Create a New Design

To create a new design there are no mandatory files.

Note: The general particulars, frame table, units and axes are taken from the current project defaults.

Create a new design for a conventional vessel

1. Execute the system command to start Surface.

2. The user should now create an empty design and obtain the hullform for the vessel. This can be imported as either a Hull Form (a DML file) created by Lines or as Offset Data (a Britfair file). Use the pulldown menu sequences FILE \ NEW followed by one of FILE \ USE \ HULL FORM... or FILE \ USE \OFFSET DATA.

   When using a Hull Form (DML file), the general particulars may be available, and may be used as the basis for the new design.

3. If modifications are required to the general particulars, select TOOLS \ OPTIONS and select the General Particulars tab. The user can either enter the values manually or read a GPF file by clicking the Import button. Once the general particulars have been entered, select Apply.

   If the user had created a surface definition of a hullform using another system that used ACIS, then that hullform could be imported as a SAT file by selecting FILE \ IMPORT \ ACIS SAT FILE \ GENERAL. The user would then have to specify the general particulars, if they differ from the project values.

4. To create a new design for an entirely geometric vessel the user should start Surface as before then specify the general particulars.

5. Having created a new design, the user may also redefine the required axis convention, station range and frame table by selecting TOOLS \ OPTIONS and entering data on the Axis, Units and Frame Table pages.

   Note: When working with a design in Surface, the system does not automatically save the design. Thus the user should regularly save the design by selecting FILE \ SAVE. The design can at any stage be renamed by selecting FILE \ SAVE AS.