Scribd
Upload
59 views6 pages

1.1 The User Interface

The document describes the user interface of the FastShip software which has six main components: pull down menus, toolbars, parts tree, command line, command echo, and prompts. It then demonstrates how to open and view a surface file, including options to change the view orientation, zoom, pan, and rotate. Viewing options like surface visibility, control net display, reference geometry, view layout, and cutting planes are also introduced.

Uploaded by

zhaonan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
59 views6 pages

1.1 The User Interface

The document describes the user interface of the FastShip software which has six main components: pull down menus, toolbars, parts tree, command line, command echo, and prompts. It then demonstrates how to open and view a surface file, including options to change the view orientation, zoom, pan, and rotate. Viewing options like surface visibility, control net display, reference geometry, view layout, and cutting planes are also introduced.

Uploaded by

zhaonan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

1.

1 The User Interface


 The FastShip user interface has six major components:

1. Pull Down Menus: All of the functions are available in the pull-
down menus. Most of these functions can be accessed through the
toolbars.

2. Toolbars: Toolbars are groups of buttons organized by function.


They may be rearranged, undocked, and turned off (use View/Toolbars).

3. Parts Tree: This pane shows a hierarchical view of your model, in


a fashion similar to the Windows?Explorer.

4. Command Line: FastShip is fundamentally command driven. This means


that each function in the pull-down menus and each button has a
corrresponding command that could be typed in the Command Line (there
are a few exceptions to this). As you become more familiar with the
program you may find it quicker sometimes to type a command. Also,
some functions that are initialized with the graphical interface
require you to enter information, which you do on the Command Line.

5. Command Echo: As commands are processed, they are displayed in the


Command Echo area. Watching this area is a good way to learn the
command language.

6. Prompts: As you move the mouse over the buttons or commands in the
pull-down menus, the lower prompt line will display a description of
the function. The upper prompt line displays prompts as commands are
executed.
 1.2 Reading & Displaying a Surface
 Click on the Open button ( )

 Select "demoship.srf"

Your screen should look like the following figure:

The red lines are know as the "surface mesh". They are one way of
displaying the surface, and the lines are computed directly from the
NURBS control points. Notice in the Parts Tree pane, the part "Top"
now has a plus sign next to it.

 Expand the parts tree by clicking on


the plus sign (+). Notice the list of
parts that make up this model;
aftbulwark, fwdbulwark, main hull,
new, and transom (note the symbol
next to "new" is different; this
indicates that the surface "new" is
invisible).

By default, when a new surface is read in, the view is a Profile


view.

 To view the hull in Bodyplan, click on the Bodyplan button ( )


 To view the hull in Profile, click on the Profile button ( )
 To view the hull in Planview, click on the Planview button ( )
 To revert to the previous view, click on the Last button ( )
 To Zoom in, click on the Zoom In button ( ), and draw a box
around the area where you wish to zoom in. Click once for the
first corner, and click again for the second corner. (If you
have a mouse with a wheel, scrolling the wheel will zoom in and
out. Holding SHIFT or CTRL will increase the zoom factor.)
 To fit the entire model into the graphics window, click the Fit
button ( ).
 To pan the view, click on the Pan button ( ), and then click,
hold, and drag the view.
 To rotate the model, click on the Spin button ( ), and click
and drag to rotate to the desired view.
 To toggle to a perspective view, click on the Perspective
button ( ).

1.3 Viewing Options

Surface Visibility

FastShip allows you to view the hull with many different options.
Some of these are controlled with the Surface Visibility toolbar.
From left to right, these buttons turn on or off the following:

Perimeter: The Perimeter is the edge of the surface(s), as well as


any "multiple knots", of multiplicity equal to the degree of the
surface (multiple knots will be described in more detail later, and
are used to create discontinuities in the surface, such as chines or
knuckles).

Sections: These are stations, buttocks, waterlines, cant frames,


diagonals, inclinces, or any other planar section cut through the
surface.

Intersections: The curve resulting from intersecting one surface with


another.

