openrocket/core/web/htp/features.htp

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<set title="OpenRocket &mdash; Features and screenshots">
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  <h1>Features of OpenRocket</h1>

  <div class="content">

    <h2>Current features</h2>

    <div class="screenshots">

      <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/main.png">
	  <img src="shots-small/main.jpg" alt="Main window"/><br/>
	  The main rocket design window is used to design the rocket
	  and it also provides information about a flight simulation
	  in real-time.
      </a></div>
      <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dart.png">
	  <img src="shots-small/dart.jpg" alt="Realistic 3D Rendering"/><br/>
	  Paint and decals can be added and rendered in 3D.
      </a></div>
      <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-edit.png">
	  <img src="shots-small/dialog-edit.jpg" alt="Component edit
	  dialog"/><br/>
	  The component shape and properties are defined in their own
	  dialog.
      </a></div>
      <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-analysis.png">
	  <img src="shots-small/dialog-analysis.jpg" alt="Analysis
	  dialog"/><br/>
	  You can analyze the effect of individual components on the
	  stability, drag and roll characteristics of the rocket.
      </a></div>
      <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-plot-options.png">
	  <img src="shots-small/dialog-plot-options.jpg" 
               alt="Simulation plot options"/><br/>
	  The simulation results can be plotted in a multitude
	  of ways.  You can either use the predefined plot
	  configurations or define your own.<br/>
      </a></div>
      <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-plot.png">
	  <img src="shots-small/dialog-plot.jpg" alt="Simulation plot"/><br/>
	  The simulations are plotted using the
	  <em>JFreeChart</em> plotting library.
      </a></div>
    </div>

    <h3>General</h3>

    <ul>
      <li><strong>Fully cross-platform</strong>, written in Java</li>
      <li><strong>Fully documented</strong> <a href="documentation.html">simulation
	  methods</a></li>
      <li><strong>Open Source</strong>, source code available under the
        <a href="license.html">GNU GPL</a></li>
    </ul>

    <h3>User interface</h3>
    <ul>
      <li><strong>Easy-to-use user interface</strong> for
        rocket design</li>
      <li><strong>Real-time view of CG and CP</strong> position</li>
      <li><strong>Real-time flight altitude, velocity and
          acceleration</strong> information from a continuous simulation
	performed in the background</li> 
      <li>Zoomable schematic view of rocket from the side or rear,
	with rotation around the center axis</li>
    </ul>

    <h3>Design</h3>

    <ul>
      <li>A multitude of available components to
	choose from</li>
      <li><strong>Trapezoidal</strong>, <strong>elliptical</strong>
	and <strong>free-form fins</strong> supported</li> 
      <li>Support for <strong>canted fins</strong> (roll
	stabilization)</li>
      <li><strong>Staging</strong> and <strong>clustering</strong> support</li>
      <li>Automatic calculation of component mass and CG based on
        shape and density</li>
      <li>Ability to <strong>override mass and CG</strong> of
        components or stages separately</li>
    </ul>

    <h3>Simulation and analysis</h3>

    <ul>
      <li>Full <strong>six degree of freedom</strong> simulation</li>
      <li>Rocket stability computed using <strong>extended Barrowman
          method</strong></li>
      <li><strong>Automatic design optimization</strong> &mdash; you
        can optimize any number of rocket parameters for flight
        altitude, maximum velocity or a number of other values</li>
      <li>Realistic wind modeling</li>
      <li>Analysis of the <strong>effect of separate
	  components</strong> on the stability, drag and roll
	characteristics of the rocket</li>
      <li><strong>Fully configurable plotting</strong>, with
	various preset configurations</li>
      <li>Simulation data can be <strong>exported to 
	  <acronym title="Comma Separated Values">CSV</acronym>
	  files</strong> for further analysis</li>
      <li><strong>Simulation listeners</strong> allowing custom-made
	code to interact with the rocket during flight simulation</li>
    </ul>


    <h2 id="future">Planned future features</h2>

    <p>OpenRocket is under constant work in the free time of the
      developers.  You can have a sneak preview on what has been
      planned by checking the
      <a href="https://raw.github.com/openrocket/openrocket/master/core/TODO">TODO-file</a>
      on github.</p>

    <p>Below are a few major features that are under consideration:</p>

    <ul>
      <li>Aerodynamic computation using 
	<acronym title="Computational Fluid Dynamics">CFD</acronym>
	<a href="getinvolved.html" class="help">(help needed!)</a></li>
      <li>Better support for supersonic simulation
	<a href="getinvolved.html" class="help">(help needed!)</a></li>
      <li>Customized support for hybrid rocket motors and water
	rockets</li>
      <li>Importing and plotting actual flight data from altimeters</li>
      <li>Rocket flight animation</li>
      <li>A "wizard" for creating new rocket designs</li>
      <li class="spacer">More ideas are listed in the 
	<a href="https://raw.github.com/openrocket/openrocket/master/core/TODO">TODO-file</a>!</li>
    </ul>

    <p>If you want to help make OpenRocket the best rocket simulator,
      don't hesitate to <a href="getinvolved.html">Get involved!</a></p>

    <div class="clear"></div>

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