FINLAND
New features in Nupas-Cadmatic's ship design software
UPAS-CADMATIC, the joint venture of Finnish Cadmatic Oy and Dutch Numeriek Centrum Groningen BV, has continued development work on its software product, with several new features aimed at further simplifying the ship design and construction process.
N The two companies'
Machinery, Piping and Outfitting modules are intended for machinery layouts, piping and HVAC engineering, whereas the 3D Hull Engineering unit is a tool developed for modelling hull construction. Together, they form a complete ship design tool which is gaining increasing popularity among shipyards and design offices. Nupas-Cadmatic has now reached version V5.1, which was introduced in autumn 2005. Version 5.0 of the software launched a completely new data-handling structure and database architecture for efficient distributed project design work. With the so-called COS database structure, design information is centrally collected in a master store, to and from which design data can be transferred to local or remote design offices through a check- in/check-out procedure. Through this client- server system, concurrent design of a ship can be efficiently distributed to multiple users in different locations. Shared data, such as common component library, project set-up, and a ship project's 3D model, and document data, are all stored in the master database server. With Version 5.1, Nupas-Cadmatic has continued to streamline the efficiency of the software's distributed design capabilities. Through an eBrowser module, developed some time ago, design data can be sent over the Internet for approval or follow-up. The client only needs a free downloadable viewing module on his computer.
Basic information about specific items, such as pumps or valves, can be retrieved by clicking on them in the 3D model. With added capabilities in the AutoCad-Nupas-Cadmatic interface in Version 5.1, it is possible to both import and send full 3D model documentation using the eXchanger, also to export complete 2D documents to AutoCAD. With the large number of transfer plug-ins to AutoCad, compatibility between Nupas-Cadmatic and several different formats, such as SolidWorks, AutoDesk Inventor and Catia, is made possible.
It is now also possible to send complete 2D drawings to the AutoCad dwf viewing format for review; in addition, dwg and dxf formats are available. The 2D drawing can be intelligently hyperlinked to any related data. This makes it possible to analyse project material more efficiently. The client can, for instance, click on a pump in the 3D eBrowser model to access a complete 2D document of that particular item, isometrics of the system, or can easily transfer to the 3D eBrowser environment from the 2D drawing view by clicking on an item or instrument symbol. The new capabilities allow very efficient viewing
16
An automated cabin creation using parametric input
data.The new Basic Designer aims to save time at the beginning of a ship project, when possible alternative layouts should be studied for an optimal end-result.
of already filed project material. Both 3D and 2D material are easily accessed for review by simple software applications. A new Basic Designer module was introduced with Version 5.1. It focuses on improving features in the early ship design phases. Aship's basic layout with outfitting and other components is built up in a modular way, and at the beginning of the process, a designer can make simple temporary space reservations for main piping routes, casings, and equipment not yet determined or found in the component library.
It is also possible to use various wizard-type tools to quickly and parametrically reserve spaces for cabins, staircases, lifts, and similar items. Ship design data stored in the data library can be used again in similar ship projects - the ability to automatically integrate the maximum amount of earlier design work into new projects is a key feature of Basic Designer. This ensures that the designer only needs to do project-dependent layout adjustments. Basic Designer is taken into use at the very beginning of the process and can be used in parallel with NAPAsoftware. Typical early design iterations, when for instance, the hull form or deck heights are still being adjusted, is automatically handled with Basic Designer, providing direct access to updated 3D layout data. Structural ship data acquisition is then fully integrated with the NAPA software. With Nupas-Cadmatic's Hull module, structural hull design is transmitted all the way to the steelwork line. Version 5.1 brings a number of new features in the Hull modules, but further major developments in the near future also seem likely. New features include the possibility of importing hull shapes data via IGES, exporting to FEM software, renewed 2D functionality, production management, and a new 3D Hull Library concept. With future developments in sight, the hull block structure was firstly
completely renewed to simplify and speed up the handling of large numbers of blocks in a project. The new structure enables an engineer to group blocks and divide them according to their characteristics such as hull, superstructure, foundations or even temporary. With this new structure, it is easier for a designer to work with alternative ship designs; also, construction parts or a group of parts can now be copied more quickly and efficiently. When copying a complete block, all existing drawings will also be copied and adjusted automatically. The texts and dimensions in all drawings are changed automatically according to the new position of the block, which should save much time in the design process. In addition, bracket creation has been automated further, making it possible for an engineer to create several brackets at once, of different size or type, by just one click of the mouse instead of creating time-consuming views for each bracket one by one - a significant time-saving feature!
The user interface and user functions of the 3D Hull Library are expected to be released in the next version. The 3D Hull library is a tool for the user to store any kind of structural part (or group of parts) in a library. The stored structural part(s) can be retrieved and positioned freely into the current ship model or another ship model, including parts information, such as cutting data, logistic data, and weights, directly available for production needs.
The 2D functionality is currently undergoing a complete facelift. The objective is to offer more user-friendly drafting tools which are comparable with AutoCad. Also, a new tool is under development, which should make it possible to export 3D hull construction data directly as finite-element-model input data. A new production management feature, soon to be released, can automatically generate production drawings containing simplified
THE NAVALARCHITECT FEBRUARY 2006
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100