We’re pleased to announce the release of Version 1.3 of Orca3D. This version has been through a number of Work-in-Progress (WIP) releases, allowing us to incorporate feedback and suggestions from many of our users. We appreciate all of the comments that we received during this process.
Some important points to know about Version 1.3:
- This is a free update to all of our licensed users and, as a full release, will not expire.
- Any Orca3D information in a Rhino file that is saved with this new version will NOT be readable in version 1.2.4 or earlier versions. No native Rhino model information will be lost, but Orca3D information, such as section locations, weight/cost information, etc. will not be found by earlier versions of Orca3D. Since this is a free update for licensed users, we recommend that version 1.3 be used to avoid this issue.
- This is expected to be the last version of Orca3D that is compatible with Rhino 4. All future updates, WIPs, and upgrades will require Rhino 5.
- In the event that a critical bug or other significant issue is discovered in version 1.3, there may be a 1.3 Service Release that is compatible with Rhino 4.
- Some new features which are still in development are not included in Version 1.3 (Stability Criteria Evaluation, Longitudinal Strength).
- A new WIP (1.4) will be released soon, which will include Stability Criteria Evaluation, Longitudinal Strength, and more.
- Version 1.3 includes both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the standalone and network license versions.
If you’ve been following the WIP process, you’re aware of the many enhancements, speed improvements, and bug fixes in this version. This release, as the culmination of the version 1.3 WIP process, only contains minor changes to the previous WIP. Please see the Release Notes in the Help file for complete details; highlights include:
- 64-bit network license version now available
- Option to have real-time sections computed from the mesh (as in previous versions) or from the surface (previous versions were computed from the surface only after the control point editing was finished). Rhino 5 has improved the speed of this computation to the point where it is practical to use sections that are computed from the surface during real time editing.
- Better licensing compatibility with Windows 8
- Inclusion of short tons in the available options for Weight and Force custom units
We recommend that all of our users download and install Version 1.3. Before installing, please uninstall any previous versions. No changes to your licensing are necessary. If you are using both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Rhino, you may have both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Orca3D installed at the same time.
If you have questions as you install and use the new release, remember that you can:
- read through the Help file which is available from the Orca3D menu in Rhino, and on our web site here
- send an email to support@orca3d.com
- post a question on the Orca3D forum
To download the new version, please visit www.orca3d.com/update. If you have a network license, please contact us to receive installation instructions and the download link.
Thank you very much for using Orca3D, and we look forward to hearing from you!
Principal Naval Architect
DRS Technologies, Inc., Advanced Marine Technology Center
