Version 2.0.1 - 11th November 2012
Version 2.0.1 of AstroGrav is an upgrade containing significant improvements and bug fixes to the evolution algorithm, together with many minor improvements and bug fixes to other parts of the software. This information is intended for existing users who are already familiar with AstroGrav and want to quickly find out about the main changes. This is a free upgrade for customers who have already purchased an AstroGrav 2 license, so that all you need to do is download Version 2.0.1 and use it in place of your old version. If you have any problems with this new version, please don't hesitate to contact us so that we can help you out.
Version 2.0.1 of AstroGrav has the following new and improved features.
Evolution Improvements
Version 2.0.1 of AstroGrav includes a modified evolution algorithm that contains the following improvements and bug fixes.
- The evolution algorithm has been multi-threaded, so that it runs significantly faster on multi-processor and multi-core computers.
- A bug has been fixed that caused the General Relativity option to be very unreliable in some circumstances.
- Animated evolution has been significantly speeded up on multi-processor and multi-core computers by using one processor/core to update the screen display while a second processor/core works on calculating the following state of the simulation.
- The handling of collisions with the Combine option has been improved to correct a fault that could cause evolution to grind to a halt when a collision occurred.
- The handling of collisions with the Bounce option has been improved to correct a fault with the evolution of simulations in which multiple bounces occur close together.
- The results of multiple single steps are now identical to the results of a single run over the same time period - something that wasn't the case in earlier versions of AstroGrav.
Background Star Names
Version 2.0.1 of AstroGrav includes the following improvements and bug fixes to the handling of background star names in view windows.
- The Solar System, Solar System 2, and Space Missions sample simulations have been adjusted so that choosing the View / Background / Star Names command immediately shows a reasonable number of star names. In AstroGrav 2.0, it was sometimes necessary to choose the View / Background / More Star Names command many times before any star names actually appeared.
- The name of the View / Background / Fewer Star Names command has been changed to View / Background / Less Star Names.
- The View / Background / Less Star Names command is now disabled whenever all star names are hidden.
- The View / Background / More Star Names command is now disabled whenever all star names are shown.
Sample Simulations
Version 2.0.1 of AstroGrav includes the following updates to the sample simulations.
- The accuracy of the data has been improved in the Comet Gehrels 3 sample simulation.
- The Comet Oterma sample simulation has been added.
- The Solar System, Solar System 2, and Space Missions sample simulations have been adjusted so that choosing the View / Background / Star Names command immediately shows a reasonable number of star names. In AstroGrav 2.0, it was sometimes necessary to choose the View / Background / More Star Names command many times before any star names actually appeared.
- The Collapsing Cloud sample simulation has been modified to make the stars different colors, so that they can easily be distinguished when they've collected together after running with bouncing collisions.
- In non-English installations of AstroGrav, the default sample simulation folder has been changed from the English sample simulation folder to the appropriate non-English sample simulation folder.
Other Improvements
Version 2.0.1 of AstroGrav also has many other minor improvements and bug fixes, including the following.
- A bug has been fixed that could cause AstroGrav to crash on Windows PCs with Intel Core i7 processors.
- A bug has been fixed that could cause a crash when trying to find the object that the viewpoint is attached to in a view window.
- A bug has been fixed that caused closing and re-opening a tool palette to result in an empty tool palette, without any tools.
- The positioning of a new tool palette has been improved so that it no longer obscures part of the window that it belongs to.
- When you choose the File / Save command or the File / Save All command, an 'Are you sure?' message is now displayed before overwriting an existing simulation file, so that it is harder to accidentally overwrite a file that you want to retain.
- The font size used for the constellation names that are displayed with the View / Background / Constellation Names command has been significantly reduced.
- The default coordinate axis color in view windows has been changed from white to orange.
- The tutorial has been updated to cover some of the more recent features.