What's New in dBSea v3
dBSea v3 is a rebuild of the application. This page summarises the key changes and new features.
Platform Support
Section titled “Platform Support”dBSea v3 is available for:
- Windows (Windows 10 and Windows 11)
- macOS - contact the dBSea team for details
- Linux (Debian/Ubuntu) - contact the dBSea team for details
New Features
Section titled “New Features”3D Acoustic Solvers
Section titled “3D Acoustic Solvers”v3 introduces full 3D acoustic propagation modelling:
- 3D Parabolic Equation (PE) Solver - Implements Collins’ split-step solver with the Collins self-starter to generate the initial field, providing good performance across the full frequency range.
- 3D Ray Solver - Features improved ray phase calculation, better termination conditions, and optimised default settings.
Both 3D solvers allow modelling of acoustic propagation in environments where the 2D radial symmetry assumption is not valid.
Source Directivity in PE Solvers
Section titled “Source Directivity in PE Solvers”As of v3.0.11, source directivity is supported in both the 3D and 2D parabolic equation solvers. Previously, directivity was only available with the ray solver.
Animal Movement Modelling
Section titled “Animal Movement Modelling”dBSea v3 includes support for modelling marine animal movement and sound exposure:
- Simple fleeing model for basic avoidance behaviour
- Integration with 3MB (Marine Mammal Movement and Behaviour model) for complex behaviour
- Sound exposure level calculations for moving receivers
- Useful for environmental impact assessments
Python Scripting Interface
Section titled “Python Scripting Interface”New in v3.0.11, dBSea includes a Python scripting interface for automation and batch processing tasks. The scripting interface is self-documenting—click the Help button in the scripting window to see available commands.
Improved File Format Support
Section titled “Improved File Format Support”- GeoTIFF import - Bathymetry can be imported directly from GeoTIFF files
- GeoJSON export - Results can be exported in GeoJSON format
- Automatic bathymetry orientation detection - dBSea attempts to detect and correct the orientation of imported bathymetry data, particularly for known formats like GEBCO
Probe Enhancements
Section titled “Probe Enhancements”- Probe to source back-calculation - Calculate the source level required to produce a given level at a probe location
- Improved levels vs time charts - Enhanced visualisation with export options for levels and spectrum over time
Licensing
Section titled “Licensing”dBSea v3 uses cloud-based licensing. See the Licensing page for details on activating your licence.
Technical Changes
Section titled “Technical Changes”Graphics Engine
Section titled “Graphics Engine”- Updated to require OpenGL 3.2 (core profile) or later
- Modern OpenGL rendering pipeline (v3.0.10 onwards)
- Improved UI feedback during long-running operations
Solver Changes
Section titled “Solver Changes”- dBSeaModes is deprecated - For low-frequency modelling, use the PE solvers instead
- Improved PE solver accuracy - Better agreement with reference solvers across test cases, improved Padé series coefficient calculation
- Ray solver improvements - Better ray phase calculation and termination conditions
Removed Features
Section titled “Removed Features”- Non-threaded solve options (multi-threading is now always used)
- Runge-Kutta method selection for ray solver
- Local help file (replaced by the online documentation at dbsea.co.uk/docs)
File Compatibility
Section titled “File Compatibility”- Legacy .uwa files from v2 can be opened in v3
- Some very old file formats may require opening in v2 first and re-saving
System Requirements
Section titled “System Requirements”| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10, macOS, or Linux (Debian/Ubuntu) | Windows 11 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 1 GB | 1 GB + project files |
| Graphics | OpenGL 3.2 | OpenGL 4.x |
| CPU | 4 cores | 8+ cores |
Version History
Section titled “Version History”| Version | Date | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0.0 | August 2025 | Initial v3 release with 3D solvers, cross-platform support, 3MB integration |
| 3.0.10 | January 2026 | New OpenGL 3D engine with modern rendering |
| 3.0.11 | February 2026 | Python scripting interface, PE solver directivity support |
| 3.0.12 | February 2026 | Licence import from an offline file |
| 3.0.13 | February 2026 | XYZ levels export |
| 3.0.14 | March 2026 | CSV Editor integrated into the main application, ray arrivals export at probes |
| 3.0.15 | March 2026 | Large arrays moved to memory-mapped files, reducing RAM requirements |
| 3.0.16 | March 2026 | In-app AI assistant, time-domain (time series) solves in the PE solver |
| 3.0.18 | April 2026 | OpenBLAS dependency removed on Windows, command-line option to start the local API |
| 3.0.21–3.0.23 | May–June 2026 | Reduced memory use in PE solves, levels cache and 3D ray solver; faster PE hot loops |
| 3.0.24 | June 2026 | Current release |
For detailed release notes, see the release notes page or Help → Release Notes within the application.