computer vision, robotics, and cue sports analytics.Central to these pursuits is the need for accurate simulation.Pooltool is a general-purpose billiards simulator crafted specifically for science and engineering.Its core design principles focus on speed, ease of visualization, and fine-grained analysis.It features customizable physics, an interactive 3D interface, a robust API, and extensive documentation, enabling users to easily simulate, visualize, and analyze billiards shots for generic research and engineering applications.Bolstered by a growing community and active development, pooltool aims to be a systemic tool for billiards-related research.