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24 <li><a href="index.html">OpenRocket</a></li>
25 <li><a href="features.html">Features and screenshots</a></li>
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44 <h1>Features of OpenRocket</h1>
46 <h2>Current features</h2>
47 <div class="screenshots">
48 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/main.png">
49 <img src="shots-small/main.jpg" alt="Main window" /><br/>
50 The main rocket design window is used to design the rocket
51 and it also provides information about a flight simulation
54 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-edit.png">
55 <img src="shots-small/dialog-edit.jpg" alt="Component edit
57 The component shape and properties are defined in their own
60 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-analysis.png">
61 <img src="shots-small/dialog-analysis.jpg" alt="Analysis
63 You can analyze the effect of individual components on the
64 stability, drag and roll characteristics of the rocket.
66 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-plot-options.png">
67 <img src="shots-small/dialog-plot-options.jpg"
68 alt="Simulation plot options" /><br/>
69 The simulation results can be plotted in a multitude
70 of ways. You can either use the predefined plot
71 configurations or define your own.<br/>
73 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-plot.png">
74 <img src="shots-small/dialog-plot.jpg" alt="Simulation plot" /><br/>
75 The simulations are plotted using the
76 <em>JFreeChart</em> plotting library.
81 <li><strong>Fully cross-platform</strong>, written in Java</li>
82 <li><strong>Fully documented</strong> <a href="documentation.html">simulation
84 <li><strong>Open Source</strong>, source code available under the
85 <a href="license.html">GNU GPL</a></li>
87 <h3>User interface</h3>
89 <li><strong>Easy-to-use user interface</strong> for
91 <li><strong>Real-time view of CG and CP</strong> position</li>
92 <li><strong>Real-time flight altitude, velocity and
93 acceleration</strong> information from a continuous simulation
94 performed in the background</li>
95 <li>Zoomable schematic view of rocket from the side or rear,
96 with rotation around the center axis</li>
100 <li>A multitude of available components to
102 <li><strong>Trapezoidal</strong>, <strong>elliptical</strong>
103 and <strong>free-form fins</strong> supported</li>
104 <li>Support for <strong>canted fins</strong> (roll
106 <li><strong>Staging</strong> and <strong>clustering</strong> support</li>
107 <li>Automatic calculation of component mass and CG based on
108 shape and density</li>
109 <li>Ability to <strong>override mass and CG</strong> of
110 components or stages separately</li>
112 <h3>Simulation and analysis</h3>
114 <li>Full <strong>six degree of freedom</strong> simulation</li>
115 <li>Rocket stability computed using <strong>extended Barrowman
117 <li>Realistic wind modeling</li>
118 <li>Analysis of the <strong>effect of separate
119 components</strong> on the stability, drag and roll
120 characteristics of the rocket</li>
121 <li><strong>Fully configurable plotting</strong>, with
122 various preset configurations</li>
123 <li>Simulation data can be <strong>exported to
124 <acronym title="Comma Separated Values">CSV</acronym>
125 files</strong> for further analysis</li>
126 <li><strong>Simulation listeners</strong> allowing custom-made
127 code to interact with the rocket during flight simulation</li>
129 <h2 id="future">Planned future features</h2>
130 <p>OpenRocket is under constant work in the free time of the
131 developers. You can have a sneak preview on what has been
132 planned by checking the
133 <a href="http://openrocket.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/openrocket/trunk/TODO">TODO-file</a>
134 in the SVN repository.</p>
135 <p>Below are a few major features that are under consideration:</p>
137 <li>Aerodynamic computation using
138 <acronym title="Computational Fluid Dynamics">CFD</acronym>
139 <a href="getinvolved.html" class="help">(help needed!)</a></li>
140 <li>Better support for supersonic simulation
141 <a href="getinvolved.html" class="help">(help needed!)</a></li>
142 <li>3D view of the rocket design
143 <a href="getinvolved.html" class="help">(help
145 <li>Printing and saving figures, simulation data and designs</li>
146 <li>Support for ready-made component databases</li>
147 <li>Customized support for hybrid rocket motors and water
149 <li>Importing and plotting actual flight data from altimeters</li>
150 <li>Rocket flight animation</li>
151 <li>A "wizard" for creating new rocket designs</li>
152 <li class="spacer">More ideas are listed in the
153 <a href="http://openrocket.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/openrocket/trunk/TODO">TODO-file</a>!</li>
155 <p>If you want to help make OpenRocket the best rocket simulator,
156 don't hesitate to <a href="getinvolved.html">Get involved!</a></p>
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