git.gag.com Git - debian/openrocket/blob - web/htp/features.htp

   1 <file template="body.htt">
   2 <set title="OpenRocket &mdash; Features and screenshots">
   3 <set page="features">
   4
   5 <block name="body">
   6   <h1>Features of OpenRocket</h1>
   7
   8   <div class="content">
   9
  10     <h2>Current features</h2>
  11
  12     <div class="screenshots">
  13
  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
  18           in real-time.
  19       </a></div>
  20       <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-edit.png">
  21           <img src="shots-small/dialog-edit.jpg" alt="Component edit
  22           dialog"/><br/>
  23           The component shape and properties are defined in their own
  24           dialog.
  25       </a></div>
  26       <div class="smallshotconst"><a href="shots/dialog-analysis.png">
  27           <img src="shots-small/dialog-analysis.jpg" alt="Analysis
  28           dialog"/><br/>
  29           You can analyze the effect of individual components on the
  30           stability, drag and roll characteristics of the rocket.
  31       </a></div>
  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/>
  38       </a></div>
  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.
  43       </a></div>
  44     </div>
  45
  46     <h3>General</h3>
  47
  48     <ul>
  49       <li><strong>Fully cross-platform</strong>, written in Java</li>
  50       <li><strong>Fully documented</strong> <a href="documentation.html">simulation
  51           methods</a></li>
  52       <li><strong>Open Source</strong>, source code available under the
  53         <a href="license.html">GNU GPL</a></li>
  54     </ul>
  55
  56     <h3>User interface</h3>
  57     <ul>
  58       <li><strong>Easy-to-use user interface</strong> for
  59         rocket design</li>
  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>
  66     </ul>
  67
  68     <h3>Design</h3>
  69
  70     <ul>
  71       <li>A multitude of available components to
  72         choose from</li>
  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
  76         stabilization)</li>
  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>
  82     </ul>
  83
  84     <h3>Simulation and analysis</h3>
  85
  86     <ul>
  87       <li>Full <strong>six degree of freedom</strong> simulation</li>
  88       <li>Rocket stability computed using <strong>extended Barrowman
  89           method</strong></li>
  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>
 101     </ul>
 102
 103
 104     <h2 id="future">Planned future features</h2>
 105
 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>
 111
 112     <p>Below are a few major features that are under consideration:</p>
 113
 114     <ul>
 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
 122         needed!)</a></li>
 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
 126         rockets</li>
 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>
 132     </ul>
 133
 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>
 136
 137     <div class="clear"></div>
 138
 139     <contentbox>
 140   </div>
 141 </block>