orlab 0.5.0

Interact and script with OpenRocket from Python via JPype, with enhanced capabilities for simulations and computational workflows

orlab

orlab is a Python module designed to simplify interaction and scripting with OpenRocket from Python. It leverages JPype to bridge Python and Java, enabling seamless control over OpenRocket's functionalities. Currently, it supports access to simulation capabilities given an .ork file, with the goal of future expansion to enable more sophisticated computational engineering workflows.

This project is an evolution of the original orhelper library, which hasn't been maintained recently and is limited in scope. orlab supports current OpenRocket versions (the package root is detected from the jar automatically), reorganizes the code for better structure, and plans to incorporate additional features.

Table of Contents

• orlab
  • Table of Contents
  • Prerequisites
  • Installation
  • Setting Up the JDK
    • Linux
    • Windows
  • Usage
  • Development
  • Credits

Prerequisites

Before installing orlab, ensure you have the following installed on your system:

• An OpenRocket jar — the version is detected automatically:
  • OpenRocket-24.12.jar or OpenRocket-23.09.jar (both tested; 22.02 and 15.03 also verified working)
• Adoptium JDK 17 LTS (or higher?)
  • Download Adoptium JDK
  • Other JDK releases (i.e. 22) have been tested and work, but not thoroughly.
• Python version 3.10 or higher

Installation

1. Install the Package

   Install orlab using pip:

   pip install orlab
   

2. Install Java JDK

   See Setting Up the JDK for more details.

3. Download OpenRocket JAR

   If you haven't already, download the OpenRocket .jar file:

   • Direct Download: OpenRocket-24.12.jar

   • Using wget on Linux:

     wget https://github.com/openrocket/openrocket/releases/download/release-24.12/OpenRocket-24.12.jar
     

4. Point orlab at the jar

   Pass jar_path to OpenRocketInstance(...), or set the ORLAB_JAR environment variable. This step is only necessary if the .jar file is not located in the current directory.

   export ORLAB_JAR=/path/to/OpenRocket-24.12.jar
   

   Replace /path/to/ with the actual directory path where the .jar file is located. The legacy CLASSPATH variable also still works.

Setting Up the JDK

Linux

1. Install Adoptium JDK 17 LTS

   Download and install the Adoptium JDK from the official website. Check the option to set / override JAVA_HOME, unless you have a specific reason not to in which case pass jvm_path= to OpenRocketInstance.

2. Set the JAVA_HOME Environment Variable

   If JPype doesn't automatically detect the JDK, manually set the JAVA_HOME environment variable:

   • Find Installation Directory:

     Locate where Adoptium JDK is installed, e.g., /usr/lib/jvm/adoptium-17.

   • Edit ~/.bashrc:

     Open the .bashrc file with your preferred text editor:

     nano ~/.bashrc
     

   • Add the Following Line:

     export JAVA_HOME="/usr/lib/jvm/adoptium-17"
     

   • Apply Changes:

     source ~/.bashrc
     

Windows

1. Install Adoptium JDK 17 LTS

   Download and install the Adoptium JDK from the official website.

2. Set Environment Variables

   • Open Environment Variables Settings:

     Navigate to Control Panel > System > Advanced system settings > Environment Variables.

   • Add JAVA_HOME:

     • Click on New under System variables.
     • Set Variable name to JAVA_HOME.
     • Set Variable value to the path where Adoptium JDK is installed, e.g., C:\Program Files\Eclipse Adoptium\jdk-17.

   • Update PATH:

     • Select the Path variable and click Edit.
     • Click New and add %JAVA_HOME%\bin.

   • Apply and Close:

     Click OK to apply the changes.

Usage

After installation and setup, you can start using orlab to interact with OpenRocket. Refer to the examples/ directory for sample scripts demonstrating various functionalities. The package must be installed (pip install orlab, or pip install -e . from a clone) before running them — the source now lives under src/ and is not importable from the repository root.

For more detailed information and advanced usage, consult the OpenRocket Wiki on Scripting with Python and JPype.

API docs are a work-in-progress, for now see the examples folder for usage.

Development

If you wish to contribute or modify orlab, follow these steps:

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/orlab.git
   cd orlab
   

2. Install Dependencies in Editable Mode

   pip install -e .
   

3. Make Your Changes

   Modify the codebase as needed. Ensure that your changes are well-documented and tested.

4. Run Tests

   (Assuming tests are set up)

   pytest
   

5. Submit a Pull Request

   Push your changes to a forked repository and submit a pull request for review.

Credits

• The original orhelper project by SilentSys
  • Richard Graham for the original script: Source
  • @not7cd for initial organization and cleanup: Source
• All contributors to the OpenRocket project over the years

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Feel free to contribute, report issues, or suggest enhancements!