CAFE is software for rapid generation of a ship concept design. The enhanced and simplified man-model interaction aims to drastically reduce the required ship modelling time. Modelling features enable the user to simply model the ship structure that includes plating, openings, girders, stiffeners and brackets. Equipment with its respective mass can either be modelled or imported from other CAD tools (see Figure below). Of course that it is more convenient to import the equipment as 3D blocks and position it to desired coordinates in the ship structure. Additionally, tube layouts and wirings can also be accommodated in the same model.
Import of existing geometry
CAFE software automatically calculates masses and position of the structural centre of gravity including ship hull, the installed equipment and piping. In addition to centre of gravity, the software can also provide volume calculations of the hull and any tanks modelled within the structure.
Internal structure along with the imported equipment and piping can be visualized by walk-through visualization capability (see Figure below) in a form of the virtual camera that can explore the inside ship structure. The walk-through capability can be used also during the modelling, not only for visualization purposes.
Walk through
The software utilizes arbitrary inclined guiding planes (see modelling section). These guides can add, reshape, move or split any entity in a 3D model. In addition, guides can be moved along with all the attached plates, girders, stiffeners and brackets. Attached elements are self-adjustable, meaning that they can change their shape and number or spacing of attached stiffeners if necessary.
Walk through 2
CAFE software is featured with another important invention called the magnetic surface concept (see modelling section). This concept enables automatic surface reshaping to fit the shape of another neighbouring surface. This feature comes very handy when internal ship geometry needs to be adjusted to shell plating. The feature is very easy to handle and it avoids trimming of the surfaces. Avoiding trimming is of great benefit while exporting geometry for other CAD tools.
A ship modelling process is greatly simplified by the ability to import the equipment into the software. CAFE already possesses a large library of equipment products. However, it is possible to import any 3D part or the equipment designed in other CAD tool and exported in VRML format. While importing the equipment, user needs to specify its mass and centre of gravity. Figure below shows examples from software equipment library.
Equipment examples
The equipment gives the realistic view of the model and, more importantly, provides a spacing control between the structure and the equipment. Naturally, the equipment modelled in CAFE can easily be exported to other CAD tools as well. Properly imported and positioned equipment, such as engines and winches, can be seen on the example of the supply vessel in Figure below.
Equipment positioned onboard the ship
CAFE software automatically generates classification drawings of the structure including shell plating. General arrangement drawings can be created in the same way as structural drawings. General arrangement includes plots of the equipment in a form of outlined objects. Drawings can be generated by positioning a guiding plane on desired section of the 3D model. Considering the fact that different organizations use different notations and drawing marks, it is made possible to add and adjust them easily. This ensures minimal additions and time spending to complete the classification documentation. Figure below shows the example of automatically generated drawing that represents only part of the deck.
Classification drawings