looking for design software

[sgcc113]

Hi, Everyone. I posted before but put it in the wrong forum. Maybe some one here can help me out. I've been designing boats as a hobby for years, I've always used my trusty drafting table. I'd like to start designing, using a design program. I've browsed rhino, and pro surf, ext. My question is, Is there a program that will suite me. I'm used to Drafting everything out with " pen & ink" I'm not familiar with the high tech computer programs. Is the any software out there that makes this transition easier. What i would like is a program that allows me to draft by sight ,"something that I don't have to enter all my parameters". Then be able to take my design tweak it/ run hull speeds /Hydrostatic calc exc? Maybe all these programs let me do this and I don't no how to use them. Your advice would be great. Thank You

[CGN]

It can be done you need to have a reference the same way you will do on a drafting paper where at least you know how long, how high etc...is not exactly the same but in principle you shouldn't have much trouble "sketching" in a 3D software like rhino or prosurf, at some point they all need some input but once you have the hull done hull calcs are few clicks away (see rhino and rhinomarine or Orca3D)

check this demo on how to do a canoe using solidworks similar technique works for other 3D software Rhino, Prosurf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS31uJczzvo

This is another good example using solidthinking,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkrZdneJDz4

[pavel915]

sgcc;
I think you can accept cad in your design work more easily if you start learing autocad frist. Autocad is nothing but like your pen and paper, here your mouse is the pen and the pc monitor is the paper. So i think the frist point is you should try 2d cad frist before 3d.
And ofcorce if you can learn autocad good; then you can go to rhino very easily.

[ROO]

Hi,
Try DelftShip free version (the Pro is only 150Eur), its quite simple to use, it comes with a default hull, so you dont have to create a hull from scratch, you just drag the contol points to the desired locations. Or you import a boat or yacht and set it up in the background and drag the contol points to the hull outlines. It comes with a wealth of hydrostatic data including an auto fairing (Pro version) and auto prismatic coefficient (all versions) and if you have any problems just post it on the DelftShip site and one of us will help you if you need it.