OpenRocket Files

These release notes cover the entire 24.12 release. Changes since 24.12.RC.01 are listed at the end. Notable features and fixes shown in bold.

RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS

• Enhanced Simulation tab UI: This is the beginning of a multi-release effort to make it easier to manage simulations and interpret their results. Please let us know what you think so far.
• Multi-level wind input: Configure different wind settings at different altitudes (in the simulation configuration dialog).
• New Component Analysis Parameter Sweep Tool: Plot and export Component Analysis parameter sweeps in the new Component Analysis Plot/Export tab. For instance, you can plot the rocket CD as a function of Mach number.
• SVG Fin Export: Export fin shapes directly to SVG for laser cutting or importing into CAD tools.
• Window Ghosting Eliminated on Windows OS (!)
• Extensive Improvements to error handling: There should be far fewer instances of ORK files encountering errors or exceptions while loading.
• Expanded Platform Support: We now offer installers for x86_64 and Arm64 on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• Project documentation moved to Sphinx: See it at https://openrocket.readthedocs.io/.

Simulation

• Overhauled Sim table GUI (fixes [#2456])
• Multi-level Wind Feature
• Enter wind speed and direction at arbitrary set of altitudes for simulation (fixes [#922], [#2060], [#2558])
• CSV Wind Data Import: Import detailed wind profiles directly from CSV files.
• Add "Wind Direction" flight data type
• Plotting
• Organize axis plot types selector into categories and add search function (fixes [#2338])
• Increase size of legend color patches for improved color visibility (fixes [#2836])
• Add air density as plottable variable (fixes [#2462])
• Show stage name in sim plot tooltips (fixes [#2521])
• Keep edit sim dialog open after plotting/exporting (fixes [#2531])
• Add Flight Warning events to plots
• Warnings
• Standardize Warning format (fixes [#2669])
• Add SIM_ABORT flight event type, instead of throwing exceptions
• Improve how warnings are saved to and reloaded from ORK file (fixes [#2694])
• Don't warn about large angle of attack when we start to tumble
• Don't set open airframe warning on booster stages if either they're about to deploy a recovery device or they're unstable (and improve wording)
• Clarify "Open airframe" warnings when due to separated booster stage
• Don't generate spurious warning when using a single tube fin (fixes [#2663])
• Other
• Add "Altitude above Sea Level" as new flight data type
• Include side boosters in thrust calculation (fixes [#2639])
• Allow for configurable maximum simulation time
• Sync wind speed, deviation, and turbulence widgets together in sim settings (fixes [#2388])
• Add South/West units for latitude and longitude of launch site (fixes [#2178])
• Abort sim when recovery deployment occurs under thrust
• Allow sustainer to tumble before apogee; if under thrust, abort sim
• Fire outdated sim on stage rename (fixes [#2532])
• Added "aborted" status mark to simulations
• Don't show vertical acceleration as negative before liftoff

Motor Configurations

• Separate motor nominal vs. actual diameter (fixes [#2569]): This allows Loki 76mm motors to pass the 75mm motor filter.
• Add 6mm (MicroMaxx) motor diameter to filter table
• Add "Save as default" option to motor config name (fixes [#2537])

Multi-stage Rockets

• Add stage separation options for deployable payloads and a deployable payload example (fixes [#852], [#2519]): We had many requests for this from various competition participants.
• Don't add motor delay time to upper stage motor ignition time (fixes [#2450])

Calculations

• Correctly calculate CG on zero-length components (fixes [#2626])
• Improve handling of very small fins (fixes [#2633])
• Include enabled stages in calculations even if parent stage is disabled (fixes [#2657])
• Correctly handle "auto" mass object size when parent component is filled (fixes [#2660])
• Fix CP calculation error with tail cones (fixes [#2751])
• Clamp compressibility factor to avoid singularity at Mach 1 (fixes [#2543])

Component Analysis

• Plot and export component analysis parameter sweeps (fixes [#2525]): See the new Plot/Export tab.
• Highlight component selected in Component Analysis in the rocket figure display
• Add per-instance Cd column to Component Analysis Dialog (fixes [#2019])
• Select components for plot/export
• Fix export of Component Analysis data (fixes [#2697])

Import/Export

• Export fins to SVG file: See button at bottom of config window
• Improve OBJ export using Delaunay triangulation (fixes [#2444])
• Correct conical nose cone/transition OBJ exporting (fixes [#2609])
• Add option to export only one instance of component to OBJ
• Support booster export and import with Rocksim, other bug fixes (fixes [#2437], [#2377], [#2435])
• Correct launch rod length when exporting to RASAero
• Correctly handle periods in file path when exporting (fixes [#2701])

