55 lines
3.1 KiB
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55 lines
3.1 KiB
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********
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Overview
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********
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What is OpenRocket?
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===================
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.. figure:: /img/openrocket_logo_256.png
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:figclass: or-figclass
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:figwidth: 25 %
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:align: right
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The OpenRocket Logo
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Welcome! OpenRocket is an open-source model rocket simulation software application. It was originally developed by
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Sampo Niskanen in 2009 as part of his master thesis at what was then `Helsinki University of Technology <https://www.aalto.fi/en/aalto-university/history>`__.
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If you want to have a look at his thesis you can download it from `OpenRocket's technical documentation page <http://openrocket.info/documentation.html>`__.
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Written entirely in Java, OpenRocket is fully cross-platform. To install the software, please refer to the :doc:`Installation Instructions </setup/installation>`
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.. rst-class:: clear-both
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OpenRocket is intended to be used by rocketeers who want to test the performance of a model rocket before actually
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building and flying it. The software accurately computes the aerodynamic properties of rockets and simulates their flight,
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returning a wide range of technical results.
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The program can be roughly divided into two sections:
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* **Rocket design**: In this phase, you can design the model rocket you intend to build, choosing from a wide range of \
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**body components**, **trapezoidal**, **elliptical**, and **free-form fins**, **inner components**, and **mass objects**. \
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During this phase, you will see a 2D representation of the rocket you are building and various technical information, \
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*such as size, mass, apogee, max. velocity, max. acceleration, stability, center of gravity (CG), and center of pressure \
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(CP)* about your rocket. This allows you to have a good idea of its performance even before running any simulation.
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* **Flight simulation**: In this phase, you can run one or more simulations of your rocket's flight, choosing from one \
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or more **motor configurations**. Each simulation, calculated using the Runge-Kutta 4 simulator, returns a wide range \
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of data about the rocket's flight. Unfortunately, for the moment, a graphical visualization of the rocket's flight is \
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not available (`help needed <https://openrocket.info/contribute.html>`__).
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For more information about OpenRocket's features and a few screenshots you can have a look `here <https://openrocket.info/features.html>`__.
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How this Documentation is Organized
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===================================
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.. attention::
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This documentation is still a work in progress, so **some sections may be incomplete**. If you want to help us improve it, please refer to the :doc:`Contribute section </introduction/contribute>`.
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This documentation is organized in 4 main sections:
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#. **Introduction**: this section contains general information about OpenRocket, such as its history, its features, and how to contribute to the project.
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#. **Setup**: this section contains information about how to install and run OpenRocket on your computer.
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#. **User Guide**: this section contains information about how to use OpenRocket to design and simulate your model rockets.
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#. **Developer Guide**: this section contains information about how to contribute to the development of OpenRocket.
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