WaveDude Next 0.1.1

WaveDude Next is a 2D wave simulator for optics on Windows; the README describes it, and the manual is in the program under Help > Manual (F1).

What is new

• UI zoom (View > UI zoom, 0.5× to 3×, live). Windows render at their monitor's own scale.
• Memory warning (Simulation > Warn when a run does not fit in RAM): a preview run that would spill to disk asks first and offers the settings that make it fit.
• GPU runs 1.5–2× faster. The default project's run takes 2.7 s instead of about 4; a 1500 × 900 run of 10,000 steps 6.5 s instead of 13.4.
• Editing optical parts is smooth: dragging a part no longer stalls the window, and the preview follows an edit much sooner, especially for fibres.

Fixed

• Timeline brackets, ticks and the last frame drawn on whole pixels.
• Timeline and probe graph lines whole pixels at any display scale.
• A selected row in the Messages pane is readable at every level.

Download

• WaveDudeNext-0.1.1.exe (6 MB) needs the .NET 10 Desktop Runtime. If it is missing, Windows offers the download on the first start.
• WaveDudeNext-0.1.1-bundled.exe (146 MB) contains the runtime; nothing has to be installed.

Both run on 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 from any folder. GPU acceleration uses the OpenCL driver that is part of the usual graphics drivers; without one, the simulation runs on the CPU. MP4 export uses Windows Media Foundation, which Windows N editions get with the Media Feature Pack.

Problems

Report them on the issue tracker with the system information from Help > About (the Copy button) and the log file WaveDudeNext.WPF.log from the program's folder.

License/copyright

WaveDude Next is based on Wave Dude 2D by Jeroen Vleggaar (Huygens Optics) and on 0x23's WaveSimulator2D. Free software under the GNU GPL v3 or later.