Need nautical software must be Free ware

[neptunenet]

We are putting together a web page of all know free Nautical software (called free ware) if you know of any web site that has free downloads of software that would be of interest to sailors please could you give us the link all the best PAUL at NeptuneNet.net

[Raggi_Thor]

freeship.org
alibre xpress at alibre.com

[neptunenet]

Thank you very much for sending those two but what I am actually looking for is freeware for people to be able to download trials are good but they do lead people into thinking that they have to purchase so they don't try to products but I will lease them in a separate category all the best paulcharmbury from NeptuneNet.net

[Raggi_Thor]

This is freware indeed, while Alibre Design and Alibre Pro is not free, Alibre Xpress is completely free.
Freeship is also completely free.

[Raggi_Thor]

See http://www.alibre.com/xpress/
and the feature comparisions,
http://www.alibre.com/products/features.asp

[neptunenet]

sorry i looked at the pro paul

[marshmat]

No offence to anyone involved with Alibre, but it would appear that Xpress is so restricted as to be essentially useless. No compatibility with anything else would be the big restriction; that reduces it to more of a training toy than a practical program. I haven't tried the pro versions, they do look considerably more useful.

Free!ship definitely makes the cut. Add Michlet alongside it, too.

[Raggi_Thor]

I have to say I am not neutral here, as I am the Norwegian reseller of Alibre Design, Rhino 3D and BricsCAD IntelliCAD.

Alibre Xpress is a free version with some limitations, max 5 parts in an assembly and not advanced features like 3D Sweep along a path. BUT you have parametric sketches and the two way link between 3d models (parts and assemblies) and 2D drawings. This can be very useful for interior structure or details like custom hardware for example.

Alibre's file format is based on the STEP standard. It is the same compatibility problems between Alibre and Inventor/Solid Works/Pro E etc as it's between any of these programs. You can export and import parts, but the feature history is not imported. I know someone is working on feature based translators.

Alibre Xpress can be fun to play around with. While you do that you learn the same methodology as in Solid Works and Inventor (and in the latest Pro/E "wildfire"). I know, as I had some years experience with Inventor before I started to work with Alibre. If you need a more powerful solution, Alibre Design and Pro may be what you want.

Freeship and Alibre are two very different programs. Alibre is a general 3D parametric solid modeller with the mechanical engineer or designer in mind.

I think it's quite efficient to use the best program for each task, initial design and hydrostatics in FreeShip, detailed surface modelling and rendering in Rhino (with Flamingo, Bongo and Penguin), interior structure in Alibre (insert the Rhino file as a surface feature), detailed 2D drawings like nesting parts o sheets in IntelliCAD or BricsCAD.

[marshmat]

Originally Posted by Raggi_Thor

I think it's quite efficient to use the best program for each task, initial design and hydrostatics in FreeShip, detailed surface modelling and rendering in Rhino (with Flamingo, Bongo and Penguin), interior structure in Alibre (insert the Rhino file as a surface feature), detailed 2D drawings like nesting parts o sheets in IntelliCAD or BricsCAD.

I agree.

What I'm trying to do now (sort of) is: hull and basic h-stat in Freeship, fairing, deck plans, interior layouts, structure etc. in Rhino, any custom-made parts in Solidedge (yay for academic licences....) and AutoCAD for 2D drawings and structural detail. I'm trying to learn Michelet for resistance etc. What's missing is something free that can do standard hydrostatic things like righting moment curves, etc. from either a Freeship offsets file, a 3DM or any other standard format. Any ideas are welcome....