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2 <set title="OpenRocket — Features and screenshots">
6 <h1>Features of OpenRocket</h1>
10 <h2>Current features</h2>
12 <div class="screenshots">
14 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/main.png">
15 <img src="shots-small/main.jpg" alt="Main window"/><br/>
16 The main rocket design window is used to design the rocket
17 and it also provides information about a flight simulation
20 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-edit.png">
21 <img src="shots-small/dialog-edit.jpg" alt="Component edit
23 The component shape and properties are defined in their own
26 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-analysis.png">
27 <img src="shots-small/dialog-analysis.jpg" alt="Analysis
29 You can analyze the effect of individual components on the
30 stability, drag and roll characteristics of the rocket.
32 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-plot-options.png">
33 <img src="shots-small/dialog-plot-options.jpg"
34 alt="Simulation plot options"/><br/>
35 The simulation results can be plotted in a multitude
36 of ways. You can either use the predefined plot
37 configurations or define your own.<br/>
39 <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-plot.png">
40 <img src="shots-small/dialog-plot.jpg" alt="Simulation plot"/><br/>
41 The simulations are plotted using the
42 <em>JFreeChart</em> plotting library.
49 <li><strong>Fully cross-platform</strong>, written in Java</li>
50 <li><strong>Fully documented</strong> <a href="documentation.html">simulation
52 <li><strong>Open Source</strong>, source code available under the
53 <a href="license.html">GNU GPL</a></li>
56 <h3>User interface</h3>
58 <li><strong>Easy-to-use user interface</strong> for
60 <li><strong>Real-time view of CG and CP</strong> position</li>
61 <li><strong>Real-time flight altitude, velocity and
62 acceleration</strong> information from a continuous simulation
63 performed in the background</li>
64 <li>Zoomable schematic view of rocket from the side or rear,
65 with rotation around the center axis</li>
71 <li>A multitude of available components to
73 <li><strong>Trapezoidal</strong>, <strong>elliptical</strong>
74 and <strong>free-form fins</strong> supported</li>
75 <li>Support for <strong>canted fins</strong> (roll
77 <li><strong>Staging</strong> and <strong>clustering</strong> support</li>
78 <li>Automatic calculation of component mass and CG based on
79 shape and density</li>
80 <li>Ability to <strong>override mass and CG</strong> of
81 components or stages separately</li>
84 <h3>Simulation and analysis</h3>
87 <li>Full <strong>six degree of freedom</strong> simulation</li>
88 <li>Rocket stability computed using <strong>extended Barrowman
90 <li>Realistic wind modeling</li>
91 <li>Analysis of the <strong>effect of separate
92 components</strong> on the stability, drag and roll
93 characteristics of the rocket</li>
94 <li><strong>Fully configurable plotting</strong>, with
95 various preset configurations</li>
96 <li>Simulation data can be <strong>exported to
97 <acronym title="Comma Separated Values">CSV</acronym>
98 files</strong> for further analysis</li>
99 <li><strong>Simulation listeners</strong> allowing custom-made
100 code to interact with the rocket during flight simulation</li>
104 <h2 id="future">Planned future features</h2>
106 <p>OpenRocket is under constant work in the free time of the
107 developers. You can have a sneak preview on what has been
108 planned by checking the
109 <a href="http://openrocket.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/openrocket/trunk/TODO">TODO-file</a>
110 in the SVN repository.</p>
112 <p>Below are a few major features that are under consideration:</p>
115 <li>Aerodynamic computation using
116 <acronym title="Computational Fluid Dynamics">CFD</acronym>
117 <a href="getinvolved.html" class="help">(help needed!)</a></li>
118 <li>Better support for supersonic simulation
119 <a href="getinvolved.html" class="help">(help needed!)</a></li>
120 <li>3D view of the rocket design
121 <a href="getinvolved.html" class="help">(help
123 <li>Printing and saving figures, simulation data and designs</li>
124 <li>Support for ready-made component databases</li>
125 <li>Customized support for hybrid rocket motors and water
127 <li>Importing and plotting actual flight data from altimeters</li>
128 <li>Rocket flight animation</li>
129 <li>A "wizard" for creating new rocket designs</li>
130 <li class="spacer">More ideas are listed in the
131 <a href="http://openrocket.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/openrocket/trunk/TODO">TODO-file</a>!</li>
134 <p>If you want to help make OpenRocket the best rocket simulator,
135 don't hesitate to <a href="getinvolved.html">Get involved!</a></p>
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