Release Notes

New Features

C_D Override for subassemblies now implemented. Please test! See this wiki help page for important instructions (fixes #1171)
Simulations now properly account for disabled stages (fixes #1477 and #1460)
Rail Button improvements:
- Additional parameters for rail buttons (fixes #1537)
- Added rail buttons to preset parts database
- Scaling now supported for rail buttons (fixes #1661)
Don’t include inactive stages in calculations. Disabling stages using the stage selector buttons now also affects the simulation results. (fixes #1477 and #1460)
Mass objects maintain fixed volume when container diameter changes in auto mode (fixes #1315)
Inner tubes can have custom inner/outer appearance (fixes #1509)

UI Improvements

Visually select child components of assembly components when selecting the parent (fixes #1489). Try selecting a pod, stage, or booster and see.
Significant improvements to preset selection window (fixes #1481)
Added sliders to Photo Studio settings (fixes #1524)
Show markers for pods and boosters in rocket side view (fixes #1146)
Major improvements to focus behavior. Keyboard navigation in the Component Config dialog is now much more convenient.
- When setting focus to a spinner field, select the entire field by default (fixes #1506)
- After selecting a preset, automatically highlight most commonly edited parameter (fixes #1488). So, for example, after selecting a body tube preset the Length parameter will be selected by default.
- Restore focus to motors, recovery, stage and simulation tables after table action and others (fixes #1558). Simply put, you shouldn’t need to click in the table areas just to enable keyboard shortcuts to work.
- Use tab and arrow keys to traverse sim table (fixes #1552)
Added and/or improved hover texts on a bunch of different buttons and controls
Apply preset after double-clicking (fixes #1539)
Pre-check diameter filters in preset chooser (fixes #1480)
Preset selection window opens larger, and remembers column widths (fixes #1305). Separate column widths are remembered for each component type.
Ctrl/Cmd+A (select all) keyboard shortcut in component tree, simulation and motor configuration tables (fixes #1549)

Notable Bug Fixes

Scripting now works again. Please test! (fixes #308, #826, #1108, and #1270)
Don’t re-run simulations when new sim is created with same motor (fixes #1510)
Ensure simulations finish when running from scripts (fixes #1575)
Fixed Cd reporting for fin sets (fixes #1440)
Move component config window back to same monitor as main app window first time it is opened. No more lost config windows! (fixes #1470)
Rocket side view updates
- Don’t recenter rocket when zooming (fixes #1464)
- Ensure full rocket is always visible and positioned correctly in rocket side view (fixes #1465)
Fixed root edge display in 3D view and fin templates (fixes #1227). This matters when you are attaching fins to a nose cone or transition.
Numerous bug fixes in component scaling (fixes #1649, #1651, #1653, #1661, #1662, and #1663)
Better register of double-clicks in 3D view (fixes #1054)
Increased component analysis drag precision to three decimal digits (fixes #1476)
Select recovery device/stage after config panel select (fixes #1490)
Fixed an exception when scaling freeform fins (fixes #1520)
Improved performance of freeform fin shape editor (fixes #1533)
Better automatic calculation of fin tab sizes (fixes #1600)
Fixed simulation errors when there were empty stages in the design (fixes #1617)
Fixed stage activeness not updating when moving, deleting, or copying stages (fixes #1680)
Fixed exception for zero-length transitions and nose cones (fixes #1677)

Other

Don’t open motor selection dialog when duplicating motor configurations (fixes #1555)
A bunch of updated component icons
Added icons to most buttons
Improvements to Undo behavior when adding new components (fixes #1513)
Improvements to scale dialog (fixes #411)
Component tree now set to reasonable minimum width (fixes #1648)
Removed “show all compatible” option in preset chooser (fixes #1405)
Cleaned up several of the example rockets
Added warning to launch preferences that changes only affect new sims (fixes #1497)
Fixed overlapping labels in motor selection diameter filter slider (fixes #1643)
More Russian translation updates

OpenRocket 22.02.beta.04 (2022-06-17)

Please note: For this new beta, the packaged installers are now back to using Java 11, due to multiple bug reports related to Java 17. However, the JAR file will still allow Java 11 or 17, so if you want to keep experimenting with Java 17 then feel free.

