ANNOUNCEMENT: OpenRocket 23.09 is now available for download

[neil_w]

Announcement: Joe (@JoePfeiffer) and Dave (@jddj) will be giving a NARCON talk on OpenRocket on Saturday at 4PM EST, focusing on how to make the most of some of the lesser-understood tools in the program. There will be lots of good stuff. Mark your calendars!

 

[Stargeezer]

Hello!

I'm using Windows 10 and whenever I open OR and try to do anything the screens keep duplicating, the buttons disappear and it entirely unusable...what do I do to fix this problem? I need to be able to use this program badly and I'm not certain how to get it to run smoothly.

 

[neil_w]

Can you post a screenshot please?

 

[Stargeezer]

Screens keep duplicating and also disappearing...buttons are gone....they reappear when I scroll over the top but it makes the program unusable. I'm certain it's something with my computer though I don't know how to problem solve it.

 

[neil_w]

*sigh*

We've seen that before but don't have an explanation or fix at the moment. Can you try 22.02?

I should double-check: which version is that?

 

[Stargeezer]

Unfortunately the older version appears to be worse.

 

[kjhambrick]

Just a stab in the dark but could it be a very old version of the JRE ( Jave Runtime Environment ) on your Win10 PeeCee ?

This might help: How to report your Java Version

-- kjh

 

[neil_w]

Just a stab in the dark but could it be a very old version of the JRE ( Jave Runtime Environment ) on your Win10 PeeCee ?

This might help: How to report your Java Version

-- kjh

If using the packaged version it's not relevant.

@Stargeezer you are using the Windows packaged installer, right?

 

[jmasterj]

Screens keep duplicating and also disappearing...buttons are gone....they reappear when I scroll over the top but it makes the program unusable. I'm certain it's something with my computer though I don't know how to problem solve it.

Looks like Windows 11 to me.

 

[Art Upton]

Unfortunately the older version appears to be worse.

Do you have two monitors hooked up , even if one of them is turned off?

This came up some months ago in the OR rocket subform, and it was a video setting in windows.

 

[Stargeezer]

No, and you're right I think I'm using Win 11. I downloaded it from website. I have no idea what's going on.

 

[NTP2]

No, and you're right I think I'm using Win 11. I downloaded it from website. I have no idea what's going on.

Have you tried redownloading it?

 

[neil_w]

Have you tried redownloading it?

That’s not it. This issue is real for a small number of users.

 

[NTP2]

That’s not it. This issue is real for a small number of users.

I just figured it was worth trying the oldest IT trick in the book.

 

[tsmith1315]

Would v15 work with 11? She doesn’t have a complicated design to model.

 

[neil_w]

Would v15 work with 11? She doesn’t have a complicated design to model.

It should

 

[Rocketjunkie]

It doesn't surprise me. Windows 11 sucks. Half my older apps don't work on Windows 11 but do work on Windows 10 (barely). The last good one was Windows 7! Any way to go from Win11 to Win10 on a new computer?

 

[NTP2]

It doesn't surprise me. Windows 11 sucks. Half my older apps don't work on Windows 11 but do work on Windows 10 (barely). The last good one was Windows 7! Any way to go from Win11 to Win10 on a new computer?

Maybe you’re apps are old…

 

[tsmith1315]

@Stargeezer The previous version of OR (15) may work for you. It shouldn’t take long to install.

Note the version is named for the release year, not position in development sequence. The motor selection in v15 is good, but not fully up to date. I keep both on my PC.

We all used it until v22 came out, and I don’t think any of the changes would affect the rocket you’re simulating.

 

[thzero]

That’s not it. This issue is real for a small number of users.

Probably woudln't hurt. Uninstall all OR instances, then reinstall latest.

If still problem, its probably a graphics card issue. Something with the way the Java UI framework is using the Windows APIs to draw the windows and manage the Windows is getting corrupted.

Occasionally I've seen it happen on my laptop. Usually just resizing the window resolves the issue.

 

[thzero]

It doesn't surprise me. Windows 11 sucks. Half my older apps don't work on Windows 11 but do work on Windows 10 (barely). The last good one was Windows 7! Any way to go from Win11 to Win10 on a new computer?

It doesn't. its the same thing as Windows 10. But no, no way to go from Windows 11 to Windows 10. Besides Retirement is 10/2025.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro
But really wrt to OR is using Java, using an older Java UI framework (well cuz there aren't alot in this space) and depending on the hardware/drivers there may be issues with how Java uses does the Windows compositing.

 

[neil_w]

But really wrt to OR is using Java, using an older Java UI framework (well cuz there aren't alot in this space) and depending on the hardware/drivers there may be issues with how Java uses does the Windows compositing.

The puzzle is why it seems to affect only a small number of Windows users.

 

[NTP2]

The puzzle is why it seems to affect only a small number of Windows users.

I figure some sort of hardware issue*

*for legal reasons I must say that I’m not a IT professional

 

[kjhambrick]

I wonder if a solution is among the suggestions here: The Windows Club: Java not working in Windows 11 [Fix]

-- kjh

 

[cls]

(me wishing there was a version of OR that ran on my Raspberry Pi. Or, a switch to disable the 3D drawing so it could run.)

 

[thzero]

(me wishing there was a version of OR that ran on my Raspberry Pi. Or, a switch to disable the 3D drawing so it could run.)

Don't see why it can't. It's still a flavor unix, there are jvms for arm chips.

3d drawing is not used for the UI in general.

 

[thzero]

I wonder if a solution is among the suggestions here: The Windows Club: Java not working in Windows 11 [Fix]

-- kjh

Not really looking at that list.

If using installer it's install a local OR copy of the Java runtime and launching OR specifically using that.

No one should ever use Java runtimes from Oracle, period.

 

[Handeman]

(me wishing there was a version of OR that ran on my Raspberry Pi. Or, a switch to disable the 3D drawing so it could run.)

It's open source, you could compile the parts you want to run on the platform you want.

 

[thzero]

It's open source, you could compile the parts you want to run on the platform you want.

There is that too

 

[neil_w]

It would be pretty cool if someone were to create a RPi-compatible fork. I suspect there are a number of people out there who would use it.

No idea how much change is necessary to make it run. According to 5 seconds of Googling, Java is already part of Raspberry Pi OS Full... what happens if you try to just run the JAR file on a stock install?