Prepare for the 24.12 release

_config.yml

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ description: > # this means to ignore newlines until "baseurl:"
 baseurl: "" # the subpath of your site, e.g. /blog/
 url: "https://openrocket.info" # the base hostname & protocol for your site
 github_username:  openrocket 
-current_version: 23.09
+current_version: 24.12
 defaults:
   -
     scope:

_includes/ReleaseNotes.md

@@ -1,6 +1,16 @@
 Release Notes
 =============
 
+<h2>
+  <a href="https://github.com/openrocket/openrocket/releases/tag/release-24.12" class="a-no-format">
+     OpenRocket 24.12 (2025-07-27)
+  </a>
+</h2>
+
+<div data-version="24.12" id="release-24.12-content"></div>
+
+<hr/>
+
 <h2>
   <a href="https://github.com/openrocket/openrocket/releases/tag/release-23.09" class="a-no-format">
      OpenRocket 23.09 (2023-11-16)

_whats-new/wn-24.12.md

@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+---
+layout: whats-new
+---
+
+#### RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS
+
+<div data-image-align="right"
+     data-image-inline="true"
+     data-image-path="/whats-new/img/24.12/simulation-tab.png" 
+     data-image-caption="More unified and user-friendly Simulation tab"
+     data-image-width="35%"
+     data-image-shadow="true"></div>
+
+* **Enhanced Simulation tab UI**: This is the beginning of a multi-release effort to make it easier to manage simulations and interpret their results. Please let us know what you think so far.
+
+<div data-section-break="true"></div>
+
+<div data-image-align="left"
+     data-image-inline="true"
+     data-image-path="/whats-new/img/24.12/multi-level-wind.png" 
+     data-image-caption="Input different wind settings at different altitudes"
+     data-image-width="45%"
+     data-image-shadow="false"></div>
+
+* **Multi-level wind input**: Configure different wind settings at different altitudes (in the simulation configuration dialog).
+
+<div data-section-break="true"></div>
+
+<div data-image-align="right"
+     data-image-inline="true"
+     data-image-path="/whats-new/img/24.12/component-analysis.png" 
+     data-image-caption="More unified and user-friendly Simulation tab"
+     data-image-width="65%"
+     data-image-shadow="false"></div>
+
+* **New Component Analysis Parameter Sweep Tool**: Plot and export Component Analysis parameter sweeps in the new Component Analysis Plot/Export tab. For instance, you can plot the rocket CD as a function of Mach number.
+
+<div data-section-break="true"></div>
+
+<div data-image-align="left"
+     data-image-inline="true"
+     data-image-path="/whats-new/img/24.12/svg-export.png" 
+     data-image-caption="Export fin shapes directly to SVG for laser cutting or importing into CAD tools. The dimensions of the shape are preserved in the SVG file."
+     data-image-width="55%"
+     data-image-shadow="false"></div>
+
+* **SVG Fin Export**: Export fin shapes directly to SVG for laser cutting or importing into CAD tools.
+
+<div data-section-break="true"></div>
+
+* **Window Ghosting Eliminated on Windows OS (!)**
+* **Extensive Improvements to error handling**: There should be far fewer instances of ORK files encountering errors or exceptions while loading.
+* **Expanded Platform Support**: We now offer installers for x86_64 and Arm64 on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
+
+<div data-section-break="true"></div>
+
+<div data-image-align="right"
+     data-image-inline="true"
+     data-image-path="/whats-new/img/24.12/readthedocs.png" 
+     data-image-caption="OpenRocket documentation is now hosted on ReadTheDocs"
+     data-image-width="45%"
+     data-image-shadow="true"></div>
+
+* **Project documentation moved to Sphinx**: See it at [https://openrocket.readthedocs.io/](https://openrocket.readthedocs.io/).
+
+<div data-section-break="true"></div>
+
+#### Simulation
+* **Overhauled Sim table GUI** (fixes #2456)
+* **Multi-level Wind Feature**
+  * **Enter wind speed and direction at arbitrary set of altitudes for simulation** (fixes #922, #2060, #2558)
+  * **CSV Wind Data Import**: Import detailed wind profiles directly from CSV files.
+  * Add "Wind Direction" flight data type
+* **Plotting**
+  * **Organize axis plot types selector into categories and add search function** (fixes #2338)
+  * Increase size of legend color patches for improved color visibility (fixes #2836) 
+  * Add air density as plottable variable (fixes #2462)
+  * Show stage name in sim plot tooltips (fixes #2521)
+  * Keep edit sim dialog open after plotting/exporting (fixes #2531)
+  * Add Flight Warning events to plots
+* **Warnings**
+  * **Standardize Warning format** (fixes #2669)
+  * **Add SIM_ABORT flight event type, instead of throwing exceptions**
+  * Improve how warnings are saved to and reloaded from ORK file (fixes #2694)
+  * Don't warn about large angle of attack when we start to tumble
+  * Don't set open airframe warning on booster stages if either they're about to deploy a recovery device or they're unstable (and improve wording)
+  * Clarify "Open airframe" warnings when due to separated booster stage
+  * Don't generate spurious warning when using a single tube fin (fixes #2663)
+* **Other**
+  * Add "Altitude above Sea Level" as new flight data type
+  * Include side boosters in thrust calculation (fixes #2639)
+  * Allow for configurable maximum simulation time
+  * Sync wind speed, deviation, and turbulence widgets together in sim settings (fixes #2388)
+  * Add South/West units for latitude and longitude of launch site (fixes #2178)
+  * Abort sim when recovery deployment occurs under thrust
+  * Allow sustainer to tumble before apogee; if under thrust, abort sim
+  * Fire outdated sim on stage rename (fixes #2532)
