a u t o s h i p

Tel: (604) 254-4171

Systems Corporation

Fax: (604) 254-5171

Suite 312 - 611 Alexander St
Vancouver, BC V6A 1E1 CANADA

www.autoship.com

Autostructure the easy way to create the

internal structure of your ship
Autostructure is used to create a 3D model of vessel structure and to output the
parts of that model in CAD format. The CAD representation can be used either to
prepare construction drawings or for input to NC cutting processors.
Autostructure utilizes an Autoship-generated hull and/or superstructure and can
also include the shell plate information created in Autoplate. (Autoship and
Autoplate are programs from Autoship Systems.)
Every aspect of Autostructure was designed to allow parts to be created quickly and with
minimal input. While there is a general workflow, no set ways or sequences are forced
upon the user, thus enabling maximum productivity with minimum effort. Since parts can
be generated rapidly, mistakes can be quickly and easily remedied. Also, if a part is
changed or moved, Autostructure can update the affected structure for you, saving you
time and effort.
The tools that Autostructure provides are:
1) A part database with a powerful categorization system
2) The ability to rapidly cut parts to the shell and/or each other
3) Sophisticated 2D part editing
4) Comprehensive CAD output
5) Extensive reporting capabilities
6) A user-expandable Material library
Autostructure is built on top of SQL Server 7 Microsofts most powerful database
system. As delivered, Autostructure can support up to five users either in a client-server
or peer-to-peer network. For more than five users, a full SQL Server system should be
purchased separately. Autostructure allows the user to set up a hierarchical system to
organise the model. Three examples are: i) by actual structure i.e.
ring/block/module/subassembly; or ii) by designer: each designer could be assigned
his/her own, separate assembly, which could be further subdivided, and would be able
access the other designers work; or iii) by material: for a repair job, the user might want
to group individual parts by material type, i.e. material/size/profile/grade. Also, for each
project, Autostructure provides the user with the ability to set up a Permissions scheme
that controls which operations each designer is allowed to perform.
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Autostructure provides several different methods for creating parts. Each one is quick,
simple and straightforward. Autostructure also includes special tools that speed up the
part-making process, such as the ability to rapidly copy the details (stiffeners, cutouts,
openings and markings) from one part to another or to quickly subdivide a large part into
the separate plates from which it would be fabricated. Additionally, each time a part is
trimmed at the hull or another part, a weld path is automatically created along the
trimmed edge. The weld paths can be used to generate weld relief cutouts on other parts
and can be included in weight and scheduling reports.
Autostructure uses AutoCAD 2000 (or later) for all 2D editing functions. Special tools
allow the user to easily attach and edit stiffeners, swiftly generate openings, stiffener
cutouts and markings and also to perform Boolean operations. Of course, all the usual
AutoCAD functionality is available as well.
All CAD output is transferred directly into AutoCAD. Three different formats are available:
i) a 2D array of selected part outlines with cutouts and markings, i.e. the typical
information which would be sent to an NC-cutting processor and/or nesting program; ii) a
2D presentation of parts, such as a cross section which would be used to prepare
construction or classification drawings; and iii) 3D output to use for 3D drawings to show
the relationships of parts or crucial construction details, and to be used as input by other
programs. Extensive control is provided for output, such as layer creation, size and
depth of cross-section and type of stiffener marking.
Autostructure can generate many different reports, such as Weights and Centres, Bill Of
Materials and Weld reports. The output is sent to Crystal Reports, which allows the
presentation to be completely customized with minimum effort. Optionally, hull plate
information created in Autoplate can be added to the Autostructure model and then
included in reports. This means, for example, that a centre of gravity report for a subassembly can include the weight and centre of the shell plates, thus allowing the user to
prepare a proper lifting arrangement for the structure.
Autostructure maintains a library of materials that includes material type, plate thickness,
extrusions (stiffener profiles), flat bars and finishes (for rendering purposes). As each
part the user creates is assigned properties from the library, consistency of material for
all parts is guaranteed. The material library is user-expandable and provides for easy
input of new material and profiles.
The ship model appearing in the following pages was created to show how some of the
modelling operations performed in Autostructure are carried out. Most pages include an
indication of the time spent performing the operation. The total number of parts created
and the total time taken to create the model is detailed near the end of the presentation.

