Accurate panel sizes for developable hulls

[Grant Nelson]

Hi All,
I would like hear from people who have successfully used any application to, not only design developable hull panels, but to also flatten the design into accurately sized panels. Ply, steel, or aluminum does not matter, but I recognize they have different characteristics, and so experience with one may not apply fully to the other.

I have browsed this site and the web a fair amount, and while there is a lot about drawing developable panels, there is less about turning them into accurate flat panels and CNC data, and very little about the experiences, good and bad, of people who have actually built their own design, in particular by first cutting and fitting the panels (instead of using an oversized panel and triming it afterwards).

What I have heard, and even read on the McNeely's site, is that Rhino cannot reliably (and from what I know, easily) generate developable shapes typical boats, and even less reliably flatten them. Some hint that Freeship can, and Formsys says that workshop can do it to within 2mm.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

[rambat]

Rhino has made several revisions to its "un-fold" tool. It is a sad fact that even the best can only get close to the actual flat pattern of a developed hull. This is acceptable if you build a hull by forming it from the flat panels and laying in adjusted framing elements like we do in many skiff boat building schools. Don't get me wrong,it gets close and a good welder or carpenter can "fit" these to a edge rod or sheer clamp/pipe with a little grinding.

[Grant Nelson]

Cool, I had not given that much thought to doing it backwards... first weld the panels, then fit the frames...