Notable features and fixes 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.
- 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
As mentioned above, a lot of work went into the Simulation tab for this release, and there is a lot more to come.
Flight simulation
- Overhauled Sim table GUI (fixes #2456)
- Multi-level wind input (fixes #922, #2060, #2558)
- 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)
- Improved accuracy of thrust calculation
- 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- Fire outdated sim on stage rename (fixes #2532)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
- Clamp compressibility correction factor to avoid singularity
- Allow for configurable maximum simulation time
Warnings
- Add SIM_ABORT flight event type, instead of throwing exceptions
- 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)
Plotting
- Organize axis plot types selector into categories and add search function (fixes #2338)
- 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
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
Import/Export
- Export fins to SVG file: See button at bottom of config window
- Improve OBJ export using Delaunay triangulation (fixes #2444)
- Support booster export and import with Rocksim, other bug fixes (fixes #2437, #2377, #2435)
- Correct launch rod length when exporting to RASAero
- Correct conical nose cone/transition OBJ exporting (fixes #2609)
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
Motor Configurations
- Separate motor nominal vs. actual diameter (fixes #2569): This allows Loki 76mm motors to pass the 75mm motor filter.
- 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)
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
- 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)
- Rotate 2D views by click-dragging (fixes #2093)
- Allow 3 digits of precision in "shape" parameter (fixes #2409)
- Fix Mass Object radial rotation in 3D view (fixes #2550)
- Improve texture select combobox operation
- Change LAF engine to FlatLaf for all UI themes
Command Line Options
- Choose user-defined component preset locations (fixes #1081)
- Suppress preset and motor loading at startup (fixes #1579)
Project
- Move project documentation to Sphinx
- Switched build system from Ant to Gradle
- Added Arm64 support for Windows and Linux
- Adopted Java Platform Module System
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)
...and, as always, lots more minor fixes and improvements.
Contributors in this release: @SiboVG @JoePfeiffer @neilweinstock @thzero @AhanuDewhirst @stoopipoopy @NCoppola25 @eliotalanfoss @AlexHladin