New Features

File association now works on all platforms (fixes #1135)
Contextual menus now available via right-click throughout the program
Edit multiple selected items at once (great for appearance editing!)
Show/hide CG/CP markings in rocket display
Support for custom decimal places and exponential notation in simulation exports (fixes #1307 and #1354)
Simulation warning when no recovery device is enabled (fixes #1436)
Remember previously selected tab when opening component edit dialog (fixes #974)
On Mac, app remains open when last window is closed (normal Mac behavior)

Notable Bug Fixes

Tube fins are fixed! Both CP and drag calculations should be good now. So good that we are no longer calling tube fin support “experimental”. Feedback please! (fixes #1258)
Guarantee fit in rocket view (fixes #1231 and #1351)
Corrected mass display in some situations (fixes #1409)
Show combined mass of multi-selected components when hovering (fixes #1411)
Fix greyed-out buttons on Mac (fixes #1099)
Improve scalability of Motors and Configurations tab (fixes #1285)

Other

Many component edit dialogs reorganized for consistency and clarity
Loads more tweaks to parachute and streamer config dialog
Modified file size estimation in Save dialog. Feedback please!
Improved layout of rocket view ribbon
Improved icons for zoom buttons, and launch lugs and tube fins
Added sliders to Pod Set config
Preset dialog now sorted by manufacturer by default
Updated guided tours
Improved Russian translation

OpenRocket 22.02.beta.03 (2022-05-18)

New Features

Big improvements to parachutes:
- Added manufacturers: Front Range, Fruity Chutes, Rocketman, b2 Rocketry, Spherachutes
- Added additional fields to preset DB (e.g. spill holes)
- Automatic packed size calculation (for select chute manufacturers only)
- Parachute mass is automatically overridden with manufacturer data (when available)
- Parachute component name is automatically populated with preset description

Notable bug Fixes

Tube fin drag simulation has been extensively rewritten. This should fix flight simulations of tube fin models. Please test your sims and let us know how it works for you (fixes issue 1207). Note that CP calculations for tube fins are still not fixed.
Improved ground hit velocity estimation (partially fixes issue 1349)
Rail buttons now included in Fin Marking Guide (fixes issue 1259)
Tube fin sets now included in Fin Marking Guide (fixes issue… ah, there wasn’t one)
Override mass now divides when fin set is split (fixes issue 1292)
Fixes exception when splitting fin sets (fixes issue 1302)
Hovering over pod set reports total mass of pod set (fixes issue 1291)
Fixes exception when putting fins on transitions (fixes issue 1247)
Opacity slider now stays in sync with alpha changes in color selector (fixes issue 1326)

Other

Major cleanup of File menu. Let us know how you like it.
Improved time step selection for descent
Java 17 is now included in the packaged installers and supported by the JAR file.

OpenRocket 22.02.beta.02 (2022-03-26)

NOTE: Tube fin simulation is currently broken, and will be fixed in a future beta.

New Features

Check Java version at startup (requires Java 11)
Opacity slider on appearance panel
Export sim plots as PNG images

Notable Bug Fixes

Rocksim Import/Export
- Corrected position offsets when importing and exporting (fixes issue 1164)
- Corrected fin shape when importing (fixes issue 1220)
Side boosters
- Added stage selector for side boosters (fixes issue 1208)
- Fixed simulation bug with side boosters (fixes issue 1210)
- Eliminated warning when loading designs with boosters (fixes issue 1196)
- Fixed Simulation Plot range with boosters (fixes issue 1228)
More reliable creation of simulation when creating a new configuration (fixes issue 1163)
No longer need to click on motor config to get flight data (fixes issue 1175)
Motor database search more robust, especially for CTI (fixes issue 1174)
More accurate and reliable simulation of fins on transitions (fixes issues 1173 and 1243)
plus other miscellaneous fixes