+  * Added "aborted" status mark to simulations
+  * Don't show vertical acceleration as negative before liftoff
+
+#### Motor Configurations
+* **Separate motor nominal vs. actual diameter** (fixes #2569): This allows Loki 76mm motors to pass the 75mm motor filter.
+* Add 6mm (MicroMaxx) motor diameter to filter table
+* Add "Save as default" option to motor config name (fixes #2537)
+
+#### Multi-stage Rockets
+* **Add stage separation options for deployable payloads and a deployable payload example** (fixes #852, #2519): We had many requests for this from various competition participants.
+* Don't add motor delay time to upper stage motor ignition time (fixes #2450)
+
+#### Calculations
+* Correctly calculate CG on zero-length components (fixes #2626)
+* Improve handling of very small fins (fixes #2633)
+* Include enabled stages in calculations even if parent stage is disabled (fixes #2657)
+* Correctly handle "auto" mass object size when parent component is filled (fixes #2660)
+* Fix CP calculation error with tail cones (fixes #2751)
+* Clamp compressibility factor to avoid singularity at Mach 1 (fixes #2543)
+
+#### Component Analysis
+* **Plot and export component analysis parameter sweeps** (fixes #2525): See the new Plot/Export tab.
+* Highlight component selected in Component Analysis in the rocket figure display
+* Add per-instance Cd column to Component Analysis Dialog (fixes #2019)
+* Select components for plot/export
+* Fix export of Component Analysis data (fixes #2697)
+
+#### Import/Export
+* **Export fins to SVG file**: See button at bottom of config window
+* Improve OBJ export using Delaunay triangulation (fixes #2444)
+* Correct conical nose cone/transition OBJ exporting (fixes #2609)
+* Add option to export only one instance of component to OBJ
+* Support booster export and import with Rocksim, other bug fixes (fixes #2437, #2377, #2435)
+* Correct launch rod length when exporting to RASAero
+* Correctly handle periods in file path when exporting (fixes #2701)
+
+#### Materials
+* **Add material groups with search**: Check this out in any config window.
+* **Add "document materials" that can be reused within a document (i.e. ORK file)**
+* Easier to add custom materials
+* Set balsa as default fin material
+
+#### Preset Library
+* **Fix parachute length resizing when using preset parachute**: Lots of folks reported this one.
+* **Fix transition and nose cone component presets defaulting to a filled shape** (fixes #2480 and #2614)
+* Correct diameter of Spherachutes to match Cd (fixes #2517)
+* Fix sorting problems in preset library (fixes #2576)
+
+#### User Interface
+* **Window Ghosting Eliminated on Windows OS**: @SiboVG finally squashed this vexing problem (fixes #1667)
+* **Change look-and-feel engine to FlatLaf for all UI themes**: after plenty of tweaking we think it's looking pretty good
+* **Add UI Customization**: You can now tweak the UI to your liking. Added "UI Scale", "Font Size", and "Character Spacing". See the "UI" tab in app preferences.
+* **Rotate 2D views by click-dragging** (fixes #2093)
+* **Show Flight Config in Design View**: This should make it easier to get all necessary information when screenshotting just the rocket figure display (fixes #2735)
+* **Improvements to Rotation Control in 2D Views**: You can now lock the angle so you don't accidentally rotate it with a click-drag; you can also enter the desired angle directly
+* **Allow components to be hidden from view** (fixes #2485): Use the edit menu or contextual menu to show/hide selected components
+* **Constrain angles in freeform fin editor** (fixes #427): Hold down shift or control-shift while dragging a point.
+* **Add hex color input field in appearance panel** (fixes #2224)
+* Include number of assembly copies in motor count display (fixes #2725)
+* Better positioning of modal dialogs (fixes #2652)
+* Correctly track when files have changed (fixes #2679)
+* Allow 3 digits of precision in "shape" parameter (fixes #2409)
+* Fix Mass Object radial rotation in 3D view (fixes #2550)
+
+#### Developer stuff
+* **Move project documentation to Sphinx**
+* **Switched build system from Ant to Gradle**
+* **Added Arm64 support for Windows and Linux**
+* Adopted Java Platform Module System
+* Renamed `net.sf.openrocket` package to `info.openrocket.core` and `info.openrocket.swing`.
+* Add compatibility with plugins using the old `net.sf.openrocket` package instead of the new `info.openrocket.core` and `info.openrocket.swing`. The old plugins are copied and migrated to the new package structure with a `-migrated` suffix. (fixes #2676)
+* Clean up the "CSV Save" example simulation extension (fixes #2696)
+* Improve core startup for using OR in external Java app
+* Add clone helper methods to WorldCoordinate, Quaternion, and SimulationStatus
+* Choose user-defined component preset locations (fixes #1081)
+* Suppress preset and motor loading at startup (fixes #1579)
+
+#### Misc
+* **Re-introduced motor ignition delay optimization to Rocket Optimization** (fixes #2345)
+* Support more and larger page sizes for printing (fixes #2483)
+* Improve manufacturer search in Component preset library (fixes #2479)
+* Fix shoulder scaling (fixes #2463)
+* Fix exception when changing the opacity setting in the appearance panel (fixes #2644)
+* Improvements to the software updater (fixes #2648)
+* Update "modified data" file metadata when saving
+* Add additional file properties (fixes #2664)
+* Honor Cd override when reading from a file (fixes #2745)
+* Add Piotr Tendera Rocket Motors (TSP) and Raketenmodelbau Klima (Klima) motor manufacturers to motor database
+* Enhancements and fixes to motor length and diameter filters
+
+_...and countless additional fixes and tweaks._

