Reinhard Siegel
YACHT DESIGN SOFTWARE
EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTOR FOR
AEROHYDRO
MARINE DESIGN SOFTWARE
MultiSurf Technical Features
Relational 3D surface design
- Interactive graphic interface
- Object oriented
- Based on Relational Geometry (RG)
- Small file size
- DXF,IGES etc. links to CAD/CAM
Precise control of complex shapes
- Parametric variation and automatic update
- Accurate, durable, watertight joins between surfaces
- Power and flexibility to create the designs YOU want
Complete design
- 32 surface types, including ruled, developable, blended, lofted, B-spline, NURBS, and offset surfaces
- Not limited to NURBS!
- Unlimited number of surfaces per model
Relationships between objects
- You specify qualitative and quantitative relationships between objects; for example:
- Absolute and proportional spacings
- Angular positionings
- Mirror and rotational symmetries
- Constraint of points to lie on curves or surfaces
- Constraint of curves to lie on surfaces
- Accurate joins between surfaces
- Automatically maintains specified relationships throughout the design cycle
Change your mind at any time
- Everything is editable
- Automatically updates the entire model (including butt-ocks, waterlines, and diagonals) when you change an underlying object
General calculations
- Mass Properties - tabulates areas, centers of gravity, and moments of inertia for surfaces; arc lengths, centers of gravity, and moments of inertia for curves and contours
- Weight Schedule - total weight, centers of gravity, and moments of inertia for model (calculated from unit weights you assign to objects)
- Angles - provides three types of angular measure
- Clearance (Distance) - reports the minimum distance between two objects
Special marine design tools
- Hydrostatics - upright hydrostatics (dimensions, displacement, waterplane, wetted surface, coefficients) from input of specific gravity, ZCG, sink, trim, and heel
- Ship Lines - body plan, plan, and profile views of model; six layouts
- Offset Table - standard offset table in decimal units or feet-inches-eighths through the ExportOffset Table utility
Fairing tools
- Curvature profile graphs
- Surface curvatures (normal, Gaussian, mean) color maps
- Relax Control Point
Export
- DXF files of 2D and 3D wireframes and 3D surface meshes
- IGES files of NURBS surfaces
- RUL ruling files, for input into AeroHydro’s MSDev (developable surfaces expansion) program
- OFE offset files for input into AeroHydro’s Hydro (hydrostatics and intact stability) program
- VRML and POV for rendering
Import
- DXF,IGES,triangle mesh files
3D viewing
- Multiple wireframe and rendering windows; any viewpoint
- Mouse controlled dynamic positioning
- Perspective and orthographic views
- Rotate, pan, and zoom with adjustable increments
- Mirror and rotational symmetries
- Trace relationships between objects
- User-selectable background and object colors
Editing tools
- Drag-and-drop points • Snap increments • Grid • Layers • Filters • Customizable toolbar • Keyboard shortcuts • Unlimited undo/ redo • Single and multiple entity editing • Scale, shift, rotate selection set or model • Selection Set view • Dependency view • Display original curve or surface for comparison • Seven units choices plus conversion between them
Documentation
- Comprehensive, illustrated manuals in PDF file format
- Over 80 sample models
- Step-by-step tutorials
- Specific marine design examples
- All documentation available on-line
Technical and product support
- User suggestions welcomed and integrated into development process
- Professional technical support
- Timely product updates and upgrades
Premium features
- Components - create a library to re-use geometry
- Automation - use macros supplied or create your own
- Hydro included - use the feature rich Hydro to prove your vessel design
- More Tools - Curve Fitting, Porcupine Curvature Profile, Command Line, Edit Model File
Additional options
- Flattener - compound plate expansion and developable plate expansion for MultiSurf
- AHVPP - sailing velocity prediction program
- WAMIT - interface for wave-body analysis
- SolidWorks Integration - integrates MultiSurf with SolidWorks solid modeler
System requirements
- PC 64 bit system
- Windows 7,8,10
MultiSurf provides a wide variety of Point, Curve and Surface kinds and a full set of Mathematical Functions.
