I rendered this simulation for an engineering dynamics class. The class focused on using Nastran 4D, but I discovered that by exporting the data into Lightwave 3D I could make much cleaner animations. Thus, I was able to use Nastran's ability to simulate dynamics with Lightwave's lighting and rendering engine to produce this video.

Technical details: I added graphs in Nastran to track the position and rotation of each bowling ball and point, and then I exported this data in a CSV file and I wrote an LSCRIPT to import the data into Lightwave where I had a scene setup with matching objects (bowling balls and bins). Unfortunately I soon discovered that the Euler rotation data was practically impossible to use, especially when a pin or bowling ball rotated too quickly for the resolution of the data capture. I switched to using several position trackers on each Nastran object so I could recreate the exact rotational position in Lightwave. This worked much better, but unfortunately I never found a way to rig my Lightwave scene so it would obey all three constraint axis. If the bowling pins weren't perfectly symmetrical you would able to see them twisting erratically on their axis. I think I would have had to use quaternions to solve this, and possibly a more powerful 3D package.