CAFE is innovative software for rapid generation of ship concepts. The enhanced and simplified man-model interaction utilizes arbitrary inclined guiding planes. These guides can add, reshape, move or split any entity in a 3D model. In addition, guides can be moved along with all attached plates, girders, stiffeners and brackets. Attached elements change their shape and number of stiffeners if necessary. Another important feature is the magnetic surface concept. This 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. CAFE basic version calculates masses and position of the structural centre of gravity. Furthermore, it automatically generates classification drawings at desired intersection planes of the 3D model.
CAFE user interface
Apart from aiding the ship concept design, CAFE professional version serves as a FEM pre-post processor. It is capable of fully automatic meshing and refinement of the existing FE mesh. It can apply structural loading including wave loads utilized by Smith correction. Additionally, the software is capable of balancing the loads and reaction forces on boundary conditions in case when a full ship FE model is analyzed.
LNG tanker model
Very important feature of CAFE software is that it doesn't use relationship database for model storage. Relations between objects are obtained either by connecting nodes or by parent-child relations, e.g. if some finite element is generated automatically from stiffened panel, it will inherit all its properties.
Another positive feature of CAFE is that while software is running, it has two separate databases allocated in the memory. One is used for visualization (modelling) and another as a storage and user management (synchronization). This fact enables an easy handling of collaborative design.
Structural organization of the database enables drastic savings in storage size, e.g. a full model in conceptual phase is about 1 MB, while the same is 1 GB when a relationship database is used for the same model. Reduction of the model file size helps the collaboration in a way that large portions of the model can be quickly exchanged over the internet.