Point entities
| 3D Points | Beads | Magnets | Rings |
| Point | Bead | Magnet | Ring |
| Blended Point | |||
| Center Point | |||
| Copy Point | Copy Bead | Copy Magnet | Copy Ring |
| Intersection Point | Intersection Bead | Intersection Magnet | Intersection Ring |
| Mirrored Point | |||
| Offset Point | |||
| Projected Point | Projected Magnet | ||
| Rotated Point | |||
| Tabulated Point | |||
| Tangent Point | Tangent Magnet | ||
| Arc-length Bead | Arc-length Ring | ||
| Proximity Bead | Proximity Magnet | Proximity Ring | |
| XYZ Bead | XYZ Magnet | XYZ Ring |
Curve and Snake Entities
| Curve entities | Snake entities |
| Arc | Arc Snake |
| B-spline FittedCurve | B-spline Fitted Snake |
| B-spline Curve | B-spline Snake |
| C-spline Curve | C-spline Snake |
| Conic Section | |
| Contour Curve | |
| Copy Curve | Copy Snake |
| Edge Snake | |
| Expanded Curve | |
| Foil Curve | Foil Snake |
| Helix | |
| Geodesic Snake | |
| Intersection Snake | |
| Line | Line Snake |
| Mirrored Curve | |
| NUB-spline Fitted Curve | NUB-spline Fitted Snake |
| NURBS Curve | NURBS Snake |
| Offset Curve | |
| PolyCurve | PolySnake |
| Procedural Curve | Procedural Snake |
| Projected Curve | Projected Snake |
| Radius Arc | |
| Relative Curve | Relative Snake |
| Rotated Curve | |
| SubCurve | SubSnake |
| Tabulated Curve | |
| X-Spline Curve | |
| UVSnake |
Surface Entities
| Arc Lofted Surface | Blend Surface | Blister |
| B-spline Fitted Surface | B-spline Lofted Surface | B-spline Surface |
| Centerpoint Boundary Surface | Copy Surface | C-spline Lofted Surface |
| Developable Surface | Expanded Surface | Foil Lofted Surface |
| Mirrored Surface | NUB-spline Fitted Surface | NURBS Surface |
| Offset Surface | PolySurface | Procedural Surface |
| Projected Surface | Relative Surface | Revolution Surface |
| Rolling Ball Fillet | Rotated Surface | Ruled Surface |
| SubSurface | Sweep Surface | Tabulated Surface |
| Tangent Boundary Surface | Translation Surface | Trimmed Surface |
| X-Spline Lofted Surface |
Parametric Solids
| Block Solid | Boundary Solid | B-spline Lofted Solid |
| B-spline Solid | Copy Solid | Ruled Solid |
Triangle Mesh Entities
| Copy TriMesh | Expanded TriMesh | Light TriMesh |
| Offset TriMesh | PolyTriMesh | Surface TriMesh |
| TriMesh | TriMesh B-spline Snake | TriMesh Copy Magnet |
| TriMesh Copy Ring | TriMesh Copy Snake | TriMesh Edge Snake |
| TriMesh Intersection Snake | TriMesh Magnet | TriMesh Projected Magnet |
| TriMesh Projected Snake | TriMesh Ring | TriMesh SubSnake |
Other Entities
| Composite Surface | Contours | Copy Contours |
| Strain Contours | Copies | Entity List |
| Formula | 3-point Frame | RPY Frame |
| Graph | PolyGraph | Knot List |
| Plane | Relabel | Text Label |
| Variable | Wireframe |
Mathematical functions available in MultiSurf
| Name | Argument(s) | Result | Synopsis |
| ABS | 1, any units | Same units as argument | Absolute value |
| ACOS | 1: unitless | unitless | arc cosine (radians) |
| ACOSD | 1: unitless | unitless | arc cosine (degrees) |
| ALARM | 2: any units | Unitless | ALARM has 2 arguments ALARM(x,y). The alarm "goes off" (goes into error) if (1) it is set (x > 0) AND (2) y < 0. Using a formula or expression for y, you can build various warning limits into a model. |
