----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VLAERO+ Revision Log ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last Updated: 12/1/11 (A. McComas) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.017 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -ENHANCEMENT: Forced VLAERO+ main window to start minimized when -ns commandline argument is used. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.016 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -BUG FIX: Feature added in v2.2.15 did not work in all instances. Fixed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.015 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -FEATURE: Added option to suppress splash screen from command line using attribute -ns. Note, this will not significantly improve load time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.014 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Loads jobs were not being set dirty when data changed. Fixed. or less. - BUG FIX: Loads solution differential reports failing to write for rare cases. Fixed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.013 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Improved robustness of trim routine. Most solutions will trim in 2 iter or less. - BUG FIX: Removed UI bug which prevented solution from being displayed when a job is selected. - BUG FIX: Fixed bug in AMI Loads Generator tool. Internal applications only. - ENHANCEMENT: Updated Splash screen. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.012 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Internal release, not published. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.011 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Fixed bug where selecting job in some instances would not show solution. - BUG FIX: Added back missing "Include in Total" checkbox in AMI Loads Input Generator tool. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.011 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Fixed bug with scripting feature which caused asynchronous execution of the project file script commands when executed form the command line. - BUG FIX: Fixed component index error in panel data extraction. All other data in panel output unaffected. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.010 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - FEATURE: Added support for hardware dongle license keys. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.009 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ENHANCEMENT: Replaced docking-panel control. Improves dock-panel redraw performance. Also automatically saves dock window configuration on re-load. - ENHANCEMENT: Removed confusing drag outputs from output file. - ENHANCEMENT: Removed option to globally set leading edge suction from model propoerties. This is redundant to the option in the component editor and was confusing. - FEATURE: Added ability to break components at specifiec chord from the LE or TE. This is useful for breaking out leading edge slats or trailing edge flaps with non-constant x/c. - FEATURE: Added component operations to execution buffer. - BUG FIX: Fixed issue that caused VLAERO+ GUI to crash on computers with Intel GMA graphics cards. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.005 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - FEATURE: Added export of solution summary and panel data from the execution buffer to allow command line export of solution summary tables and panel data. - FEATURE: Added leading edge thrust coefficient table to panel data output. - BUG FIX: Bug in tool to generate beam location from fraction of column chord was producing erroneous results. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.003 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Theoretical leading edge suction was being computed at 100% of the subsonic value at supersonic speeds. The theoretical thrust now varies from 100% at Mach 1.0 to 0% when the mach angle equals the leading edge sweep angle of a particular trapezoid. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.2.002 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT: Customers with active maintenance contracts will be eligable to upgrade from VLAERO+ version 2.1.x or earlier. Please contact AMI to renew your maintenance contract or to request a quote from the sales department. - FEATURE: Added automatic ground effect calculation to job editor. Ground effect can be computed given only the WL of the ground plane. - BUG FIX: Panel data output was corrupted in certain instances. Panel centroids were also grossly in error in certain instances. Panel output now contains panel areas (e.g. enough data to re-integrate the solution) - BUG FIX: Trim deflection was based on the first defined flap in a control surface and was missing the calibration factor. The reported trim deflection is now consistent with the fixed deflection input in the control surface editor. It now contains the relevant calibration tables. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.1.008 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - USABILITY: Removed switch to activate/deactivate component specific leading edge suction configuration from the job editor. If component specific suction parameters are specified in the component editor, they will always be used. This was causing some confusion. - USABILITY: Switched sign on Cp for Chordwise plots so suction resulting in positive lift is upwards. The sign of Cp is unchanged everywhere else. - USABILITY: The solver will always produce an output file when the export command is reached int he project file, even if the solution errored. This allows 3rd party optimizers to be signaled that an error occured. - USABILITY: When running VLAERO+ from the command line or through the TCP/IP connection, conflict resolution data is written to the output file and the job is terminated. This allows 3rd party optimizers to be signaled that an ill-posed model is being commanded. - FEATURE: Client listening can now be activated from the command line using the -Lxxxx argument, where xxxx is the 4-digit port number. Note, vlremote.exe defaults to port 8000 (-L8000). - BUG FIX: In rare instances, an unhandled exception would be thrown for large models. The exception is now handled. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.1.005 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Twist calculation in the airfoil editor assumed a thin TE. Twist is now computed from the mean TE point. - BUG FIX: If a license was lost during execution, the code would terminate without saving the users' work. The code will now save a recovery project to disc to allow recovery of work should a license be lost (e.g. due to a lost network connection or VPN disconnect). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.1.004 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - USABILITY: Changed solver logic to improve performance. Migrated to Intel Fortran compiler from Compaq Visual Fortran. Combination improved solver performance by >50% for large models. - USABILITY: Changed solver output file to floating point precision (E notation) to increase precision of data read by GUI. - FEATURE: Added vlremote.exe to allow closed-loop optimization from the command line without the need to close and re-open the VLAERO+ GUI. 3rd party applications can pass a project file to vlremote.exe from the command line. vlremote.exe then sends the project file data to VLAERO+ through a TCP/IP connection (note listening must be activated in VLAERO+) and executes any project commands. Provided the $VLAERO.DISCONNECT command is appended to the project file, the vlremote.exe process will remain open until jobs are finished executin. This feature dramatically improves optimization performance. - FEATURE: Added a component sorting routine to automatically sort componenets for improved blocking of the inlfuence matrix. This improves performance of the Gauss-Seidel iterative solver thru improved matrix diagonal dominance. - FEATURE: Added a component tool to apply airfoil sections to all edges in a component. If the dimnensional LE and TE of the section are provided, the