What's New in dBSea v3
dBSea v3 is a rebuild of the application. This page summarizes the key changes and new features.
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
3D Acoustic Solvers
v3 introduces full 3D acoustic propagation modeling:
- 3D Parabolic Equation (PE) Solver - Implements Collins' split-step solver with an improved self-starter that removes reliance on the modal starter, providing better performance at higher frequencies.
- 3D Ray Solver - Features improved ray phase calculation, better termination conditions, and optimized default settings.
Both 3D solvers allow modeling of acoustic propagation in environments where the 2D radial symmetry assumption is not valid.
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 Modeling
dBSea v3 includes support for modeling marine animal movement and sound exposure:
- Simple fleeing model for basic avoidance behavior
- Integration with 3MB (Marine Mammal Movement and Behavior model) for complex behavior
- Sound exposure level calculations for moving receivers
- Useful for environmental impact assessments
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
- 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
- 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 visualization with export options for levels and spectrum over time
Licensing
dBSea v3 uses cloud-based licensing. See the Licensing page for details on activating your license.
Technical Changes
Graphics Engine
- Updated to require OpenGL 3.3 or later
- Modern OpenGL rendering pipeline (v3.0.10 onwards)
- Improved UI feedback during long-running operations
Solver Changes
- dBSeaModes is deprecated - For low-frequency modeling, 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
- Non-threaded solve options (multi-threading is now always used)
- Runge-Kutta method selection for ray solver
- Fallback Gaussian starter for PE solver (replaced by Collins' self-starter)
- Local help file (replaced by online documentation at docs.dbsea.co.uk)
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
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10, macOS, or Linux (Debian/Ubuntu) | Windows 11 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 300 MB | 500 MB + project files |
| Graphics | OpenGL 3.3 | OpenGL 4.x |
| CPU | 4 cores | 8+ cores |
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 |
For detailed release notes, see Help → Release Notes within the application.