assets/downloads_config.json

@@ -1,4 +1,22 @@
 [
+    {
+        "name": "24.12",
+        "files": {
+            "macOS_Intel": "OpenRocket-24.12-installer-macOS-Intel.dmg",
+            "macOS_AppleSilicon": "OpenRocket-24.12-installer-macOS-AppleSilicon.dmg",
+            "Linux_Arm64": "OpenRocket-24.12-installer-Linux-Arm64.sh",
+            "Linux_x86_64": "OpenRocket-24.12-installer-Linux-x86_64.sh",
+            "Windows_Arm64": "OpenRocket-24.12-installer-Windows-Arm64.exe",
+            "Windows_x86_64": "OpenRocket-24.12-installer-Windows-x86_64.exe",
+            "JAR": "OpenRocket-24.12.jar"
+        },
+        "instructions": {
+            "macOS": "downloads/instructions/macOS_new.md",
+            "Linux": "downloads/instructions/Linux_new.md",
+            "Windows": "downloads/instructions/Windows_new.md",
+            "JAR": "downloads/instructions/JAR_new.md"
+        }
+    },
     {
         "name": "23.09",
         "files": {

downloads/instructions/JAR_new.md

@@ -7,11 +7,19 @@
 
 You **must** use Java 17. To run the .jar file, download it, and start it from the command line with: `java -jar OpenRocket-${VERSION}$.jar`
 
