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Created: 30 March 2015

Improvements in the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the 3D rockfall trajectory simulation software Rockyfor3D have been implemented on demand of the many users. The current version (Rockyfor3D v5.2.1) allows a “rapid automatic simulation”, which only requires a Digital Elevation Model as input. All parameters related to surface roughness and elasticity are calculated automatically, using pessimistic values. The new GUI also allows defining directly the form and the dimensions of the blocks to be simulated. Errors related to directory paths containing spaces have been fixed. The algorithms for calculating the rockfall kinematics have not been changed. All members can download Rockyfor3D v5.2.1 from the tools section of our website (after login).

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Created: 20 December 2024

This changelog records the changes in the 3D rockfall trajectory model Rockyfor3d since the beginning of development.

Launch of version 6.1 (expected April 2026)

• We are currently optimising the parameters of the friction function Ff and the scaling function Sf, which were reintroduced in version 6.0, to provide a robust and realistic version of Rockyfor3D for the years to come. This optimisation process is based on over 260 mapped blocks (with volumes ranging from 0.05 to 450 m3) from recent rockfall and rock mass fall events at 38 different sites in Europe and North America. These blocks represent the extremes of the runout zones in relation to block volume observed at those sites.  

 Changes in version 6.0.2 (December 2025)

• Adapted the scaling function Sf = 1 / ((Vn1/15.24)^2 + 1); This results in less conservative tangential energy loss during the rebounds and therefore much less optimistic trajectories than in v6.0.1

Changes in version 6.0 / 6.0.1 (December 2024)

• Corrected occurrence of NaN values in the calculation screen (net output) .txt files (v6.0.1)  
• Adapted the Logfile to the v6.0
• Correction of cell corner problems that led to excessive velocities/energies
• Reintroduction of the friction and scaling function in the energy loss (rebound) calculation during ground impacts
• Introduction of the total kinetic energy correction based on the total apparent kinematic coefficient of restitution proposed by Noël et al. (2023)
• Introduction of the maximum rotation velocity based on Caviezel et al. (2021)
• Added the option “cliff area weighted” number of simulated trajectories from each start cell to account for the difference in productivity of start cells with different slope angles 
• Added the option rapid automatic simulation with low and medium roughness
• Added new options in the command line version
• Corrected errors in the tree impact detection
• Adapted the function that controls energy loss due to the impact height on the tree stem
• Corrected errors in the net impact detection

Changes in version 5.2 (March 2016)

• Adapted the class values of the energy and passing height output rasters
• Added the propagation probability output raster (called Propag_probability.asc) for providing the area specific spatial occurence probability for risk calculations

Changes in version 5.2 (2014)

• Revision of the Graphical User Interface – adding user-friendly simulation options

Changes in version 5.1 (2014)

• Added E_50.asc, E_90.asc, E_95.asc, E_98.asc, E_99.asc and Ph_50.asc, Ph_90.asc, Ph_95.asc, Ph_98.asc, Ph_99.asc as output rasters to provide different percentiles of total kinetic energy and passing height per cell

Changes in version 5.0 (2011)

• Translation of the Matlab code into C/C++
• Adapted the Rn value for asphalt roads
• Adapted the rolling/small rebounds condition for blocks moving upslope
• treefile.txt needs to be provided without a header

Version 4 (2007 - 2011)

• First stand-alone version of Rockyfor3D based on Matlab (using the MCRInstaller)
• Formalisation of the calculation of the reach probability in Rockyfor3D v4 by L. Dorren (in 2010) using: number of passages * 100  /  (number of simulations per source cell * number of source cells) [in %]

Version 3 (2004 - 2007)

• First Matlab-based version using 3D vectors called RockyFor published by Dorren et al., (2006)

 Version 2 (2001 - 2003)

• First simplified, Matlab-based version of Rockyfor (see Dorren et al., 2004)

 Version 1 (2000)

• ROCKY1, ROCKY2, ROCKY3: Matlab-based predecessor versions of Rockyfor (see Dorren et al., 2003)

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Created: 14 September 2014

We proudly present our new software for detecting trees in high resolution surface data, called FINT (Find INdividual Trees). The software is freely downloadable for all members from the tools section of our website. The tool FINT extracts positions of dominant and co-dominant trees from high resolution surface models (e.g., from LiDAR data) of forests. Since most users have access to raster data used in standard Geographical Information Systems (GIS) instead of 3D point data, FINT is based on the identification of local maxima in raster data. The principal aim of FINT is to obtain a realistic forest structure in the sense that the positions of the largest trees and the locations of the main gaps and couloirs in the forests are recorded and subsequently integrated in natural hazard process simulation models. FINT can be too imprecise for silvicultural analyses (e.g, estimation of stand density, basal area and standing volume), especially for broadleaved and mixed forests. An important variable determining the precision of the outcomes is the resolution of the input data. Therefore, a minimal resolution of 1 x 1 m is recommended. More information can be found here.

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Created: 17 August 2014

After deveral days of continuous rainfall, three train wagons of the Rhätische Bahn have been derailed by a shallow landslide on 13 August 2014, in the canton of Grisons (Switzerland). Luckily, as was the case with the train the pignes in France, the most critical wagon was retained by trees downslope, instead of falling 60 meters down into the ravine. Nevertheless, the landslide caused 1 casualty and several injured persons.