Other

Set default color for all components to #BBBBBB, with Shine=30 (closes issue 1192)
Update Mac installer style to more standard “drag app to Applications folder”

OpenRocket 22.02.beta.01 (2022-02-25)

Application

Update to Java 11
Distributed as packaged installers

New Rocket Design Capabilities

Pods
Drop-off Boosters
Rail buttons
Attach freeform fins to nose cones and transitions
Coefficient of Drag override
Added Dave Cook’s rocket component library

Staging Improvements

Update CG correctly when stages are toggled
Display stage names instead of numbers in Stage enable buttons
Reported length reflects length of selected stages only
More reliable deployment of booster stage recovery device
Fixed booster tumbling behavior
Eliminate exceptions during multi-stage simulation
Improved accuracy of nose cone simulation

Simulation Improvements

Assorted CP calculation fixes
Improved nose cone drag calculations
Properly run all simulations when any design change is made
Use actual burn time for determination of burnout event
Improve mass calculation accuracy for motors
Correct linear interpolation of motor CG
Copy Simulation results to clipboard
Report wind speed correctly
Improved ground hit velocity calculations
Run simulations all the way to the end
No more warning if recovery device is deployed while motor is coasting

Rocket Appearance

Support rendering of transparent or translucent components
Separate inside and outside color for tube components
Separate left and right appearance for fin components

User Interface

Multi-select/copy/paste components in the tree
Option to display rocket stability as percentage of length
Improved layout on many windows and dialogs
Now use “Export” to save to RKT format
Improved File Dialog behavior
Multi-select/delete motor configurations
Improved UI appearance on Mac
Motor Selection
- Automatically open motor selection dialog when adding new motor configuation
- Added checkbox to hide motors which are out of production
- Highlight motor mount in rocket display when motor is selected
Many improvements to freeform fin editor, including
- More accurate insertion of new points
- Highlight coordinates of selected point
- Export fin profile to CSV file
- Fixed scrolling and zooming
Improvements to Photo Studio
- Respond instantly to design changes
- Settings saved per rocket
- Settings layout improved
- Settings values can now be entered via keyboard

Misc

Updated motor list to latest data from Thrustcurve.org
Added additional fields to motors
Disable fin-thickness warnings on phantom tubes
Added warning message for phantom body tubes
Updated print dialog to allow simulation control
Improved Rocksim import
Added or improved Spanish, Dutch, and simplified Chinese translations

…plus many, many additional bug fixes and refinements

OpenRocket 15.03 (2015-03-28)

OpenRocket now requires Java 1.7 for execution.

New Features

Experimental support for tube fins
Updated thrustcurves
Scriptable simulation extensions
Fin fillet mass
Better icons for different kinds of masses - altimeters, computers, etc.
Configurable default mach number
Improved preferences UI

Bug Fixes

Always use the correct filename extension when saving

OpenRocket 14.11 (2014-11-02)

New Features

Updated thrustcurves

Bug Fixes

Fixed a couple of bugs.

OpenRocket 14.06 (2014-06-25)

New Features

Klima motor textures
Added knots to windspeed and velocity units
Updated thrustcurves

Bug Fixes

Fixed annoying IndexOutOfBounds bug in tables.

OpenRocket 14.05 (2014-05-21)

New Features

Compute optimimum delay time when simulating
Display cg/mass overrides using icons in the component tree

Bug Fixes

Bug fixes in the motor selection dialog
Updated thrustcurves
Updated 3d libraries to 2.1.5

OpenRocket 14.03 (2014-03-20)

New Features

Photo Realistic 3d rocket renderer

Bug Fixes

Fixes to the flight configuration tab and motor selection dialog
Updated thrustcurves

OpenRocket 13.11.2 (2014-01-01)

Bug Fixes

Numerous bug fixes and usability improvements in the new flight configuration tab.
Fix couple of layout issues
Updated Spanish, French and Chinese translations

OpenRocket 13.11.1 (2013-11-15)

Bug Fixes

Added back the TubeConfiguration Configuration dialog
Seems the jogl update didn’t happen in the 13.11 build.
Made the motor filter remember previous settings
Fixed various exceptions in flight configuration tables due to column reordering
Fixed NPE when deleting a configuration

