OpenVSP Version 3.0.3

OpenVSP 3.0.3 includes a handful of bug fixes and small improvements to the 3.0 series.  Versions 3.0.1 and 3.0.2 included quick fixes for urgent last minute bugs — but they did not include a complete release note.

API Users Note:
The calling arguments in four functions were changed: CutXSec, CopyXSec, PasteXSec, and InsertXSec.  See Wiki for details.

Improvements since 3.0.0 include:

• Extend API to allow changing Wing Driver Groups
• Add VSPExit to API to return exit value to host batch environment
• Add DegenGeom to API / Scripting
• API now references Cut/Copy/Past/Insert XSec to Geom not XSecSurf

Bug fixes since 3.0.0 include:

• Fix crash caused by dynamic Parm GUIs and undo-friendly sliders (3.0.1)
• Fix crash when mixing 4-digit airf

… Read more

Version 3.0.0 compared to version 2.3.0 includes too many changes and improvements to list. OpenVSP v3 is a near total re-write that has been three years in the works. Many thanks to the entire core OpenVSP team. This is what you’ve all been waiting for!

Since 2.9.7, version 3.0.0 has a handful of small fixes and features, and one major new feature that has long been in development.

Improvements include:

• Fit Model tool to perform least squares fit of VSP model to points
• Point Cloud Geoms to support Fit Model
• Import of point clouds as well as conversion from MeshGeom
• Improved Undo, where slider actions are not recorded
• SubSurface support in API
• Improvements to advanced parameter linking.

… Read more

This version includes some nice improvements, but also a bunch of small bug fixes that have been preventing people from getting work done. If you’ve been hitting these, you’ll certainly want to update.

Improvements include:

• Issue error when you try to set secondary & primary sweep location equal
• New NACA 4-Digit airfoil code, much improved representation of shape
• Custom components now support scaling
• Custom components now support default sources
• Custom components now support set center of rotation
• Custom components now support surface type flag setting
• Can now edit name, group, description of user parameters

Bug fixes include:

• Fix scripting on Linux – scripting, custom components, advanced links
• Improve robustness of triangle spl

… Read more

OpenVSP has joined Twitter to provide followers with updates, links to blog posts, tutorials, and all things OpenVSP. Follow us @OpenVSP.… Read more

This version includes more small fixes and feature refinements as we inch closer to version 3.0.

Improvements include:

• Symmetry about ancestor’s coordinate system
• Default Source support for CFDMesh
• Rearrange Geom Browser tab to show larger geom trees
• Added Delete, Set Show/NoShow/ShowOnly, and surface None buttons
• Expand custom geom #include statements and save with geom
• Added GetCustomXSecLoc/Rot and GDEV_SCROLL_TAB

Bug fixes include:

• Numerous surface parameter [0,1] bugs that could cause crashes.
• Consistent triangle orientation for NASCART import/export
• Fix skinning bugs & tweak GUI
• Fix wing scaling

… Read more

This version includes a large number of changes both features and fixes.  Some of these fixes took longer than expected — and one of the features is pretty big, so this release took much longer than anticipated.  Look for subsequent releases to be smaller and more frequent as the bugs are chased out.

Warning:  One bug fix required an incompatible change in how skinning is calculated.  If you have used a Fuselage or Stack component with skinning, you will need to adjust your tangent strengths — the geometry will be wrong when you open it.  I am very sorry for this inconvenience.

Note:  The file extension for custom components has been changed from .as to .vsppart.  Similarly, the file extension for scripting has been changed from .as to .vspscr… Read more

The first public alpha release of the v3 re-write of VSP is now available for download. Please take it for a test drive. For real work, please continue using 2.3.0.

For the past two years, a dedicated team has been re-writing VSP from the ground up. The core v3 team responsible for this work so far is: Alex Gary, J.R. Gloudemans, Yue Han, David Marshall, and Rob McDonald.

The v3 effort is a major refactoring and rewriting of VSP. Although it should look/feel mostly the same to casual users, everything is different under the hood. I will write a series of blog posts in the coming weeks on the user-visible changes and how to make the most of them.

The alpha series will be numbered 2.9.X, leading to an eventual production-ready 3.0.0. This alpha release is not for production use. It … Read more

Version 2.3.0 contains one significant feature and a small bug fix. Version 2.3.0 is likely the last 2.X feature release for VSP. We will continue making 2.3.Y bug fix releases for a long time.

For some time, almost all developer effort has been focused on the pending 3.X project. VSP v3 is a near total rewrite keeping everything you love about VSP, but ushering in new features galore and a more maintainable code base. We hope to release a not-for-production-use alpha version of v3 for users to begin testing soon.

Fixes/features in this release:

• Add ability to model outer domain boundary in CFD Mesh.
• Match multi-body edge shares in CFD Mesh. (Thanks Sriram R.)

You can now generate a CFD Mesh including the outer boundary. Some volume grid generators need to start with a full… Read more

Version 2.2.5 contains a collection of bug fixes and small features. Some of the features look like bug fixes — and some of the fixes look like small features.

Fixes/features in this release:

• Save CFD export options.
• Automatically add *.vsp extension when saving.
• Add *.ram files to file-open dialog.
• Write propellers to XSec *.hrm files.
• Fixed PovRay *.inc file bug.
• Fix FEA elements not getting written.
• Fix 64-bit GLFont support and embed font in executable.
• Fix parameter linking and design files for propeller.

… Read more

The 2013 OpenVSP Workshop was held August 7-9 in San Luis Obispo.  Although smaller than last year, it was a great success giving opportunity for the VSP community to come together and share updates, best practices, and future plans.

For those of you who could not make it, most of the presentations are available online.  I hope to see you here next year.… Read more