Non-geek trying to get to grips with Freeship basics – help!!

I derive so much pleasure and enjoyment from designing “the old way”, but the constant rubbing out of lines and small adjustments are really becoming a bit much now. Besides, I need to get to grips with modern design technology.
So after reading the Freeship rave reviews (and viewing the stunning illustrations on this site), I finally downloaded version 2.6 but am having difficulty trying to understand the basics.
Although I am computer literate, I’ve never worked with CAD before and even the Freeship manual does not explain “how to get started”.
When I try a new design, I log in the basic dimensions and then I get two horizontal parallel lines on the screen. I can see that they are DWL and base, but where do I go from there? Drawing it on paper, I would start with the profile – first the stem and stern and then the sheerline and underwater profile. After that I move onto the sections etc, but I just can’t figure out how to do anything – totally frustrating!
It really looks to be a useful tool and I’d love to get the hang of it and play around a bit. Is there anyone out there who can help me get kick started?
As always, comments are greatly valued and appreciated.

 

Hello,

Once you put your basic dimensions in, a crude picture of a generic boat should appear in all four windows (profile, plan, sections and 3d). If you aren't getting this it may be that the display options have been turned off. At the top of the screen there are lots of little icons. If you hover your mouse over each one a description will appear. Make sure that the waterlines, buttocks and sections icons are on (not 'greyed out'). This should let you see the boat, wrapped in a red net.

Where the horizontal and vertical lines of the net meet there are little dots. By clicking on and dragging these dots you can alter the shape of the hull until you get what you want. You can only do this in the 2d views, the 3d window is just for looking at the design, not altering it. One reason it is quicker than hand drafting is that when you change the hull shape in one view, it is automatically updated in the others.

Best of luck.

 

as said above, best start simpel with say 3x3 points but you may also want to load some sample files and start exploring things from there
it is a good tool and a few day's play and reading the manual twice should get you started

 

Sorry for the delayed reply, but I've been away.
Thanks so much gentlemen! The "light" has just come on and, in the immortal words of the late Freddie Mercury, "Don't stop me now - I'm having such a good time!"