History

In 1984 graduation was done on final thesis of usage of a stability program named Sikob, running on Fortran. The program made calculating on stability much easier then usage of bonjean curves and planimeters. Already in 1984, with experience on the ZX81 of Sinclair there was a vision that this might be THE tool for shipbuilders.
Doing away with the tricky job of making the design, emphasis could shift to the more interesting part: the process of building the vessel.

NethShip focusses on the building of the vessel.

It is tradition that the design focusses on balance of weight and bouyancy, cargo capacity versus deadweight and weight versus speed, etc. It is unusal to re-start the design process because a different design might be easier to build.
When the traditional design methods and issues are put into modern PC (giving constant view on GZ curves, various balances) and the 3D model of the vessel (using solids and object orientated designing) the focuss could be put at how to actualy build the vessel.

From viewpoint of construction, it is interesting to have influence in the design of the vessel for;
- the shell of the vessel. Ratio’s of the various surfaces, curvature and framing have influence on the producability of the shell, optimum subdivision into platefields, optimum handling of plates to be formed, optimum in arrangement of welds etc.
- the application of classification rules and the practical implications on the construction and way of build.


Already in 1995, when AutoCad (first experienced in 1988) was exchanged with Microstation to have a better tool when comparing files which are related to each other (for example in 3D) developments of ‘projectbank’ etc where closely followed.
From 1997 onwards 3D design in Microstation was undertaken, where the splines and working with surfaces was difficult.

Great jump forward was the discovery of Rhino in 1999, which, after some help by a colleque at Feadship, opened up possibilities. Fairing and complex NURBS surfaces where now possible, making it possible to make 3D design in shipbuilding.

Also in 1999 the first experiences were with Catia V5, then coming out on the windows platform. Having become parametric and also being able to handle the surface complexity, it proved to be a very difficult program to learn.
At the start of NethShip, summer of 2002, with the help of Incat, the Catia was being introduced into NethShip, at that time run by three people, Fred, Casey and Bob.
Casey being the Catia V4 – piping expert quickly grassped the concept of V5, and all through the end of the benchmarking Catia (from R9 up to R14) kept being surprissed by the development in Catia and how smart piping routines were handled and improved.

Through circumstances by now NethShip was centered around Bob and Casey, as Fred saw his future somewhere else.


For the construction and design side of Catia a complete small yacht was designed in the V5 version, mainly release 11 up to 13. The surface design proved to be very capable, to keep the hull parametric (so for example driven by the parameter of the bow angle, thumble home distance, height of the bulwark etc) proved to be very difficult because the hart of the program, vertex’s – can not directly be handled with available commands in the program. However, plenty tricks are available to work around this, and by the beginning of 2003 a proper functioning shell and superstructure design was working. (Fully parametric for length between 20 and 30 meters).

For a shipbuilder it would then be great to read certain dimensions, needed for classification calculations) from the surface model. These then would lead to dimensions of framing, and could be used – still keeping everything parametric, to construct the hull construction in Catia. With some external help and visual basic this was achieved, reading out the crucial dimensions (like for example hull length) into an excel file – which then calculated all construction dimensions according the SSC of Lloyd’s register.

End of 2003 various shows were visited, and with the help of De Valk yachtbrokers, many people in the shipping industry saw what we were doing with Catia, from Dusseldorf to Monaco and Fort Lauderdale boatshows, topped by our own stand on the Mets.

Unfortunatly at that time, the now extensive file structure of the small yacht, being fully parametric, put a large strain on the ram usage of Catia, and no signs were received from Dassault that this would be tackled to make it possible to use Catia for a complete parametric shipdesign.
So shipdesign with Catia is very well possible, being that some steps have to be undertaken in the same fashion as is now common, breaking the design in various stages which are one way related only.

NethShip wanted more. Beginning of 2004 a nice assignment was undertaken with Catia to re-design the construction of a refit sailing vessel. The failure of Catia, mainly Dassault, to respond to the wishes of NethShip as future client, put al lot of strain on NethShip, causing Casey to drop out of the company.

By the end of 2004, when it was clear that the Catia line could not be followed, a next benchmark was opened with UGS for the NX3 software, which at time was promissing because of the news of german yachtbuilders starting to use this software.


Beginning of 2005 NethShip joined the NX. Various designs have been made in NX, which by end of 2006 has become NX4, and allthough NX is not as powerfull in some aspects as the parametric aspects of Catia (true/false options) it proves to be a formidable instrument, having no problems handling large assemblies like ships and yachts.

One of the biggest advantages of NX we see is the relative ease of the interface. It looks more simple then Catia, and is also simpler to use. The admost irritating black sign of Catia that certain elements can not be handled within a certain environment is something totally not missed when working in NX.

Drafting routines in NX are also great, allthough unfortunatly the dwg out routines are not without problems. There is progress, and between the NX 4.0.0 and the 4.0.1 there is already great improvement. This is an important element, as the majority of shipbuilding still works with the AutoCad format. It will proabably still take some years before the dwg export will result into one line only.

At present NethShip has several projects running where NX is not a requirement, but is used for its capability of showing sections, inside in the structure, ease of adaption (changes) and some more nice aspects, which make it earn its costs back.

	Please have a look around in this website for some insides in the projects!! And the rest is future…. <link>