Take a look at the video showing CAFE capabilities.

CAFE is enhanced by innovative features that aid ship modelling. These features enable faster and easier user interaction with the software. The enhanced interaction with the software brings large time saving during the modelling. Realistic properties of materials, plates and profile can be added, modified or replaced from MS Excel database or by user in CAFE interface.

Ship modelling features

• Geometry can be imported from other CAD software
• Properties of plates along with realistic profiles are imported from MS Excel and can be expanded, modified or replaced 
• Man-model interaction utilizes arbitrary inclined guiding planes that add, reshape, move or split any entity in a 3D model
• Fast generation and manipulation of complex surfaces (Chaikin’ surface definition, Bspline and NURBS) suiting all Ship /Offshore Structures
• Elements attached to a guiding plane can change their shape and the number of attached beam elements
• Magnetic surface concept enables automatic surface reshaping to fit the shape of another neighbouring surface
• Internal structure along with the imported equipment can be visualized by walk-trough visualization capability
• Multi-user collaboration is supported in real-time
• Automatic generation of classification drawings at desired intersection planes and shell plating
•  Rapid and Parametric definition of Shipbuilding entities, such as Stiffened Panels,Openings, Brackets etc.
• Quick assignment of Main Bulkheads and Decks from surfaces and intersecting guides
• Automated meshing simplifies and speeds up the production of FE models.

Example of midship model with stiffened panels and a numerical mesh of midship section.

* pictures provided with the courtesy of SimFWD

Part of a ship model and a transverse section at the corrugated bulkhead.

* pictures provided with the courtesy of SimFWD

Analysis features

• Fast creation of global, local and fine mesh FE models.
• All structural element types can be automatically meshed and refined for the purpose of FEM or hydrodynamic analysis
• Calculation of Mass, CoG, Volumes, Lightweight Distribution, Hydrostatics, Shear Forces and Bending Moments
• Several types of structural loading are available, including wave loads utilized by Smith correction
• Balancing the loads and reaction forces on boundary conditions in case when full ship FE model is being analyzed
• FE models and hydrodnamic mesh can be transferred to external solver such as NASTRAN, FINNSAP, LS-DYNA and OOFEM
• Hydrodynamic mesh can be easily exported for analysis

Example of stiffened panel model and automatically generated mesh with a desired element size.