CompositeWorks For Rhino - FRP Engineering Supertool

[CADProjects]

Hi everyone,​

I’m A Naval Architect & the developer of a new Rhino3D plugin called CompositeWorks. This is a small plug for my plugin but it came from a genuine need in my own workflow to find a better path to design & document my own FRP structures.
Dealing with spreadsheets to calculate laminate stacks, weights, centers of gravity, bill of materials and then manually producing workshop drawings so a boatbuilder could layup a FRP part was a nightmare.
Out of my own necessity I created a Plugin for the popular CAD application Rhino3D called CompositeWorks.
CompositeWorks allows engineers to define laminate schedules, calculate material quantities, calculate weights and centers of gravity and produce clear workshop drawings for builders all inside Rhino, providing an intuitive, visual workflow for designing complex composite parts.

From geometry to laminate design​

The CompositeWorks workflow is straightforward:

1. Model the basic geometry using Rhino surfaces.
2. Define your composite materials and layer structure.
3. Create reusable laminate stacks.
4. Assign the stacks to the appropriate surfaces.
5. Let CompositeWorks calculate and document the whole structure.

By connecting laminate information directly to the Rhino model, CompositeWorks reduces the need to manage separate drawings, spreadsheets and weight calculations.

Calculate quantities, weight and centre of gravity​

CompositeWorks automatically extracts material quantities from the model and laminate definitions. It can calculate individual part weights, complex assembly weights and centre-of-gravity information.

This allows engineers to compare laminate options, monitor weight targets and identify potential issues earlier in the design process.

Create clearer construction drawings​

CompositeWorks also supports single-click construction drawing creation. These drawings help communicate laminate regions and layup sequences to builders directly from Rhino, creating a clearer path between design and production.

The plugin is suitable for marine, aerospace, architecture and product-design applications involving fibreglass, carbon fibre and other FRP materials.

Getting started​

CompositeWorks is currently designed for Rhino 8 on Windows and requires Rhino’s .NET Core runtime. It can be installed through Rhino’s Package Manager by searching for CompositeWorks.
In the Rhino command line type "packagemanager" and enter. Then search for CompositeWorks in the search box and click install. Restart Rhino after installation and you are away.

Once installed, enter LaminateDesigner in the Rhino command line to begin.

Reports are currently produced in metric units. Imperial Rhino models are supported, with values automatically converted to metric for reporting.

CompositeWorks offers a more connected way to design, calculate and communicate composite structures—all within Rhino.

Learn more and access the trial on the CompositeWorks Food4Rhino page.
Contact me info@cadprojects.com.au

Intro Video Here

Tutorial Video Here

let me know your thoughts and send me any bugs you find and i will get right onto fixing them for you.

 

[HelmutSheina]

To me what you have written here is a prime candidate for an open source project, as DIYers are spearheading a lot of innovation in carbon fibre composites, and I have noticed many are using FOS packages on Linux distributions for their designs.

 

[CADProjects]

To me what you have written here is a prime candidate for an open source project, as DIYers are spearheading a lot of innovation in carbon fibre composites, and I have noticed many are using FOS packages on Linux distributions for their designs.

Open source software isn't going to fund my champagne and caviar lifestyle

 

[Night Sky Yachts]

Is your software also for structural design? For example according to ISO 12215 or the classification society rules? Or is this just for technical drawings and mass calculation?

 

[CADProjects]

Is your software also for structural design? For example according to ISO 12215 or the classification society rules? Or is this just for technical drawings and mass calculation?

Hi Pawel,
CompositeWorks dose not allow the user to engineer laminates to satisfy classification society rules or perform scantling calculations but it is more than "just for technical drawings and mass calculation"
The main advantage is the UI allows a user to design a complex molded part with many different laminate stacks and sequence all those laminate stacks together into one optimised structurally efficient part.
CompositeWorks is best used in conjunction with your scantling software, initial laminate design done in your scantling software then whole part laminates built up in CompositeWorks which will highlight any sequence or optimisation issues then back to your scantling software to re engineer the laminate stack with what CompositeWorks highlighted to check compliance to scantling standards.

CompositeWorks also conveniently & automatically produces the following.
Part Weights
Part COG
Assembly Weight
Assembly COG
Part Bill of Materials
Assembly Bill of Materials
Part Layup Tables
Single Click Workshop Drawings - (Including Title Blocks)

 

[Night Sky Yachts]

I understand. I'm using my own scripts and grasshopper and Orca 3D. It's very cool that you put these features into one plug-in.
It will be perfect if you add an easy way to export the laminate layers to FEM software like Ansys, Femap, Calculix.
It's very tedious to define all layers and fiber directions.