Materials

• Add material groups with search: Check this out in any config window.
• Add "document materials" that can be reused within a document (i.e. ORK file)
• Easier to add custom materials
• Set balsa as default fin material

Preset Library

• Fix parachute length resizing when using preset parachute: Lots of folks reported this one.
• Fix transition and nose cone component presets defaulting to a filled shape (fixes [#2480] and [#2614])
• Correct diameter of Spherachutes to match Cd (fixes [#2517])
• Fix sorting problems in preset library (fixes [#2576])

User Interface

• Window Ghosting Eliminated on Windows OS: @SiboVG finally squashed this vexing problem (fixes [#1667])
• Change look-and-feel engine to FlatLaf for all UI themes: after plenty of tweaking we think it's looking pretty good
• Add UI Customization: You can now tweak the UI to your liking. Added "UI Scale", "Font Size", and "Character Spacing". See the "UI" tab in app preferences.
• Rotate 2D views by click-dragging (fixes [#2093])
• Show Flight Config in Design View: This should make it easier to get all necessary information when screenshotting just the rocket figure display (fixes [#2735])
• Improvements to Rotation Control in 2D Views: You can now lock the angle so you don't accidentally rotate it with a click-drag; you can also enter the desired angle directly
• Allow components to be hidden from view (fixes [#2485]): Use the edit menu or contextual menu to show/hide selected components
• Constrain angles in freeform fin editor (fixes [#427]): Hold down shift or control-shift while dragging a point.
• Add hex color input field in appearance panel (fixes [#2224])
• Include number of assembly copies in motor count display (fixes [#2725])
• Better positioning of modal dialogs (fixes [#2652])
• Correctly track when files have changed (fixes [#2679])
• Allow 3 digits of precision in "shape" parameter (fixes [#2409])
• Fix Mass Object radial rotation in 3D view (fixes [#2550])

Developer stuff

• Move project documentation to Sphinx
• Switched build system from Ant to Gradle
• Added Arm64 support for Windows and Linux
• Adopted Java Platform Module System
• Renamed net.sf.openrocket package to info.openrocket.core and info.openrocket.swing.
• Add compatibility with plugins using the old net.sf.openrocket package instead of the new info.openrocket.core and info.openrocket.swing. The old plugins are copied and migrated to the new package structure with a -migrated suffix. (fixes [#2676])
• Clean up the "CSV Save" example simulation extension (fixes [#2696])
• Improve core startup for using OR in external Java app
• Add clone helper methods to WorldCoordinate, Quaternion, and SimulationStatus
• Choose user-defined component preset locations (fixes [#1081])
• Suppress preset and motor loading at startup (fixes [#1579])

Misc

• Re-introduced motor ignition delay optimization to Rocket Optimization (fixes [#2345])
• Support more and larger page sizes for printing (fixes [#2483])
• Improve manufacturer search in Component preset library (fixes [#2479])
• Fix shoulder scaling (fixes [#2463])
• Fix exception when changing the opacity setting in the appearance panel (fixes [#2644])
• Improvements to the software updater (fixes [#2648])
• Update "modified data" file metadata when saving
• Add additional file properties (fixes [#2664])
• Honor Cd override when reading from a file (fixes [#2745])
• Add Piotr Tendera Rocket Motors (TSP) and Raketenmodelbau Klima (Klima) motor manufacturers to motor database
• Enhancements and fixes to motor length and diameter filters

Notable Changes since 24.12.RC.01

• Multi-level winds feature
• Correct wind direction visualization
• Remove 10 m/s max wind speed and 11 km altitude limit for wind levels (fixes [#2767])
• Allow for comments (starting with "#") and blank lines in multi-level wind CSV import
• Major improvements to error handling (fixes to [#2777], [#2785], [#2800], [#2804])
• Miscellaneous
• Reduce size of simulation edit and Component Analysis dialogs for low-res screens
• Make lateral angle and lateral orientation use north 0 (fixes [#2811])
• Example design updates: Rename TARC example to ARC, rurn example sims without errors
• Include super-parent angles in instance rotation to ensure correct display in rocket figure display (fixes [#2776])
• Save latitude and longitude in degrees
• Save and restore launchintowind element in ORK file (fixes [#2802])
• Developer features
• Improve core startup for using OR in external apps
• Add clone helper methods to WorldCoordinate, Quaternion, and SimulationStatus

...and countless additional fixes and tweaks.

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Contributors in this release: @SiboVG @JoePfeiffer @neilweinstock @thzero @senft-research @AhanuDewhirst @MiguelECL @MDNich @jimmiedave @JonathanDeLaCruzEncora @stoopipoopy @NCoppola25 @eliotalanfoss @AlexHladin @anushreejha @jefferyjohn