New Orca3D Version (3.1.4) Available

We are happy to announce the release of Orca3D Version 3.1.4. This is a free update to Version 3 license holders. If you have a Version 1 or 2 license, please click here to purchase an upgrade to Version 3.

Highlights of this release include the ability for network license users to preselect which modules to load (Design, Analysis, or Advanced Stability), so that you don't need to load a module that you won't be using and it will remain available for others to use. Also, multiple instances of Orca3D on one computer will only use one license. Another new addition is the ability to handle the IMO Weather Criterion, using a wind heeling moment with a gust. Information on other improvements is below.

To update a previous installation of Orca3D Version 3, download the installation file from this page. Double-click on the downloaded file to run it, and follow the instructions.

Following is a summary of what is new in Version 3.1.4, as well as the previous releases Versions 3.1.3 and 3.1.2. For information on previous releases, please see the Release Notes.

Release 3.1.4 (July 24, 2024)

New Features

  • Implemented functionality to automate evaluation of the IMO Weather Criterion and other stability criteria that use a wind heeling moment with a wind gust. This includes automated calculation of the IMO rollback angle and a user-specified wind gust factor in the wind heeling moment definition. The user can define the bilge shape information and bilge/bar keel area as well as optionally override the hull characteristic input (which is computed from the equilibrium hydrostatics by default) for computing the IMO rollback angle. Orca3D stability criteria evaluation now recognizes the keywords ImoRollback and SteadyEquilNoGust as angle definitions for stability criteria limits. ImoRollback is the heel angle to which the vessel rolls back from the steady equilibrium angle with steady wind (and not the change in angle). SteadyEquilNoGust is the heel angle at which the heeling moment due to steady wind (without the gust) matches the righting moment. In cases with a wind gust, SteadyEquil is the angle at which the heeling moment with the gust matches the righting moment. Stability criteria report output now include display of the IMO rollback angle and steady wind equilibrium without gust when used in the evaluation.
  • Added the ability for Orca3D users to choose which modules they wish to use in a network license environment. Also updated the network license server installation to (a) include a server that allows “per-machine” licensing in which  multiple Rhino instances on the same machine will only consume a single license seat in a network license environment and (b) to include batch files to perform common network license server operations.

Enhanced Features

  • Implemented the ability to cancel a long-running stability analysis that was started via the command, OrcaRunStabilityAnalysis. When the analysis is started via the UI, the form that opens showing the progress of the analysis has a Stop button to stop the computation.
  • Added the ability to optionally display fixed loads (including fixed load groups) in the Rhino viewports via a checkbox on the View tab of the Orca3D panel, as well as in the Stability Analysis form via a new checkbox on the form. The colors used for this display is set by the user as part of the Orca3D Design view options in the Orca Properties form. A display color key is shown in the Rhino viewports. This can be disabled via a checkbox in the Orca3D panel.
  • Extended the Orca3D stability report output to add the ability to drill down into fixed load groups in the load case details to see child loads. If a fixed load is a load group, a '+' sign appears next to it in the report details. Clicking on the ‘+’ expands the group to show the child fixed loads. Clicking the ‘-‘ sign contracts the group to just show the load group. Note that the operation could take a little time because the report must be reformatted.
  • Added the ability to include full detailed hydrostatics output for heeled conditions in stability (righting arm) analyses through a new report option.
  • Made several modifications to the Orca3D stability criteria report output including, (a) adding a pass/fail summary at the beginning of the report with hyperlinks to the corresponding detailed report section, (b) adding equilibrium condition information to detailed stability criteria output, (c) adding new reporting of damaged tanks/compartments when there are any in the analysis.
  • Modified the scriptable version of the command, OrcaFrameSystem, to add the ability to remove all frames in a specific direction using the keyword 'All' when asked for the frames to remove.
  • Modified the OrcaPlaningAnalysis command to be more robust in computation of the transom location and to provide clearer indication of any issues that occur during the analysis.

Bug Fixes

  • Implemented a workaround to address an Excel issue in a recent update which prevents Orca3D Marine CFD reports from generating plots.
  • Fixed a bug in the command, OrcaCreateLinesDrawing, in which successive lines drawings created after the initial one caused things using the lines drawing annotation style, like text fields and section labels/dimensions, to be incorrectly removed.
  • Fixed an issue displaying tank face colors when running in Rhino 8.
  • Fixed a bug in defining stability limits where the angle unit dropdown control in the form could be empty.
  • Fixed issues in deserialization of the Orca3D product model.
  • Fixed issue in command for creating CFD report for resistance simulations that include actuator disks and/or body forces (Resistance w/Propulsors) when there is more than one propulsor.
  • Fixed a bug in defining a heeling moment for beam winds with icing in which a pressure-based moment (vs windspeed-based) was not being accepted.
  • Fixed a bug in the beam wind heeling arm so that the wind gust factor is only checked for being valid if the wind gust factor is being applied. Also allow wind gust factor when using wind speed as input.
  • Fixed a bug in Orca3D Marine CFD when creating a propulsor (actuator disk, body force, or wake survey) by copying an existing propulsor, in which the location/orientation of the source propulsor was being used instead of a new copy of the location/orientation.
  • Fixed an issue in Foil Assistant when computing the solid properties of the foil, where choosing ‘None’ for the solid material did not set the material density and hence foil weight to zero.

