Difference between Freeship Plus and Delftship?

Well, for example, I want to export these plates so that I can print them on paper. Full scale, accurately.

Thanks, I'll try that conversion.

 

Paper isn't accurate at full scale anyway. Moves too much. If you want accuracy at full scale, use drafting film or MDF.

 

Yeah, but who would print 1x3m roll of drafting film? I mean, maybe someone would, but the cost...

 

Ok, well I wouldn't trust paper patterns myself. I'd rather just lay the patterns out manually, using the generated measurements. That's not hard to do anyway.

 

You're probably right. It's just that I'm afraid to make some kind of mistake when I need to fit a lot of different panels on plywood closely together.

Anyway, back to the topic: that software you provided doesn't allow DXF to IGS for free. But SolidWorks can read DXF. Not very handy, but possible to work with.

Anyway, does Delftship free have auto-fairing? It doesn't seem to work for me.

It actually looks very smooth and comfortable to work with. If it weren't for these limitations...

 

No it doesn't have auto fairing. Manual only. It's a bit of a nuisance, but workable.

You can check the nesting easily enough. If you make a cheat layer that is "developable" and the same size as your plywood sheets, you can then move the unfolded panels around over that to see how things fit.

 

By the way, you've got me interested in checking out Freeship now.

 

Very good idea. I'll keep that in mind.

You said you don't use Solidworks. I gather that you design hulls with Delftship. What do you do after you design the hull? In what software do you add stuff, like bulkheads, structure, masts, etc? Mechanics of Delftship aren't very handy for that kind of stuff.

Sure, check it out, just be sure you find Freeship Plus 3.4. It feels very good. But it lacks some calculators, and auto-fairing.

 

Yes I've downloaded 3.43 and will have a look at it tonight.

I just do what design work I need in Delftship. I can do it easily enough, for what I want, just to get the idea of a few things. Masts, sails, frames, etc aren't hard to do. I often do final work for parts and details out by drafting at full scale anyway. All I need to start building are basic offsets.

 

I mean, if you only design a hull and plate developments, how do you figure out what kind of shapes will bulkheads take, how much plywood will you need, and so on?

 

Bulkheads will fit inside the planking. Offsets for planking are available at any station you like. Therefore bulkhead shapes are available.

 

I should point out that I started playing with drafting boats decades ago, in my early teens, so I know how to draw them without relying on the software to do it all for me. That means I can extend the capabilities of the software manually if it won't do everything I want it to do.

 

All right. Maybe I do indeed over-complicate boat design...

How does FreeShip plus look to you?

 

On this, I envy you. Just started a thread about it in "Boat design" section of this forum.

 

I haven't looked at Freeship Plus yet. I've downloaded it, but won't get around to installing it until tonight my time. Or maybe tomorrow night. It's the full moon tonight and there's a rising tide. I'm going rowing.