openrocket/core/web/htp/features.htp
2012-01-08 02:26:54 +00:00

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<file template="body.htt">
<set title="OpenRocket &mdash; Features and screenshots">
<set page="features">
<block name="body">
<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/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="http://openrocket.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/openrocket/trunk/TODO">TODO-file</a>
in the SVN repository.</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>3D view of the rocket design
<a href="getinvolved.html" class="help">(help
needed!)</a></li>
<li>Printing and saving figures, simulation data and designs</li>
<li>Support for ready-made component databases</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="http://openrocket.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/openrocket/trunk/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>
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