 

Release 3.1.3 (May 30, 2024)

New Features

  • Added the ability to optionally fix trim at the equilibrium trim value during righting arm calculations. This option was added to both the OrcaHydrostatics command (interactive and scriptable) as well as to the OrcaRunStabilityAnalysis command (interactive and scriptable).

Enhanced Features

  • Modified the scriptable version of the OrcaRunStabilityAnalysis command to allow the user to choose from a list of available stability analysis types.

Bug Fixes

  • Addressed an issue that could cause Orca3D to fail to load in Rhino 8, Service Release 7.
  • Fixed two issues in the command, OrcaPlaningAnalysis. In the interactive command, the option to write output to a CSV file did not function properly. The scriptable command could fail to execute properly.
  • Fixed a localization issue in defining stability criteria when the decimal separator is a comma.

 

Release 3.1.2 (May 10, 2024)

New Features

  • Added the ability to attach user-defined notes to an Orca3D load case. The forms for creating/editing both fixed and fluid load cases (as well as the scriptable version of the OrcaManageLoadCases command) have been extended to accommodate optional input of text notes. The Orca3D hydrostatics and stability reports have been modified to report load case notes if they exist.
  • Added functionality to allow the user to define min/max load fraction limits for tanks with Custom FS moment. Like the other FS moment limits, these must remain between 0 and 1 inclusive.

Enhanced Features

  • Several additions were made to improve the graphical display of compartment properties in Orca3D Designs including, (a) when viewing compartments by “Type” a separate color is now use for non-watertight compartments, (b) when viewing compartments by “Type” or by “Status” a color key is displayed at the bottom right of each viewport if shading is on in the viewport, (c) the command, OrcaProperties, allows user to configure the colors used for compartment display by “Type” and “Status”.
  • The hydrostatics and stability report section for reporting “Load Case Details” has been modified to (a) include all compartments and tanks in the initial status summary along with the name of the component containing the compartment/tank to make reviewing status easier, (b) include output of both actual and virtual VCG of tank loads results when using virtual free surface, (c) include separate output of virtual VCG when virtual free surface is used, (d)several modifications of table format, names, abbreviations, etc.
  • Modified the logic when inserting float planes in hydrostatics/stability calculations to use a hierarchical layer approach and to include the heave/trim/heel condition inputs in the name of the layers containing the float plane geometry.
  • Modified the behavior of Orca3D clipping box so that when “Clip Compartment Boundaries” is disabled, all edges are shown instead of only non-manifold edges.
  • Added logic when adding components to an Orca3D Design to check for intersection/overlap with other components and warn the user about the possibility of double-counting displacement.
  • Added a new command line option to OrcaProperties command, “ClosedObjectPostProcess”, to control what level of post-processing is performed when creating CFD meshes. By default, this option is turned on, which causes an extra step to be performed when creating the mesh to ensure it is fully closed. However, for some models the gap searching logic can lead to very long meshing times and may not be needed. Currently this option can only be set by the user in the scriptable version of the command. This option is set at the document level and persisted with the Rhino 3dm file.
  • Extended the command, OrcaSubdivide, to allow the user to optionally select an existing planar polyline as input to the ExtrudedCrv option (in addition to allowing the user to create the curve interactively).
  • Made several minor changes to improve the clarity of the UI including messages, titles, and node names.

Bug Fixes

  • Addressed an issue related to Orca3D licensing when using “manual activation” with a license that has one or more modules with an expiration date and one or more that are perpetual to allow the user to continue using the perpetual modules after expiration of the timed modules. This issue only appeared when using manual activation.
  • Fixed a localization issues, (a) when generating CFD Excel reports that caused the plotting to fail and (b) in the CFD wake survey report when decimal separator was not a period "."
  • Fixed an issue in computing GZ0 from the righting arm curve in specific cases, related to tolerances.
  • Fixed an issue where Orca3D Marine CFD user-defined refinement zones were not being saved with the model.
  • Modified the logic for creating a python run script for Orca3D Marine CFD to address an issue interpreting literal strings in recent versions of python.
  • Fixed a bug in evaluation of stability criteria limits that contain a trigonometric function (e.g., math.tan) to address a units issue.
  • Fixed a bug when exporting selected items (like a criteria set) from Orca3D libraries (like the Stability Criteria Library) that resulted in xml files that could not later be imported.
  • Fixed an issue related to model orientation for Van Oortmerrsen analysis.
  • Fixed a bug when opening the Basic Hydrostatics form from a fixed load case in the Fixed Load Case tab of the Orca3D panel where the description of the load case was not being populated.
  • Modified the hydrostatic summary and detail reports to highlight negative GM (transverse and longitudinal)
  • Fixed a bug in hydrostatics “Pre-float” check where model orientation was not being properly accounted for in CG bounds check.
  • Addressed an issue in computing a heeling moment due to beam wind when the area/lever arm is computed from geometry, where the computation could fail in specific circumstances.
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