Want to edit Rocksim engine file, EngEdit won't start up

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Bill S

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I wanted to edit a couple engine files - one for a D12-5 is .13 under measured weight, and a couple others have seemingly incorrect length info. I tried using EngEdit, thinking this would do the job, but the program just starts up and immediately crashes back to desktop. I'm using Rocksim 10.2. I wasn't sure if there is another easy way to edit the file?
 
The .eng and .rse files are just plain text and can be edited manually.

EngEdit is a nice utility. Too bad it is having problems in 10.2.
 
I'm on vers 10.3 of RockSim (on Win 10) and I was also having some issues with EngEdit. First off, there was an old desktop shortcut leftover from a previous install. I found the shortcut no longer worked, so I just deleted it. Instead, look for the program in :
This PC --> Windows --> Program Files (x86) --> RockSim 10 --> Program

In this folder, you should find engedit.exe I sometimes have to run it twice for it to keep going (weird).

Hope this helps.
--MARK
 
Physicsguy, thanks, that did the trick. HOWEVER, now that I've edited the D12 motor entry, Rocksim will no longer recognize it, and it doesn't show up in the options when I want to load a motor.

I tried removing the Estes.rse file, restart program, add it back in, no dice. I hate Rocksim!

It seems that if the motor file is edited with EngEdit, forget about Rocksim recognizing it and using it. I had to download a fresh .rse file and install it. No way can I use the D12 motor file as is, as it is .13oz too light (verified by weighing 3 D12 motors, which averaged 1.63 oz, not 1.5 as the file specifies).
 
Last edited:
Not sure what else to suggest here. Make sure that when you re-save the file you have picked the *.rse format (I noticed that engedit defaults to the older *.eng format).

To make sure things were working ok, I made a copy of the engine file and placed it on my desktop. Then I used engedit to make some changes. Then I used a text editor (Notepad) to go into the file and confirm that the changes were there. All looked to be ok. Then, I reopened the file using engedit and also confirmed the changes were still there.

If you still have trouble, drop a note to Apogee. They've always responded to my questions.

--MARK
 
Still cannot get it to work; if I edit the file, Rocksim simply won't use it, even if I import it. I did see where Engedit defaults to .eng, thank you for pointing that out as I hadn't noticed.

I'd rather not deal with Apogee, as that guy is a real jerk.
 
I wanted to edit a couple engine files - one for a D12-5 is .13 under measured weight, and a couple others have seemingly incorrect length info. I tried using EngEdit, thinking this would do the job, but the program just starts up and immediately crashes back to desktop. I'm using Rocksim 10.2. I wasn't sure if there is another easy way to edit the file?
I have to run it more than once (usually) to get it to run. It's being weird...
 
.rse is just a text file so you could alter it using a text editor.
 
Bill, Sorry we don't have this solved yet!! If you'd like, I can try to re-trace your steps and see if I get the same results you do. Pls let me know exactly what parameters you are trying to change and the values you are entering. I may not get to it this evening, but will definitely have some time to look at it tomorrow. (Keeping in mind that we might get some different results since I'm at RockSim 10.3)

Later. --MARK

Mark Travis
NAR 65148, L1
 
I edited file 1, downloaded via Rocksim 10.2 from Thrustcurve. I wanted to edit the weight from 1.5oz to 1.63, which is the average of 3 motors I weighed.
This yields file 2, which Rocksim won't recognize. As soon as I try to either reload the engine data or import the file, Rocksim seems to delete it, gone, poof. I then go back and try EngEdit again, change the weight, save it, same result.
 

Attachments

  • Estes Industries_D12.rse
    2 KB · Views: 5
  • Estes D12 edited with EngEdit.rse
    2.2 KB · Views: 6
I see a couple of differences. I doubt that the pretty printing would have any effect but the original file has the entire <engine> tag as a single very long line while the edited version is split across several. This really shouldn't bother an XML parser, but it might.

I can't test that as my ancient version 7 copy doesn't do .rse. And version 10 doesn't run at all.
 
Since the initial mass of a D12 depends on the delay, unless you create a separate file for each delay, then only one will be correct.
 
Well its really weird. I went back and re-downloaded the D12 file from Thrustcurve to add it back into Rocksim. I was triple-checking the center of gravity/stability of my new rocket so I wouldn't be embarassed. Mass of rocket was 3.9oz. With the new engine file, adding the D12 motor raised it to 5.53. Which hadn't happened before - using said file previously yielded 1.5oz for the motor, not 1.63.

I looked at Thrustcurve, and the file is dated 2008, doesn't seem to have been updated in a long time. Estes catalog says 1.61oz for a D12-5.

I'm just going to close down this thread now, as I can't explain what is going on. I'm just going with it, and will just make the stability margin a little higher in future builds to be on the safe side.
 
You are worried about something you should not be. You could add .13 oz mass to the aft end of your design to compensate, but it would most likely be in vain. I for the heck of it added that to a 4.3 oz D+ powered design of mine and the results were as I expected, no change to the stability margin at all.
 
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