In this introductory API tutorial we will demonstrate all the basic steps needed to create and compile the Hertz-Mindlin contact model plug-in, using Visual Studio. A similar procedure can be followed to create any other API model, compiling a Contact Model being a necessary step to create a new custom physics model.

The main focus is on:

• Familiarization with Microsoft Visual Studio (2019)
• Import the existing Hertz-Mindlin source code
• Import EDEM header files
• Compile Hertz-Mindlin model as a DLL file
• Loading a compiled model into EDEM