PowerNURBS

[Troutcatcher]

Has anyone on this forum been using PowerNURBS? Just wondering how it´s UI and range of tools compares to other NURBS modelers? Heard any rumours about it?

All the best,

[CGN]

They are really good tools, does not compare with the felxibility of using a nurb modeler but it does add a lot to a polygon modeler like 3D studio, but still is not a nurb modeler (lacks of mechanical design oriented on it's output) and is more of "add on" than a "full" solution compared to using any nurb modeler available.

but is great this is probably close to what you are looking for, 3D studio + PowerNurbs should work. but you will find out that you may need some extras found only on nurb modelers.

[Troutcatcher]

CGN, again thanks for trying to answer my silly questions.

Well, I will then do just like everybody else have done, follow the leader and purchase the most popular and the most flexible tool at the moment....RHINO


All the best,

JIS

[Raggi_Thor]

JIS and CGN, have you looked at FreeDimension from FreeDesign?
It's bundlet with Alibre, but I haven't had the time to try it out.
It's adverticed at 495USD or 99USD for students.
Import/Export is limited, obj, stl and sketchup, but nurbs, dxf and iges are "planned included".

[CGN]

haven't seen the latest updates.

But no tools to get 2D sections or projections out of your model you need other 3D software to actually make something productive out your model so software like rhino or alikes have a large advantage over some of this softwares is common sense to think that you want to get a sofwtare that can takes your design the further that they can and freediminsion is not there, if you are a industrial designer this tool is what you probably were waiting for but for boats i stay with any of the mentioned nurb modelers more "bang for the buck"??

cheers

[Troutcatcher]

Raggi Thor,

Thanks for the info. This looks interesting. No more trimmed surfaces!!! That´s a lot:-). But as CGN says, currently Rhino is "more bang for the buck"

Fair Winds,

JIS

[Raggi_Thor]

Originally Posted by CGN

...no tools to get 2D sections or projections out of your model you need other 3D software to actually make something productive...

As you know I am local Alibre reseller also, so I think's it's a good ad on for Alibre users

For boats I find it hard to improve Rhino.
The only thing I can think of now is dynamic (updated) hydrostatics while you nudge, like Freeship/Delftship and prolines, etc.

[CGN]

Raggi,

Any news about V10, all i would like to know if you have been a beta tester can you say how fast is now??....i jumped on the alibre "wagon" at version 6 i think but is too slow i have read on their forum that is supposed to be a lot faster, i hope they don't go the way of turbocad adding and adding stuff instead of "polish" the core, turbocad have a "great" product Lot's of tools but is just a useless software to run compared with others

Thanks

[Raggi_Thor]

Havent tried V10 yet. I tried V5 first, and put it away, it was too slow. Then I tried V8 and was quite impressed. V9, 0.1 and 9.2 is also faster, so they are moving n the right direction. I think in V10 all java will be changed to dotNet.

[Troutcatcher]

CGN and Raggi,

Have you ever experimented with TouchCAD? Do you have any opinion on it?

It´s main advantages seem to be it´s abilities to unfold patterns. Does it take you any further along than the famous "unroll surface" and "squish" functions in Rhino?

[Raggi_Thor]

I tried it for a few minutes, and decied I didn't have time to learn it :-)
But I hired Claes Lundström (Ludesign moved to http://www.touchcad.com/luboatdesign.html) to unfold the bottom of a boat. He devided the bottom into several patches and unfolded. Seems like he did it faster than I could in Rhino.

[Troutcatcher]

Raggi,

I understand you completely :-). It´s UI looks a little bit MacIntoshish.
Interested in origami I´m gonna give it a real try anyway.

P.s. I have been playing around a little bit with FreeDimension. It´s not exactly what a boatdesigner needs but seems to be a cool tool to model all kinds of round/freeflowing shapes like bottles, motorcycle gasoline tanks or whatever you can think of. It´s not able to import anything useful yet, but using an add-on it is able to export .iges, but they make the fatal mistake of selling .iges exporter separatedly and are overcharging it a littlebit. By the way.....the FreeDimension userforum indicates strongly no use at all. At least the forum seems to be a rather empty place

[Troutcatcher]

P.s. Raggi.......His name is Claes Lundström :-)

[CGN]

http://www.touchcad.com/

here you can find the software from Claes

[nero]

Yeh yeh make fun of Mac GUI. smile

TouchCad is very powerful. It has a userinterface that is powerful ... probably comes from the mac origins.

For me, main advantages are that the control points are on the line/mesh. It has marine calculations built into the program. And it is geared toward making what is drawn.

And it mates up well with Vectorworks (also of mac OS origins) These 2 programs are all that is need to make it.

Now if we could all get into linux and live in peace. smile