Informations about Napa

Hi, I ame a naval architect, I heard about Napa and I would like to know some informations such as the compatible hardware, the prediction of power and the strength calculation.
thanks

 

Hardware requirements

The NAPA system is today available for Windows (2000, NT, XP), Unix, Sun and H-P platforms.

The minimum free core memory capacity for NAPA is 64 Mb. The minimum free disk memory capacity is 500 Mb.

An efficient graphics card with a minimum of 8 Mb is required for OpenGL visualisation. A screen size of 19" or 21" is recommended.

Along with Windows NT, a TCP/IP network adapter is demanded.

 

Use of napa

We use napa at the university for all the design process, it is a strong tool, which you can use for everything, propulsion, hydrostatics, weighting, damage stability, load cases, tank flooding, longitudinal strength, absolutely everything is basically no problem. But you have to know that it won't be the right tool for boat design. Napa is a software coming out of steel ship heavy industrie.

Napa doesn't accept small angled curves, as they are sometimes used at yachts and boats.

Moreover Napa is not very comfortable in use and performance. The most things like defining the hulls geometrie work over a kind of command line.... It seems for me that Napa has a good mathematical solver but the software designers have forgotten the factor performance, what means you need a hell long time to get into the software, and to articulate what you fancy.
But if you want to design steel ships
, Napa will be the right tool for ALL your needs. One point, should be mentioned are the old interface standarts, you have the possibility to export just *.dxf curves and lines, importing lines should be possible, but nobody of us has ever done that succesfully.
The consequence is when you start your design process in NAPA you have to finish it in NAPA.... unless you export each line via dxf for example to Autocad or Rhino to generate drawings, that is what I do, but it is uncomfortable, unprecise, uneffective,......

with friendly regards
josch

 

Dear Josch
It is very kind of you to answer my questionn so, thank you very match.
I want to know if it is possible to importe lines from Autocad or rehinos, and if it is possible what about the quality of polylines or splines.
sorry because I don t speak English fluently.
i wish to hear about you soon,

with friendly regards
Aziz

 

Sorry I hate Napa, I prefer working with Rhino or Maxsurf, that is a lot easier, so I can´t tell you if it is possible, I ´ve never done that, but I will ask the Napa junkies in my course, and than you´ll hear from me

Ciao

 

Hello Aziz,
Here is your info. I found out that the devil is often hidden behind details.
Import and export is basically possible . Many big wharfs like theMeyer ship yard here in Germany, which builds passenger ships, had the same problem.
They import and export from Catia V4-V5.
So what I mean the problem is capable
>> A big help is the Online documention <<

Online documentation -----> Autocad ----> import/export, there you will find all the required information. But than you have just lines. :idea:

A better and more precise way is the *.iges import/ export. But it is absolutely necessary to know the *.iges format, because there are thousand different ones available.

More about *.Iges import/export at deftask ----> Online documentation ----> iges :idea:

when you find the right *.Iges format, then you can use the imported Iges surfaces in Napa, to define rooms, which you later need for your loadcases or damage stability. What I wanna say is that Napa will use the surfaces for its calculation what is not usual in these programmes.


Everything is possible but in Napa it is not that comfortable, but I ' ve mentioned that yet.
I hope that I could have helped you and good luck


with friendly regards

josch