-<b style="color: red">Important note</b>: Java 17 can cause issues for some people, most noticeably the 3D view can be 
+<b style="color: red">Important note 1</b>: Java 17 can cause issues for some people, most noticeably the 3D view can be 
 broken for Windows users. A workaround for this is to run the JAR file using the command:
 
 `java --add-exports=java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED --add-exports=java.desktop/sun.awt=ALL-UNNAMED --add-exports=java.desktop/sun.java2d=ALL-UNNAMED -jar OpenRocket.jar`
 
 If your Java VM does not start with the above arguments, you can try omitting the `--add-exports=java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED` argument, so run:
 
 `java --add-exports=java.desktop/sun.awt=ALL-UNNAMED --add-exports=java.desktop/sun.java2d=ALL-UNNAMED -jar OpenRocket.jar`
+
+<b style="color: red">Important note 2</b>: Some Windows users experience UI issues like window ghosting. A workaround for this is to run the JAR file using the command:
+
+`java -Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true -Dsun.java2d.d3d=false -Dsun.java2d.ddforcevram=true -Dsun.java2d.ddblit=false -Dswing.useflipBufferStrategy=True -jar OpenRocket.jar`
+
+If you also experience issues with the 3D view, you can combine the two commands:
+
+`java -Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true -Dsun.java2d.d3d=false -Dsun.java2d.ddforcevram=true -Dsun.java2d.ddblit=false -Dswing.useflipBufferStrategy=True --add-exports=java.desktop/sun.awt=ALL-UNNAMED --add-exports=java.desktop/sun.java2d=ALL-UNNAMED -jar OpenRocket.jar`

js/fill_downloads.js

@@ -65,10 +65,14 @@ function fillDownloadsDropdown() {
  * @param {string} OSName The OS to target
  * @param {string} title The titleText to be displayed on the site, or null if OSName should be used for the title
  * @param {string} faIcon The name of the Font Awesome icon to use in the title, or an empty string if no icon is needed
+ * @param {...string} architectures Optional architecture parameters (e.g., "x86_64", "Arm64")
  */
 function fillOSContent(version, configObj, OSName, titleText, faIcon, ...architectures) {
     const content = document.getElementById(`content-${OSName}`);
-    const hasArchitectures = architectures.some(arch => configObj.files[`${OSName}_${arch.replace(/\s+/g, '')}`]);
+
+    // Check if we have architecture-specific files
+    const hasArchitectures = architectures.length > 0 && 
+        architectures.some(arch => configObj.files[`${OSName}_${arch.replace(/\s+/g, '')}`]);
 
     // Title
     const title = document.createElement('h3');
@@ -96,11 +100,13 @@ function fillOSContent(version, configObj, OSName, titleText, faIcon, ...archite
         content.appendChild(node);
     });
 
+    // Hide the section if no downloads are available
     if (!hasArchitectures && !configObj.files[OSName]) {
         content.style.display = 'none';
         return;
     }
 
+    // Handle architecture-specific downloads if they exist
     if (hasArchitectures) {
         architectures.forEach(arch => {
             const archKey = `${OSName}_${arch.replace(/\s+/g, '')}`;
@@ -119,7 +125,7 @@ function fillOSContent(version, configObj, OSName, titleText, faIcon, ...archite
             }
         });
     } else {
-        // Use the default button
+        // Use the default button for single architecture
         const btn = createDownloadButton(version, configObj.files[OSName]);
         content.appendChild(btn);
     }
@@ -219,9 +225,9 @@ window.onload = async function() {
         }
 
         selectDropdownVersion(version);
-        fillOSContent(version, configObj, 'Windows', null, 'windows');
+        fillOSContent(version, configObj, 'Windows', null, 'windows', "x86_64", "Arm64");
         fillOSContent(version, configObj, 'macOS', null, 'apple', "Intel", "Apple Silicon");
-        fillOSContent(version, configObj, 'Linux', null, 'linux');
+        fillOSContent(version, configObj, 'Linux', null, 'linux', "x86_64", "Arm64");
         fillOSContent(version, configObj, 'JAR', 'JAR (not recommended)', 'java');
         fillSourceCode(version, 'zip');
         fillSourceCode(version, 'tar.gz');