System Philosophy

Compartment is a new software development which is based on a new and extremely powerful geometric modeller which provides you with extensive facilities to define complex internal structures. Compartment uses Surface's graphical user interface which has been designed to allow users to configure the system for their individual needs by creating icons to execute system commands or macros.

Compartment employs the concept of a geometry model upon which operations can be performed to change the state of the model. Compartment is built on top of the 'state of the art' ACIS geometry modeller. ACIS brings together wireframes, surfaces and solids and ACIS bodies can contain any combination of these. Geometries can be bounded, unbounded or semi-bounded and non-manifold bodies can be represented. The internal curve and surface representations are based on non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS).

The definition of the outer surface of the ship can be represented as a single NURBS surface patch consisting of as many polygon points as required, or as a collection of separate patches joined with the required continuity. Compartment uses this definition as a defining envelope and all internal surfaces are constructed within it. However, Compartment can create an internal surface definition within any enclosed solid.

Compartment has access to the powerful visualization facilities and geometric manipulation techniques of Surface. These provide you with the means of defining the most complicated internal arrangements and integrating them with a wide range of dissimilar hullforms.

The system has the following advantages:

• The ability to easily view, access and manipulate the internal surface model interactively in any orthogonal or oblique view. The surface can be viewed simultaneously in multiple windows.

• A new viewing mode (SLICE MODE) has been specifically designed to facilitate quick and trouble-free viewing and manipulation of the internal surface.

• State of the art geometry modelling facilities, incorporating solids, surfaces and wireframes controlled by topology.

• The use of roll back/forward together with the ability to save the model at any stage, provide powerful 'what if' facilities to investigate options.

• Full hidden line and advanced rendering facilities are available.

• A user configurable graphical user interface for ease and efficiency of use.

• System commands can be stored in macros and easily executed. This facility is particular useful for customizing the system.

• The system has 100 layers on which to store and display the geometry model. The layers can be used to advantage for developing, manipulating, interrogating and visualizing the surface model.

• The ability to use an initial surface definition from the Lines systems, or use simple offset data.

• The definition of a unique geometry model for the complete internal surface of the ship to provide a consistent source of information for all downstream activities. This information can be released to the Hydrostatics and Hydrodynamics modules.

The graphical outputs from Compartment are extensive and they include full hidden line removal and advanced rendering using multiple lights and multiple surface appearances. There is also the facility to make a surface transparent so that inner surfaces can be seen through the transparent one.