Re: FOR NEW POSSIBLE USERS

[otaku]

Just yesterday, I found by chance/accident that I can select a surface or more than one, and “Translate/Move” them. I had a superstructure I wanted to shift forward about 3 meters. On an off chance, i decided to select the port side’s panels (meshes) and moved them. I found that everything worked as I hoped. So, I did the starboard side, too. It really, REALLY helps me to color-code the meshes.

This might violate the intended use of the app and the approach in the professional office, but do not like seeing the hull curvature moving fore and aft when I turn the colors on for the net. I want those lines snugged and contour-following my stations. I use this effect so that I can estimate weight of each sideshell between watertight bulkheads. As I add mass to the sections of the ship, I can calculate or at least collect the data, even though I will not personally know how to calculate bending moments, and so forth. But, at least I can say that along the length of the hull, in this and this and that compartment, the inertia downward is this much. If I am told that my understructure is not sufficient for the mass per square meter, I can then move the mass around within constraints of my design of a compartment, or I can keep it and bolster the underdeck stiffeners and girders.

But, back to color coding. I color the meshes so that I can more rapidly see what lines and curves and surfaces are really background and not part of my moment’s activity. I wish there was a way to hide and unhide objects without going into the Layer interface. I wish that Layers and Reports would not prevent editing the model and that they would provide real-time updates as points are pushed to and fro. It would be great because then I could more quickly determine whether or not my edits improve or worsen the resistance.