10-15-2009, 12:57 PM
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BARCLONE Rocketry
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Posts: 5,357
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I just downloaded it and started playing with it. Thanks for the link!
First impressions... - I'm not a Java fan...
- The design side of the program has some nice features, such as the fin editor.
- The side view is nice and clean. I think I like the layout of the text data within the view a little better.
- The program is obviously inspired by RockSim. The general arrangement of the screen elements is the same.
- I do like the illustrated buttons in the component selection section.
- There is not a database of pre-defined components, so each time you create a design, you have to feed the dimensions into the dialog for that component.
- The version I downloaded (0.9.3) has no motors defined, so you cannot run a simulation.
- I like the graphic simulation of components that RockSim only hints at with "(M)" symbols. The dashed rectangles provide a better visualization of where the component winds up inside the body tube.
- The saved rocket files have an interesting three-letter extension -- ork, for Open RocKet...
The program has a long way to go, but I think the developer is on a good path. If he would change the program from an interpreted language (Java) to a true compiled language, such as C++ or Free Pascal & Lazarus, the program would run faster; it would still be cross-portable to Mac, Linux, and Windows machines using a compiled language, it just requires multiple binaries. Not really an issue.
I'll keep an eye on it, for sure.
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