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FastShip Version 6 is a
hull form, appendage, and superstructure modeling system. FastShip, first released in
1983, is a full NURBS-based system, and is in use by shipyards, design firms, navies, and
universities throughout the world. Version 6 includes many new features, as well as a completely redesigned user interface. The new interface is icon-based with dockable toolbars, and will make the program even easier for new users to learn, and more efficient for experienced users. Other new features include: o Surface intersections and trimming o Real-time porcupines for curvature measurement o Sliding
of poles with dynamic update of hydrostatics and curvature measurements o Windows®
Explorer-like parts tree o Dynamic rotation
of fully-shaded models o New
editing and snapping features |
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Surface Intersections
and Trimming With these features, the intersection(s) between any surfaces is found, and becomes a curve on the surface. The intersection curve can be refined to any tolerance, just like the sections. Intersection curves are re-computed in real-time as the surface is modified (except for very large changes in the surface). Surfaces can be trimmed to these intersection curves, as well as to other sections (stations, buttocks, waterlines, etc.). Trims are recomputed after every surface modification, again as long as the modification is not too large.
Real-time porcupines for curvature measurement FastShip has always had the ability to measure the curvature of a section with a feature called "porcupines". Porcupines are plotted along the curve, and the quill length at each point is inversely proportional to the radius of curvature at that point. However, formerly, porcupines could only be plotted after a move had been made, and the sections refined.
With Version 6, porcupines can now be turned on for any number of sections, and they will be computed and displayed in real-time as the surface is modified. These real-time porcupines are computed directly from the surface, rather than from the polyline description of the section, so they do not require that the sections be refined. Sliding of poles with dynamic update of hydrostatics and curvature measurements This feature is similar to the "nudge" macros in Version 5. After a point or patch is selected, you click on the spin buttons on the X, Y, or Z display, and the selected point or patch moves in that direction by the snap increment (holding the CTRL key moves 10*snap increment). This allows you to make small, controlled movements that may be difficult with the mouse. A major advantage of working in this fashion is the ability to move the point in the axis that is nearly normal to the screen, such as moving a point in the Y dimension while viewing the hull in profile. This cannot be done with the mouse, since the editing plane and viewing plane would not be compatible.
After each click, the display is updated, so the sections can be displayed, along with their porcupines (see real-time porcupines). The color-shaded surface curvature map can also be displayed, updated after each click, as well as the sectional area curve and hydrostatics summary. Windows Explorer-like Parts Tree Management of multiple parts has gotten even easier, thanks to the Parts Tree. Normally docked on the right side of the screen, the tree gives a hierarchical view of your model. Nodes and surfaces can be dragged and dropped to reorganize them, and right-clicking on any node or surface displays a menu that allows you to change the properties (mesh div, color, offset), or mirror, copy, or delete that node or surface.
The Hull Library provides a way to organize hulls according to their type, display detailed information about them, and scale them to the desired dimensions in order to begin a new design. FastShip 6 comes with a standard set of hulls in Library form, and more Libraries will be available for purchase in the future.
The Library format also allows you to organize your hulls. Any surface may be saved as a Library hull. In addition to the surface data, you may enter a description, including LWL, BWL, displacement, draft, depth, Cb, Cp, L/B, B/T, Cm, Cwp, LCB/LWL, and LCF/LWL. To make things even easier when using the library, you can also attach any bitmap (.bmp) file, which will be displayed as you browse the library. Do you have an extensive library of good FastShip surfaces? Would they be valuable to other FastShip users? Why not create a Hull Library, and offer it for sale to the FastShip user community? Dynamic rotation of shaded models With support for OpenGL, FastShip can rotate fully shaded and rendered surfaces dynamically. FastShip 6 has a "spin" button, which allows you to spin the model by simply dragging the mouse around the screen. Panning is now also dynamic.
FastShip surfaces can be rendered with settings for color, gloss index, and transparency. New Editing and Snapping Features Editing in FastShip Version 6 has a slightly different paradigm. Instead of explicitly defining what each modification will be (e.g. Move/Point or Scale/Patch), there is always a default transformation in effect (Move, Scale, Rotate, Radial Scale).
The selection tool is chosen, the point, patch, or part are selected, and the default transformation mode is immediately begun. If you are in the Move mode, but wanted to Scale, simply click on the Scale button, and your selection won't be lost.
Version 6 also has new snapping constraints, which can be selected from the Snap Filters toolbar. Snapping can be to a grid, to net vertices (this replaces the MERGE command), geometry (such as the mesh), sections, construction geometry, and offsets. Normally, snapping will occur along any portion of these entities, which means that points may be "slid" along a construction line, a net line, the mesh, sections, or offsets. However, if you want to snap only to endpoints, you can turn on "Snap to Endpoints". |
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Copyright © 1999 Proteus
Engineering |
FastShip
6 