| ANGLE | 3: point, point, point | Unitless (degree) | Angle of three points (angle at pt2 between the directions to pt1 and pt3) |
| ARCLEN | 3: curve, unitless, unitless | Length | Arc distance along curve, from t1 to t2 |
| AREA | 2: surface, use_sym (0 or 1) | Area = L^2 | Area of surface, CompSurf, or TriMesh |
| ASIN | 1: unitless | unitless | arc sine (radians) |
| ASIND | 1: unitless | unitless | arc sine (degrees) |
| ATN | 1, unitless | Radian (unitless) | Arc tangent |
| ATND | 1, unitless | Degree (unitless) | Arc tangent (in degrees) |
| ATN2 | 2, both with same units | Radian (unitless) | Arc tangent(y/x) |
| ATN2D | 2, both with same units | Degree (unitless) | Arc tangent(y/x) (in degrees) |
| BBOX | 1. Entity or Entity List 2. Real scale factor 3. Real sign 4. Index, 1 to 3 for X, Y, or Z component | Length | The BBOX function gets information about the bounding box of an entity, or a set of entities specified by an Entity List. A bounding box is the smallest rectangular solid, aligned with the global coordinate system, that encloses the selected entities. |
| BSPL | 1. KnotList, or *UNIFORM for uniformly spaced knots. 2. K, polynomial order (2 for linear, 3 for quad-ratic, 4 for cubic, etc.) 3. N, number of basis functions. 4. I, index indicating which basis function to evaluate (1 to N). 5. T, parameter (nominal range 0 to 1, but can be any real value) |
unitless | The BSPL function evaluates the so-called “B-spline basis functions”, which are the mathematical foundations of B-spline and NURBS curves and surfaces. Example: BSPL( *UNIFORM, 3, 5, 2, 0.40) returns 0.3200. In this case the knots are uniform (0, 0, 0, 1/3, 2/3, 1, 1, 1); the B-splines are quadratic (K = 3); there are N = 5 of them; I = 2 selects the second basis function; T is 0.40. Errors: 222. NURB has too few knots for its order and num-ber of control points. 223. NURB has too many knots for its order and number of control points. 234. Insufficient spacing between knots. 556. BSPL function: order less than 1. 557. BSPL function: number of basis functions less than 1. 558. BSPL function: index is out of range (1 to num-ber of basis functions). |
| CEIL | 1: any units | Same units as argument | CEIL(x) is the smallest integer that is greater than or equal to x. |
| CENTROID | 3: entity, use_sym (0 or 1), index (1-3, for X,Y,Z coordinate) | Length | Coordinates of centroid |
| CLEAR | 2: point, graphic entity | Length | Clearance |
| COS | 1, radian (unitless) | Unitless | Cosine |
| COSD | 1, degree (unitless) | Unitless | Cosine (of angle in degrees) |
| COSH | 1: unitless | unitless | hyperbolic cosine |
| CURV | 1/Length | Curvature of host curve or snake, at t location of bead/ring. If t is on a breakpoint, hi_side (0 or 1) controls whether curvature is measured below or above the break. kind: 0 is 3-D curvature of curve or snake; 1 is nor-mal curvature of snake; 2 is geodesic curvature of snake. |
|
| CURVINT | 3: curve, t, real | L times units of real | Integral of real times ds along curve. ds is the element of arc length along the curve. t is a Variable. real is a Formula descended from t. |
| DIST | 2: point, point | Length | Distance between points |
| ERROR | 1: entity | Unitless | Error code attached to entity (0 if no error). |
| EXP | 1, unitless | Unitless | Exponential |
| FLOOR | 1: any units | Same units as argument | FLOOR(x) is the greatest integer that is less than or equal to x. |
