PlayMagnet — Interactive Magnetic Field Visualizer

Why PlayMagnet?

Built on years of magnetostatics research, redesigned for today's devices.

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Real-Time Field Calculation

Watch vector fields, isopotential contours, and directional vectors calculate and render instantly as you place magnets.

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Intuitive Touch Controls

Draw, drag, and manipulate magnetic charges with natural touch gestures. Zoom, pan, and explore fields at any scale.

🎨

Color-Coded Materials

Magnetic materials are represented by colors, making it easy to visualize and understand complex field interactions.

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Save & Share

Export high-resolution screenshots of your field visualizations to share or use in presentations and research.

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Cross-Platform

Available on iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. Your magnetostatics work goes wherever you go.

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Three Free Lesson Plans

Free classroom materials for teaching magnetic fields and isolines. Two printable grid worksheets challenge students to connect equal values and discover contour lines by hand. A third lesson brings it to life with PlayMagnet's interactive vector arrows.

Screenshots

PlayMagnet in action on iPad, iPhone, Mac, and more.

Mac — Native MacCatalyst app

Mac — Field visualization

Mac — Charge placement

Mac — Vector field display

Mac — Isopotential contours

Mac — Multi-charge interaction

Mac — Save & export

Android Tablet — Main view

Android Tablet — Field lines

Android Tablet — Charge interaction

Android Tablet — Vector display

Android Tablet — Dipole pattern

Android Tablet — Contour map

Android Tablet — Multi-charge

Android Tablet — Export dialog

Video Tutorials

Learn how to get the most out of PlayMagnet.

▶ Coming Soon

Drawing Dipoles & Quadrupoles

Learn to draw magnetic dipoles freehand and build precise quadrupole arrays using the Enter button for exact coordinate placement.

Free Lesson Plans

Printable worksheets for classroom, homeschool, and curious kids.

My Island Adventure!

Isolines & Elevation

Students draw contour lines on a numbered grid by connecting equal values. Pick even numbers (0, 2, 4) or odd numbers (1, 3, 5) to map an island's shape. Ages 7+.

📄 Download PDF

Twin Peaks & Valleys

Complex Terrain

Coming soon — a trickier grid with two peaks, a valley, and a steeper challenge.

Coming Soon

Arrows Everywhere!

Vector Fields & Direction

Coming soon — use PlayMagnet live to see how vector arrows show field direction and strength.

Coming Soon

Legacy Downloads

Original Pic2Mag versions and training materials for reference and older systems.

v1.09

Windows XP Version

The original Pic2Mag field calculator for Windows XP. A piece of computing history.

Download (50 MB)

Training Videos

Previous Version Pic2Mag Training Materials

▶ Mobile App Training Video (30 MB) ▶ Version 1.09 Training Video (80 MB)

About PlayMagnet

PlayMagnet is the evolution of Pic2Mag, a magnetostatics program that uses colors to represent magnetic materials. Based on the array of magnetic moments, the program calculates vector fields, isopotential contours, and directional vectors in real time.

Originally developed for Windows XP, Pic2Mag has grown into PlayMagnet — a modern, cross-platform app built with .NET MAUI and SkiaSharp, delivering beautiful, responsive field visualization on phones, tablets, and desktops.

Whether you're a student learning electromagnetism, a teacher demonstrating field concepts, or a researcher exploring magnetostatic interactions, PlayMagnet makes the invisible visible.

Questions & Support

msnyder@pic2mag.com

We read every email and aim to respond within 72 hours.

You Draw Magnets.
PlayMagnet Draws the Fields.