🚀 How to Save OpenRocket Designs

✨ Super Quick Summary (TL;DR)

1. Save your design in OpenRocket (Ctrl+S)
   ➤ Save it inside the OpenRocket-Simulations folder.

2. Run the update script
   ➤ Double-click the file named win_update.bat

3. Type what you changed
   ➤ Like: “Switched motor to L1000 and shortened body tube”

4. ✅ That’s it! Your design is saved, backed up, and shared with the team.

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🧠 Why Are We Doing This?

OpenRocket files are kind of weird:
When you hit “Save”, OpenRocket actually creates a ZIP file that hides your rocket design inside it. This is bad for version control.

Problem	Our Fix
Git sees ZIP files as binary garbage.	We automatically unzip and convert your file to readable XML (but keep the same .ork name).
You end up with “v2_final_FINAL.ork” chaos.	Git stores a history of every save. No renaming needed.
You don’t want to touch Git or terminals.	No problem. Just double-click a file like you would a game or app.

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💻 One-Time Setup

This only has to be done once per computer!

1. Install Git for Windows

Go here: https://git-scm.com/downloads/win
Run the installer and click “Next” for everything — the defaults are perfect.

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2. Clone the project folder

You only need to do this once. It creates the folder where you’ll keep all OpenRocket files.

How to do it:

1. Right-click on your Desktop or Documents folder
2. Click “Git Bash Here”
   (This option shows up after you install Git)
3. In the black window that opens, paste this:

   git clone https://github.com/CURocketEngineering/OpenRocket-Simulations.git

4. Press Enter

✅ A new folder named OpenRocket-Simulations will appear.

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3. Open the Folder

Go inside the OpenRocket-Simulations folder. You’ll see a file called win_update.bat
➡️ This is your magic “update” button.

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📁 Where Should I Save My Rocket?

Always save inside the OpenRocket-Simulations folder.
You can keep different rocket files here like:

• 10k_rocket.ork
• payload_test.ork
• K700_flight.ork

It doesn’t matter what they’re called — the system will handle the rest.

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🏁 How to Use the System (Every Time You Save)

1. OpenRocket: design or modify your rocket
2. Press Ctrl+S (or File → Save)
   ➤ Make sure you're saving in the OpenRocket-Simulations folder
3. Double-click win_update.bat
4. When it asks for a commit message, type a short description of what you changed
   ➤ Example: Added K700, adjusted fin span
5. ✅ You’re done! The file is cleaned up, converted, and backed up.

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💬 What If I Mess Up?

Don’t worry. Git tracks every change.

• If something breaks, we can go back to a previous version.
• You can’t break the system by saving or clicking the script.
• If you’re stuck, message a teammate — they’ll help you out.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

“What is Git? Do I need to know it?”

Nope. Just double-click the .bat file. Git handles the backups behind the scenes.

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“Do I have to rename my files?”

Nope! Save your file with any name like TestRocket.ork or L1000Flight.ork. The update script will convert and organize things for you.

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“What happens when I run the script?”

• It checks each .ork file in the folder
• If it’s a ZIP-style OpenRocket file, it extracts and converts it to a readable format
• It adds it to the project history with the message you typed
• It pushes the file to GitHub so your teammates can see it

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“Can I open the file again later?”

Yes! All .ork files will still open just fine in OpenRocket.

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“I see strange files or folders”

Ignore folders like .git — they’re part of how Git tracks versions. Just focus on your .ork files.

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“I forgot to run the script after saving...”

No worries. Just run it now. It’ll catch everything that hasn’t been uploaded yet.

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🔄 Summary

✅ Save inside OpenRocket-Simulations
✅ Double-click win_update.bat
✅ Type what you changed
✅ Done — your rocket is backed up forever

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If you still have questions, ask Ethan Anderson on Slack.