Getting Started with SimLab

Everything you need to go from zero to running your first simulation in under five minutes.

What is SimLab?#

SimLab is a free, browser-based computational workspace that speaks MATLAB®-compatible syntax. You get access to over 200 built-in functions spanning linear algebra, signal processing, control systems, symbolic math, and more — all running directly in your browser with zero installation.

Think of it as a pocket-sized MATLAB you can open on any computer with a modern web browser. Your scripts, variables, and figures all live right in the browser tab. There is nothing to download, no license to manage, and no sign-up required.

SimLab is built for students learning numerical methods, engineers who need a quick calculation scratchpad, and anyone who wants to explore math and science interactively without the overhead of installing desktop software.

System Requirements#

SimLab runs entirely in your browser. Here are the minimum versions we support:

Browser	Minimum Version	Notes
Chrome	90+	Recommended. Full WebGPU support in 113+.
Firefox	90+	Full support. WebGPU behind flag in Nightly.
Edge	90+	Chromium-based, same support as Chrome.
Safari	15+	Works well. WebGPU support in 17+.

Note

WebGPU is optional. SimLab works perfectly without it — GPU acceleration simply makes large matrix operations faster when available.

Opening the Workspace#

Go to simulations4all.com/simlab and click the "Open Workspace" button. The workspace loads in a new tab — that is your full environment with a console, script editor, workspace viewer, and plotting panel all in one screen.

No account is needed. Just click and start computing.

Interface Tour#

The workspace has five main areas. Here is what each one does:

Console

The command line at the bottom of the screen. Type any expression and press Enter to evaluate it immediately. Results appear right below your input. Use Up and Down arrows to recall previous commands.

Script Editor

A multi-line text editor for writing longer programs. Write your code, then press Ctrl+Enter to run the entire script. Use % for single-line comments, just like MATLAB.

Workspace Panel

Shows every variable currently in memory. You can see each variable's name, size, type, and value. It updates in real time as you run commands. Click a variable to inspect its full contents.

Figure Panel

Where plots and visualizations appear. Call plot(), scatter(), bar(), or any plotting function and the chart renders here. Multiple figures stack vertically, and you can export them as PNG images.

Sidebar

Access file operations (save, load, export), function help, keyboard shortcuts, and settings from the collapsible sidebar on the left. Toggle it with the hamburger icon or press Ctrl+Shift+H for function reference.

Your First Commands#

Type each of these into the console and press Enter. Watch the result appear instantly.

% Basic arithmetic
2 + 3
% ans = 5

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% Create a variable
x = 42
% x = 42

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% Create a vector and compute its mean
v = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]
mean(v)
% ans = 30

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% Create a matrix
A = [1, 2; 3, 4]
% A =
%   1  2
%   3  4

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% Use built-in constants
pi
% ans = 3.141592653589793

sin(pi / 2)
% ans = 1

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% Quick plot
x = linspace(0, 2*pi, 100);
plot(x, sin(x))
title('Sine Wave')
xlabel('x (radians)')
ylabel('sin(x)')

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Tip

End a line with a semicolon (;) to suppress output. Without it, every expression prints its result to the console.

Running Scripts#

For anything longer than a one-liner, use the Script Editor. Click the editor tab, write your code, then press Ctrl+Enter to execute the entire script at once.

Scripts run top to bottom, just like MATLAB. All variables created in a script become available in the workspace and console. Comments start with % and are ignored during execution.

quadratic_solver.sl

% Example script: quadratic formula solver
a = 1;
b = -5;
c = 6;

discriminant = b^2 - 4*a*c;
x1 = (-b + sqrt(discriminant)) / (2*a);
x2 = (-b - sqrt(discriminant)) / (2*a);

disp('Roots:')
disp(x1)
disp(x2)

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Tip

Press Shift+Enter in the console to insert a new line without executing. This lets you type multi-line commands directly in the console if you prefer.

Saving Work#

SimLab gives you three ways to save your work:

Method	Shortcut	Description
Save to Browser	`Ctrl`+`S`	Saves the current script to your browser's local storage. It persists across sessions on the same device and browser.
Export as .sl	File → Export	Downloads a `.sl` file to your computer. You can import it later with `Ctrl`+`I` or drag-and-drop onto the editor.
Share URL	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`S`	Generates a link that encodes your script in the URL. Anyone with the link can open it and see your code instantly — great for sharing with classmates or colleagues.

Warning

Browser storage can be cleared if you clear browsing data. For important work, always export a .sl file as a backup.