College Project-Software Recommendations

[TraceyC]

Hi
I am a senior in college and I am working with a company that locally produces jet boats for part of my project. I have to choose a CAD program for them so they can design their boats. I have looked at Rhino, Solid Works, and Pro/E. The software package that is leading the pack is Solid Works but I get the feeling that an additional software package needs to be purchased for the hull design like ProSurf. Does anyone have any suggestions on software that has worked better for fiberglass boats? Also, if they did purchase solid works would the add-on software run inside that program to design the hulls or would you have to export the files into the hull software?

Thanks

[mackid068]

Maybe try Maxsurf. I've heard good things about it.

[CGN]

There is no magic box (or "magic CAD"), if they are going to produce their own models inhouse for production, then Autocad, Maxsurf, Rhino3D, RhinoCAM and Solidworks is a good combination, if they want to design they can add hydromax and swiftcraft for stability and propulsion calculation.

[Andrew Mason]

As you are a student you are eligible to download a copy of Maxsurf Academic, it is a fully functioning 3 surface version of Maxsurf.

I would recommend Maxsurf for the hull design side of things with either Solid Edge or Solidworks to do the detail moulding design.

[Tim B]

I don't know how much programming you have done, but Rhino will output a raw-triangle file with triangles defined as:
object x
x0 y0 z0 x1 y1 z1 x2 y2 z2

this is enough data to write a simple program to integrate up the volume below the waterline with reasonable accuracy, and also work out the centre of bouyancy.
The way I do it, is generally to use Rhino exclusively, and to write my own pieces of code based, either on that output, or on control-points and a proper surface to give me hydrostat data.

Good Luck.

Tim B.