Using hull design freeware + CAD

Hera are the best freeware debated:

http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=83

Many good hints there!

But, what is the best way to use these freewares? I like to...

1) design the hull with chines and panels (naturally bulkheads too)
2) at least get "sheet material listings" to print ...and
3) import hull designinto a cad (free) for further design, interior, fittings etc.

I have found a few free CAD's but it doesn't work as I thought it would. You may try them. Links below.

Have you found any good combination of applications or special file-transformation to solve this etc.?

My best choice so far is to import into Corel Draw, but that is buy-ware and not a real CAD.
---------

CADSTD, DESIGN WORKSHOP
http://freeware.intrastar.net/cadsoftware.htm

http://www.artzend.com/3D Programs.htm

 

I can understand that people are looking for free software to design a boat, I'm doing the same, although I have an advantage with contacts at designer offices.
But once you've decided on a boat you want to design, with the intention to build, why not spend some money on the programs you need.
With carene 4 & 5 you can develop a multi chine boat, get some hydrostatics and export. Buy a 'light' version of a CAD-program and start finalizing. When you're going to build the boat, you're going to buy the tools you need for it too!! Programs are the tools before building!

 

I know I'm all for free software, but there are realistic limits (like the writers getting dinner on the table) so you tend to find that free software only goes so far. My advice is invest in a good CAD package (Rhino is my preference) and design away. Also, find yourself a few good books. 'Ship Hydrostatics and Stability' and 'Principles of Yacht Design' are good texts in my opinion.
However, there is an alternative. It really depends on how good a programmer you are, but you could always write it yourself. Surface routines are not that tricky, and given some time alone to write, it is quite possible to develope something respectable within a week. (I admit that it may take longer with work, family etc.) I have tried to go down this second route, and my progress is updated on the 'NURBS and Polynomial Basis Functions' thread in this forum.

Best of luck,

Tim Brocklehurst

 

TouchCAD does hull fairing, rounded, chines and clinker built, lines, offsets basic hydrostatics, allows you to design all major panels in the boat (no limitation in the number of panels), very efficient panel to panel trims (including edge trims for panels with a thickness), individual parametric weight properties for each object (total weight or weight per area units), generates a spreadsheet automatically with the weights, surface area and center of gravity calculations (built in), parametric surfaces (type, mesh resolution, six display modes, all control points on the surface, dynamic cross sectioning, any number of control points in any number of objects can be edited simultaneously, full 3D push pull editing from any 3D view, easy to add and delete control points and curves, easy edge to edge fittings, support for very high resolution background images (individual for the Front, Top and Side views to allow recreation of a 3D-shape based on a set of 2D drawings or pictures) that comes in in scale and follows the 3D model when you work, OpenGL based rendering with realtime rotation, walk-trough, fly-over, cut troughs and animation, realtime smoothness analyzer, etc.

Unfolding
Very powerful built it parametric unfolding (unfolding direction, resolution stretch unfold calculations, automatic panel, vertex and coordinates, overlaps, a dynamic link to the 3D model, cut layout editing without loosing the dynamic link to the 3D model), and in the upcoming TouchCAD 3.5 even support for mapping images on the 3D model and unfolding it an unfolded image.

Besides a range of other formats it also exports as DXF or as Adobe Illustrator, and both these formats can be read by Corel Draw.

www.touchcad.com

Check it out now and then in the near future for more info on the upcoming TouchCAD 3.5.