ForceFields are components that exhibit mechanical properties in Sofa. These might be illustrated by several theories like linear elasticity, hyperelasticity, visco-elasticity, etc. These properties allow computing of the mechanical response of object when an external force is applied. They are mechanical intrinsic properties, and normally do not depend on the size or shape of the object.
ForceFields in Sofa deeply depend on the object's topology. When choosing a ForceField, the user must take care to pick the appropriated Topology. ForceField components sometimes have the name of a specific mechanical model. In this case, the user can search for documentation for a deeper understanding. In other cases, ForceFields are named by the combining the name of the computation method, topology type, etc.