Mesh: As described earlier, isoparametric lines computed directly


from the control points (Net).

Solid: Renders the surface as a continuous, solid surface.

Lights: Highlights the hull with lighting. By default this light is


coming from where you are sitting. Lights are only in effect when
Solid is turned on.

Any or all of these options may be turned on at the same time.


Experiment with various combinations, and spin the hull as described
in Section 1.2.
 

Control Net Display

So far, we have seen the surface, viewed it from different angles,


and rendered it with different representations. But how is the shape
created? As with any spline technique, NURBS curves and surfaces have
control points that define their shape. In FastShip, these control
points are arranged as a series of rows and columns, which together
make up the "Control Net" (sometimes referred to simply as "the net";
the control points are sometimes referred to as "vertices" or
"poles"). The NURBS tutorial will give you a basic understanding of
the mathematics, and the true relationship between the net and the
surface.

For now, you can think of the surface as a "mathematical sheet of


rubber", with the net lying outside of the hull. The surface does
not, in general, pass through any of the control points, but is
attracted in the direction of the control points.

 Turn on the Control Net, by clicking on the Net button.


 Turn on the Surface, by clicking on the Surface button.
 Turn on both, by clicking on the Net + Surface button.
 The TAB key will toggle through Net, Surface, and Net+Surface. Press the TAB key to
see this behavior.

To learn more about the net/surface relationship,

 Click on the Open button, and select the file tutorial_1_3.srf. Your screen should look
like the following figure:

Now spin the surface, and turn on both the net and the surface.
Notice that the surface is "stretched" in the direction of the
control points, but does not pass through them (except at the
corners).

 
Reference Geometry

In addition to the surface and the control net, FastShip can display
a number of different types of reference geometry. These include:

Frame: The frame, which is on by default, shows the coordinate system


as three rectangles representing the X=0, Y=0, and Z=0 planes.

Construction Geometry: With FastShip you can create construction


geometry in the form of markers and lines to help you precisely place
control points.

Offsets: Offset data, in the form of polylines, can be read from an


IDF file and displayed. This is particularly useful if you are trying
to re-create an existing design.

Waterplane: A flat "water surface" is drawn at Z=0 for rendering


purposes. The waterplane only shows when Solid is turned on.

View Layout

So far, we have only seen one view of the surface. FastShip can also
divide the graphics area into two or four viewports, with each
viewport having an independent view of the model.

 Click on the split horizontal button to divide the graphics area into two viewports, split by
a horizontal line

Notice that each viewport has a number in its upper, right-hand


corner. They are numbered 0 through 3, with 3 being the default
viewport for a single viewport. When you switch to the horizontal
split view, you will see viewports 3 and 1. Notice that one of the
numbers is green; this indicates that this viewport is the "active"
viewport, and will be the viewport used for editing. You can change
the active viewport by clicking on the toggle viewport button.

 Click on the four-view button


 Change the active viewport by clicking on the toggle viewport button (CTRL-TAB will
also toggle the active viewport)
Inactive viewports can be used for selection of control points for
editing, or anytime a command is prompting you to select a surface or
other geometry. Note that construction geometry is only shown in the
viewport where it was defined.

Cutting Planes

Sometimes it is helpful to only view a part of the model, and to make


the rest invisible. This can be done by:

-turning off reference geometry

-making individual surfaces invisible (more on this in the next


section)

-using Cutting Planes

A cutting plane is a plane in space beyond which everything is


invisible. The planes are oriented in the three principal directions,
and are called station (X=constant), buttock (Y=constant), and
waterline (Z=constant).

 Insert a station cutting plane by selecting View/Cutting Plane/Station from the pull-down
menu
 Click anywhere in the surface where you want the cutting plane to be inserted
 Click on the side of the cutting plane that you want to remain visible

You may insert more than one cutting plane at a time, to further
reduce the part of the model to be displayed.

 Display the entire model by selecting View/Cutting Plane/Delete.

Cutting planes only affect the display of the model. The surface,
construction geometry, offsets, etc. all still exist, but are just
not drawn.

You might also like