airfoil starting and ending x/c values are calculated automatically (may be useful for applying fuselage profiles to body components). - BUG FIX: Spanwise coefficients in solution summary would default to the first trim iteration, not the final trim iteration. The user could select the final iteration from the drop-down list. Now defaults to the final trim iteration. - BUG FIX: Fixed bug where LE sution output would NaN when not in use. This would cause an apparent failure of the solution when the solution was fine. This also happened supersonic calculations. - BUG FIX: Fixed bug where fixed control surface roations were not being applied when trimming with a control surface on the same component (e.g. elevator on a fixed stabilizer, stab was not applied over elevator region). - BUG FIX: Fixed bug where preventing trim with multiple control surfaces. - USABILITY: Control surface deflections are now fully additive. That is, if multiple control surfaces are specified on the same panel (trim or fixed), the resulting panel slope is the sum of the contirbution from each control surface. Previously, the panel slope was overwritten by one of the control surfaces. For example, a geared servo tab with a gearing factor of -0.5 would be measured with respect to the elevator. - BUG FIX: Array initialization in solver caused NaN on subsequent job executions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.1.002 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Fixed bug which resulted in non-sensible results with complex control surface definitions ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.1.001 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - FEATURE: Introduced Carlson's leading edge suction analogy. - FEATURE: Added airfoil camberline solver to determine location of mean camberline, thickness and leading edge radius. This tool compliments the input requirements of Carlson's leanding edge suction analogy. - USABILITY: Drag model updated to the following: Pressure Drag is the sum of the panel normal force rotated to the streamwise direction and the streamwise component of the leading edge suction, as defined parallel to the lifting surface. The drag model will return the same result as that in prior version when the Trefftz model is selected with 100% attainable leading edge suction (default). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.038 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT: Version 2.0.038 will be the last sub-minor revision for VLAERO+ 2.0. The next release of VLAERO+ will be version 2.1.0 and will incorporate an improved leading edge suction model as well as some other enhancements. Only customers with active maintenenace contracts will be eligable to upgrade. Please contact AMI to renew your maintenance contract or to request a quote for purchase. - BUG FIX: Calibration tables were not saved when specified in the component editor when that was the only change made. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.037 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Fixed a bug in the leading edge suction routine for supersonic calculations. The leading edge suction was not being scaled properly from Mach 1 to the Mach number for a Mach cone angle equal to the leading edge sweep angle. This bug occured for models with multiple components. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.036 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Removed bug introduced in v2.0.035 which caused error when enqueuing and running multiple jobs. - BUG FIX: Fixed problem where some components would not be mirrored when using the 'Create Full Model from Half Model' tool. - USABILITY: Added an additional digit of precision to the standard job editor fields. - FEATURE: Added a join components at edges feature to the component tools. - FEATURE: Added the grouped component tools to the standard job tools to allow group operations to be performed on all active components in a job. This allows vortex impingement check to be performed on a single job. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.035 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - FEATURE: Added matrix execution feature to allow execution of multiple project files as a batch in one instance of VLAERO+. - FEATURE: Added ability to obtain trim and fixed control surface solution in a single job. Derivatives are obtained about the fixed deflection for derivative jobs. Fixed deflections appear in the CAMBER solution for derivative jobs. - USABILITY: Component icons in the model explorer now indicate the component side. L = Left of xz-plane, R = Right of xz-plane, C = exclusively on xz-plane L/R spans both sides of xz-plane - USABILITY: Job icons in the job explorer now idicate the job mode: S&C = Stability and Control Derivative Job, TOT = Totals Job, TRM = Trim Job - BUG FIX: Control surfaces with empty flap references were being ignored in the solution. Fixed. - BUG FIX: Control derivatives were in error for jobs with non-zero linearization point. Fixed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.034 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Delay when queuing large models significantly reduced. - BUG FIX: Conflict resolution indicated component has zero span for components symmetrically spanning the centerline preventing execution, fixed. - USABILITY: Added words to planform editor to indicate why it is deactive for RHS trapezoids. - USABILITY: Online help much faster to load and switch topics. - USABILITY: Control surface editor will remove stale component linkages on Ok. - FEATURE: When viewing a solution, the normal vectors are now rotated by the solution panel slope. This allows representation of flaps+alpha+twist+camber+rotary angles. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.033 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - USABILITY: Added "Welcome to VLAERO+" wizard to assist with license key installation and/or specification of the license server location. - USABILITY: Added licence expiration warning on startup. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.032 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - FEATURE: Added host-name output on initial execution. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.031 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Changing panel set component assignment would not save in the control editor if that was the only change. - BUG FIX: Fixes a bug introduced in v2.0.029 which prevented assignment of calibration tables in the component editor. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.030 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: Fixes a bug introduced in v2.0.029 which prevented the renaming of a component. - BUG FIX: Fixes a bug introduced in v2.0.029 which prevented assignment of grouped components. - USABILITY: Added a 'Select All' and 'Select None' buttons to grouped component editor. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.029 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - BUG FIX: When executing a solution with multiple derivative control surfaces, the following error message would be displayed: *** ERROR IN INPUT *** *** UNEXPECTED WORD - *** - BUG FIX: Removed limitation preventing execution on x64 versions of Windows. - USABILITY: Eliminated a blank license manager error. - USABILITY: Removed screen flicker on some forms. - USABILITY: Moved the beam and mass properties to sub-dialogs to reduce component editor load time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Version 2.0.025 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This constitutes the first general release of VLAERO+2.0. The graphical user interface (GUI) has been re-written from scratch to support all of the solver technology available in the acclaimed VLAERO8.0 vortex lattice solver. The GUI was developed using the Microsoft .NET 2.0 framework and basic functionality has been verified under the following operating systems: - Windows XP Professional - Windows Vista Ultimate - Windows 2003 Server x64 Comments, bug reports and feature requests can be sent to: Andrew McComas VLAERO+ Developer mccomas@amiwest.com