Project Manager is a separate program that is used to manage the project database. As indicated
by the large number of tabs, Project Manager allows many aspects of the database to be
managed from one convenient application.
One of the main functions of Project Manager is to create new Autostructure projects. In this view,
we have already selected an Autoship project, had Project Manager set up the database, and are
now setting up the Permissions for that project. The next step will be to establish automatic
backup schedules. Total time to create a new project: about 5 minutes.

The Bulkhead Placement dialogue is used to quickly establish the locations of transverse
watertight bulkheads. To provide guidance for bulkhead placement, the dialogue can also
calculate and display floodable length curves and 1:1 lines.
In this view, we have positioned our bulkheads by clicking the Create Bulkhead button and then at
the frame locations (the vertical dashed lines). We can compare the 1:1 lines with the Floodable
length curve and reposition the bulkhead accordingly. When a satisfactory layout has been
achieved, well click Make Parts to have the program cut each bulkhead to the hull, complete with
data on bevel angles. Well also use this information to help produce our General Arrangement
drawing. Total time: about 5 minutes, plus the floodable length curve calculation time, which
varies with the hull form.

The Global Layout dialogue was designed to allow rapid generation of large structural parts that
lie in one of the three principal planes. In an efficient two-step process, part locations are quickly
established by indicating their position on a set of grid lines, and then all the parts are
sequentially cut in a single operation. As each part is cut, it is automatically trimmed to the hull
and any surrounding previously cut parts. The frame grid is set by the Autoship project, the deck
and longitudinal grids are set with the controls at right. A special magnification window (the
square overlay) is available to help choose among closely spaced grid lines.
In this view, weve set three deck grid lines and two longitudinal grid lines and have laid out the
positions of a several longitudinal bulkheads and double bottoms - they appear in red and are
just about to position a tank top. The orange lines are the bulkheads we created in the previous
step, the Bulkhead Placement dialogue. Next, well click Make Parts to have the parts cut. Total
time about 10 minutes.

The main screen features an OpenGL viewer for graphical representation of the model and a
Browser for navigating the assembly and part hierarchy. Either, or both may be displayed in
several different configurations. The Viewer provides many separate tools for zoom, pan, view,
rotate, lighting, cut-away and fog (the further a part is from the viewpoint, the more it is obscured)
making it easy to see the structure as you want. The user has complete control over how the
hierarchy is arranged, thus allowing for a meaningful and job-specific system to be set up.
Autostructures main tools are always within easy reach along the top in the menu bar and tool
bar.
In this view, the Viewer is at its default position at right, and the Browser is on the left. In the
Browser, weve selected all the parts created thus far by clicking on the upper-most assembly,
Main. In the Viewer, we have rotated the model to look down from above, starboard.

Autostructure features a separate program, Report Manager, for generating reports. Several
report types, such as Weights and Centres, Bill Of Materials and Welds are available. The report
format may be customized using Crystal Reports. The Report Manager uses the same Browser
as Autostructure in order to allow easy selection of the parts to be included in the report. Reports
may be printed directly and/or saved to disk.
In this view, were looking at the last page of a weight summary for the entire structure weve
created so far.

The 2D editor is used for adding details such as cutouts, openings, stiffeners and markings to flat
parts. Weve made part editing easy by incorporating AutoCAD and adding some special tools for
working on Autostructure parts. Autostructure maintains a user-expandable library of material and
extrusions, thus ensuring consistency of material and type for all parts.
In this view, weve brought a transverse frame into the 2D editor and then attached horizontal
stiffeners, created lightening holes between the stiffeners and added flat bars to the edges of the
openings. Total time for this frame about 10 minutes.

