A method is provided for simulating interaction between a tool and an object. The method involves: providing a tool model for simulating the tool in a simulated environment; providing a mesh for simulating the object in the simulated environment, the mesh comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of first force functions between pairs of nodes, each first force function being a function of a distance between its corresponding pair of nodes; and deforming the mesh in response to interaction between the tool model and the mesh in the simulated environment. Deforming the mesh may involve: displacing one or more initially displaced nodes; and displacing one or more level-one-connected nodes, displacement of each level-one-connected node dependent on at least one first force function between the level-one-connected node and a corresponding one of the one or more initially displaced nodes.