OpenRocket 13.11 (2013-11-08)

New Features

Chinese translations
Replaced flight configuration dialog with more efficient configuration tab
Improved filtering in motor chooser dialog

Bug Fixes

Updated jogl to correct 3d problems on various platforms
Fixed NPE introduced by changes in Java 1.7.0_45-b18

OpenRocket 13.09.1 (2013-10-05)

This release contains a number of bug fixes, updated 3D JOGL libraries. Added preliminary thrustcurves for Aerotech C3 and D2 18mm reloads.

OpenRocket 13.09 (2013-09-08)

This release contains a number of bug fixes, updated 3D JOGL libraries, and separates simulation edit and plot dialogs.

OpenRocket 13.05 (2013-05-04)

New Features

Added support for decals on rockets. Added two new 3d views - 3d finished and 3d unfinshed. Added support to export and apply decals (images) to rocket components. Added ability to launch external graphics editor to edit decals and monitor file for writes to update the rocket view.
Added simulation of tumble recovery based on experimentation done by Sampo Niskanen. This is particularly useful for low power staged flights.
Extended “motor configuration” concept to cover more properties. The concept was renamed “Flight Configuration” and allows the user to override stage separation, recovery deployment, and motor ignition per flight configuration. These configurations are stored in the ork file with each component. If no override is specified then the user specified default is used (set in the component edit dialog). The flight configuration dialog was reworked to make it more usable. The user selects the configuration in a drop down with buttons for “add”, “delete” and “rename”. After selecting the configuration, the tabbed area below allows the user to change the configuration for this simulation.
Allow simulation of stages without a motor. Users in the past have attempted to simulate separate recovery of payload and booster by tricking OpenRocket using a dummy motor with trivial thrust curve. Now the user does not need to do this. There is an example of this provided in TARC Payloader.ork and Boosted Dart.ork
Simulate recovery of boosters. The simulation engine will create new FlightDataBranches for each stage after separation. The data for the boosters begins at t=separation. The simulation plot allows the user to select which stage’s data to show (or all).
Modified the zoom and pan controls in the simulation plot. Added zoom in, out, and reset buttons. Added scroll with mouse wheel. If the alt key is used with either of these, only the domain is zoomed. Richard contributed a more logical mouse controlled zoom - right click and drag will zoom (either domain, range or both).

OpenRocket 12.09.1 (2012-06-28)

Bug-fix release for 12.09, fixing numerous bugs. Only new feature is the possiblity to automatically open the latest design file on startup (in Edit -> Preferences -> Options).

OpenRocket 12.09 (2012-09-16)

Numerous new features by many contributors

3D rocket design view
Component Presets
Custom expressions in simulations
Printing for centering ring and clustered centering ring components.
Support simple arthmatic in dimension entry
Support deploying recovery device at stage separation
Support for fractional inches (1/64) for unit length
Added preference for windspeed units separately
Added “most recently used files” in File Menu.
Improved printed accurracy in fin marking guide
Calibration rulers added to printed templates
Translations in Czech and Polish, numerous updates

OpenRocket 12.03 (2012-03-17)

In this release the version numbering scheme has been changed to be “YY.MM” indicating the year and month of the release.

Enhancements in the desktop version include saving designs in RKT format thanks to Doug Pedrick, freeform fin set import from images by Jason Blood, configurable stage separation events, guided help tours and displaying the computed motor designation class. The application has also been translated to Italian by Mauro Biasutti and Russian by the Sky Dart Team.

This also marks the first release for Android devices. In this first release you can open files and examine existing simulations, stability data and motor files. The Android port is thanks to work by Kevin Ruland.

OpenRocket 1.1.9 (2011-11-24)

This release calculates rocket flight in real-world coordinates and takes into account geodetic effects (including coriolis effect) thanks to work by Richard Graham. Printing of transitions, nose cone profiles and fin marking guides is available thanks to Doug Pedrick. It also contains some usability features and bug fixes.