CHRONO::ENGINE is a multibody dynamics engine, aimed at providing high-performance simulation features in C++ projects.
Programmers can easily take advantage of the advanced algorithms contained in the CHRONO::ENGINE library, in order to build applications featuring realistic simulation of contacts, collisions, constraints, articulated mechanisms, mechanical devices and so on.

The new release v.0.3.2 can be downloaded from this site. It introduces the following features: - supports Irrlicht-1.4 for visualization (Irrlicht 1.3 not supported anymore), - the collision engine has been upgraded to Bullet 2.66, - improved multithread solver, with variable number of threads, - bug fixes (ex. the memory leakage bug of v.0.3.1 with ChSystem object) - other features and changes (see the readme.txt after the installation).

The new release v.0.3.1 can be downloaded from this site. It introduces the following features: - multithreaded solver (experimental version), - warm starting for the solver, - convex decomposition of generic non-convex meshes, - new constraint type: ChLinkPulley, - improved ChLinkGear constraint, and demo with gears and pulleys - improved collision detection, - RayTest() raycasting function (for simulating fast car/ground contact)

The new release v.0.2.2 can be downloaded from this site. It introduces the following features: - debug libraries are available in SDK too, - completely refactored link class hierarchy, - new Initialize() functions for links, - new constraint type: ChLinkDistance, - warm starting in complementarity solver: lees iterations needed! - improved collision detection, - new demos: a racing car, a Windows.Forms application, etc. - new wizard for quick setup of projects in Visual Studio, - new installer for auto configuration of the SDK, - almost 5x reduction in memory footprint for large contact problems (tested with 150'000 spheres), - other minor improvements (ChIrrTools::drawCHfunction(), new oscilloscope function, etc. ) and bug fixes. Note: the improved concave mesh-mesh collision detection is postponed next month.

The open-source mechanical simulation software OpenMeca has been recently released. This software, based on Chrono::Engine, is aimed at teaching and researching kinematics using a 3D interactive view. OpenMeca is free and based on the GPL license.

The collision engine of Chrono::Engine has been updated to the most recent version the Bullet collision detection library. The Bullet library features advanced and robust algorithms for fast collision detection. NOTE 1: in Chrono::Engine, only the collision detection features of the Bullet library are used, since we use the Chrono::Egine custom methods for all the rest (physics, etc.). NOTE 2: since the Bullet library is embedded in the Chrono::Engine library, you do not need to download and install Bullet - it is completely wrapped inside Chrono::Engine, and you do not need to know anything about it (just keep on using the same C++ functions that you used with the previous releases).

The new release v.0.1.9 can be downloaded from this site. It fixes some compatibility issues with the latest Irrlicht 1.3.1 libraries. The previous Chrono::Engine SDK was compatible only with Irrlicht 1.3. From this release, we support Irrlicht v1.3.1 or superior. Note that the Irrlicht library is needed only for compiling the demos with 3D realtime views. NOTE!!! this 0.1.9 release replaces the 0.1.8 of two days ago, because we updated the installer and the makefiles, so it can be installed also in paths containing spaces, ex: "C:\Program files\chronoengine".

The Chrono::Engine middleware has been presented at the Multibody Dynamics 2007 ECCOMAS international conference, in Milano (25-28 June 2007). More than 200 researchers meet at the conference and presented recent theorethical developements and applications of multibody dynamics. Among these, also Chrono::Engine simulations, software architecture and mathematical foundations were presented.

The collision engine has been updated, and now it is able to simulate more than 32'000 objects. The solver has been improved as well. See an example with 36'000 pebbles in a reactor, in the updated gallery.

The HyperOCTANT solver has been modified in order to accomodate a better friction model. Benchmarks showed a superior precision and a proper convergence for the solution. No modification is required in user code.

We updated the page with the tutorials, now you can browse also the tutorials about the Chrono::Engine integration in the Irrlicht 3D realtime visualization library.

We are developing run-time executables showing the Chrono::Engine in action. These interactive demos will be available soon on this site, as soon as the first beta release of the SDK will be published. In the SDK you will find the corresponding C++ source code to generate each example, and the corresponding tutorial.

We choose IRRLICHT as our 'official' realtime 3D engine. The free and powerful Irrlicht library offers a clean and easy-to-use C++ API, it is platform independent and uses either OpenGL or DirectX, so we adopted it as the default way of showing Chrono::Engine simulations in realtime 3D views. Note that other 3D engines can be used as well, such as OGRE or DirectX, but the source code for examples provided in Chrono::Engine will use Irrlicht. To allow rapid developement of application based on Chrono::Engine + Irrlicht, we provide also some utility C++ classes.

The CHRONO::ENGINE has been successfully passsed the compatibility test for the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005. The Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 compiler, in the 'Express' edition, can be downloaded for free. (The Express edition replaces the older 'Visual Toolkit 2003' free compiler: it has less limitations and also includes the IDE). Note: to use the Visual C++ 2005, you must also install the Microsoft Platform SDK (also free) because some libraries are needed by Chrono::Engine.

The official logo for Chrono::Engine has been designed (it is a 'Chrono::Engine' string surrounded by two stylized rings). Also, an official 'demo picture' has been created with the Realsoft3D rendering software: it represents the inner mechanisms of a clock (somewhat inspired to the complex movement of a real Vacheron-Constantin clock). This raytraced picture will be used for flyers, web site, etc.

The web site for the CHRONO::ENGINE project has been created. Please report wrong links and suggesions about the site content.

The CHRONO::ENGINE has been successfully passsed the compatibility test for the GNU C++ compiler (MingW distribution). Heretofore, the multibody engine now includes also a dynamic library for people which want to link it using in projects based on the MingW compiler.