| FRAMEPOS | 3: point, frame, index (1-3, for x,y,z coordinate) | Length | Coordinates of point in frame |
| GRAPH | 2: graph, unitless | Unitless | Evaluation of graph |
| HYDRO | 6: sp.gr., Zcg, sink, trim, heel, index | various, depending on index | Fixed-position hydrostatics based on the visible contours. index is 1 to 29; selects one of 29 results, e.g. index = 6 for displacement volume; index = 15 for wetted surface. |
| IF | 3: any units | Same as units of selected argument | If arg1 >0, arg2; else arg3 |
| LOG | 1, unitless | Unitless | Natural logarithm |
| LOG10 | 1, unitless | Unitless | Base-10 logarithm |
| MASS | 3: entity, use_sym, index | M ML |
Mass, if use_sym is not 0, includes symmetry images. Index = 0 returns Mass. Index = 1, 2 or 3, the value returned is the mass moment with respect to X, Y or Z. This is the product of mass times the X, Y or Z coordinate of the centroid. Unit dimensions are ML. |
| MAX | 2, both with same any units | Same units as arguments | Maximum |
| MIN | 2, both with same any units | Same units as arguments | Minimum |
| PI | 1; any units | Unitless | PI has 1 argument, but its value is immaterial; PI(x) = pi for any x. |
| ROUND | 1, any units | Same units as argument | Rounding to integer |
| ROUND2 | 1, any units | Same units as argument | ( x, places) rounds x to the specified number of decimal places. E.g., ROUND2(PI(0),2) is 3.140000. |
| SIGN | 1: any units | Unitless | SIGN(x) is +1 when x > 0, -1 when x < 0, 0 when x = 0. |
| SIN | 1, radian (unitless) | Unitless | Sine |
| SIND | 1, degree (unitless) | Unitless | Sine (of angle in degrees) |
| SINH | 1: unitless | unitless | hyperbolic sine |
| SQRT | 1, unit dimensions all multiples of 2 | Unit dimensions of argument divided by 2 | Square root |
| STRAIN | 2: Surface/TriMesh, index | Unitless | Surface/TriMesh is a surface or TriMesh entity index = 0 or 1, for minimum or maximum strain This function reports the strain range for an Expanded Surface or Expanded TriMesh. |
| SURFCURV | 5: magnet, hi_side_u, hi_side_v, kind, angle | L^-1 for kind = 0 or 2; L^-2 for kind = 1 | Surface curvature kind = 0, normal curvature kind = 1, Gaussian curvature kind = 2, mean curvature |
| SURFINT | 4: surface, u, v, real | L^2 times units of real | Integral of real times dA over surface dA is the element of area on the surface u and v are Variables real is a Formula descended from u and v. |
| TAN | 1, radian (unitless) | Unitless | Tangent |
| TAND | 1, degree (unitless) | Unitless | Tangent (of angle in degrees) |
| TANH | 1: unitless | unitless | Hyperbolic tangent |
| TPOS | 1, bead or ring | Unitless | t parameter |
| UNITMASS | 1: entity | M for a point ML^-1 for a curve ML^-2 for a surface ML^-3 for a solid |
unit weight property of entity |
| UPOS | 1, magnet or ring | Unitless | u parameter |
| VELOCITY | 3: curve, t, hi_side | Length | Rate of change of arc length with respect to t If t is on a breakpoint, hi_side (0 or 1) controls whether velocity is measured below or above the break. |
| VOLUME | 2: solid, use_sym (0 or 1) | Volume = L^3 | Volume of solid |
| VPOS | 1, magnet or ring | Unitless | v parameter |
| XPOS | 1, point | Length | X coordinate |
| YPOS | 1, point | Length | Y coordinate |
| ZPOS | 1, point | Length | Z coordinate |