Freeship model from existing station/frame molds

I've been working on modeling a S&G fishing skiff from existing station/frame molds and the problem I'm having is the program does not draw the sheer and chine curves of the model through the points I input. It looks good but the frames won't fit when I go to install them. I followed Mr. Probst's tutorial, read the DELFT manual, and searched this site ad nauseam but have not been able to answer my question to solve the problem. I put in the number of longitudinal and vertical points in the NEW file dialog box then moved them to the offsets from the molds (x,y,z). So, my question is, what is the best way to get curves drawn through the points rather than curves that have the edge created by the points as a tangent? Oh, I'm using FS 2.6, developed plates is what I'm going for...4 total (1 side, 1 bottom each half.)

 

would importing the offsets give me what I want??? Is there any way to do this without a spreadsheet program like excel?

 

The problem is that the points only pull at the line...they only fall on the line when the line is straight. You would probably have to import markers... which you don't have... in order to have the lines intersect at your desired offset points.

How I would go about it would be to create stations (Calculations/intersections/stations button) at the longitudinal positions where the frames will go. Then I would export a set of offsets. This is a .txt file with the offsets for the hull, including the intersections of the stations and the various corners of your panels. Then I would bump out my points and re-export until I got what I wanted. A bit tedious but you should be able to get it done within an hour or two. Don't forget that FS doesn't account for skin thickness so you will have to decide if the model you see is the outside of the skin or the inside. If it is the outside you will have to subtract the skin thickness from the frame dimensions either as you develop the panels or as you plot the panels out on your material. If it is the inside then your panels may not exactly come together when assembling. I normally assume the model is the outer skin and I only start accounting for skin thickness when lofting the full sized parts.

ETA: Attached is a .txt file of some offsets. To read this look at the "Knuckle" lines. The first one is for the transom and starts at the centerline at the top of the transom, goes to the shear line then down to the second chine line then the first then the centerline of the bottom.

The second station and subsequent stations until the front transom... .75 starts at the centerline of the bottom and work out then upward. The forward transom is not shown properly because it is angled and would have to have stations put through each point. The transoms are a moot point anyways as they are fully show in the developments to begin with.

Also...don't forget that a eighth inch gap in Stitch and Glue is not really an issue so if you can get that close you pretty much have it made.

 

Thanks Steve, I will try what you said. The markers sound like what I was thinking, I just don't know exactly how that works. I'll try to figure it out.
Thanks again,
Don