To save time when making parts, weve created the Copy Panel Configuration dialogue. This
allows you to copy the details (openings, stiffeners, cutouts and markings) from one flat part to
similar flat parts. The settings at the right provide easy control over which details to copy.
In this view, were copying the five openings, the five face bars and the four stiffeners from part Tr
FRM Fr 69 to part Tr FRM Fr 70. Time to copy these details to ~40 other frames, about 6 minutes.

This view shows one of the central blocks that has been considerably detailed. There are 89 Flat
plates, 881 Extrusions, 1008 Flat Bars and 2135 welds. Total operator time to make these
transverse frames, floors, shell stiffeners, double bottom stiffeners and bulkhead stiffeners was
about four hours.

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The Panel Subdivision dialogue is used to cut a large part into the separate plates from which it
will be constructed. Controls which set the plate size, pattern and origin allow for fast subdivision
of the part. Additionally, parts can be re-submitted to be subdivided again.

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The Subdivision Preview shows the resulting layout of plates and lets you change the thickness
of any of them. Each plate becomes a new, separate part, and the program also creates the
welds between the plates.
Subdivision may also be made along curves which you create in an AutoCAD editing session.
Time to subdivide one part, ~ 2 minutes.

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All Autostructure CAD output can be export directly to AutoCAD as drawings. Three different
formats, each having many options, are available and enable you to easily produce drawings to
your own standards. Drawings exist as 1:1 scale in Model Space, allowing you to work easily with
the parts.
In this view, weve exported two parts for NC-cutting preparation. As the text, outlines and
markings all exist on different layers, it is a simple task to select the appropriate entities to send to
the NC processor.

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The material manager, which is integrated into Autostructure, is used to create new materials,
plate types, extrusions, flat bars and finishes (finishes are used for rendering). Autostructure
arrives with most common materials, plate thickness and stiffener and flat bar shapes already
included in the library. Having one common library ensures that the material type, plate thickness
and stiffener profiles used throughout the project will be consistent.

Autostructure: Features List

3-tier database system based on SQL Server 7

A tree-view/list-view browser provides a user interface to the database.

A viewer based on OpenGL provides visualization.

Bulkhead layout with or without internally calculated floodable lengths curves.

A global layout module in which sheet parts parallel to the principle planes are
created, with automatic trimming to adjacent parts.

General plane flat plate parts

A parametric web frame design option is provided in the global layout module.

When cut to a shell, the bevel angle at which each boundary segment meets the
shell is retained and can be exported.
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Flat parts can be edited. This is done by using AutoCAD 2000 as an auxiliary
program. Parts geometry is transferred programmatically to and from AutoCAD. A
custom toolbar provides access to functions specialized to part editing.

Within the editor face stiffeners and edge stiffeners can be created and located.

Extrusions can have parametrically specified end shapes.

New materials, sheet types, extrusions, flat bars and finishes can be created.
Extrusion cross section editing is supported.

Parts can be created by reflecting existing parts across the centre line.

Stiffeners can be created along curves embedded in the shell surfaces.

Interference with flat parts and extrusions can be detected and displayed in
dialogues. the user may then choose corrective action.

Welds are automatically generated where parts are cut to the shell, where parts
are cut to other parts and along extrusion paths.

Details, including openings, marks and stiffeners, can be copied from one part to
other similar parts and their mirrors by a mouse click.

Large parts can be subdivided to the size of available stock. Marks and stiffener
information are copied to each new part. The division can be along user-edited
marks or on a grid.

Part properties editor with detection of part invalidations

Regeneration of invalidated parts

Autoplate projects can be incorporated into the Autostructure database.

Parts may be exported directly into AutoCAD 2000 for drawing preparation,
nesting and NC cutting, or other purposes. Three export types are supported: 2d
parts, 2d assembly and 3d.

Inverse bending curves for extrusions optional in part export.

The separate Report Manager program provides 4 report types. New report types
are easily added.

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Importation of penetration reports from Rebis AutoPLANT piping design

program, display of the data and production of a report of Autostructure user
actions.

Archiving of complete projects for exchange and long-term storage.

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