For several centuries hulls were defined by paper body planes. Then 2D software appear to define hulls body plan. For few years’ 3D software are used by naval architect to design hulls. Today it is time to design boat in 3D using appropriate CAD software !

Surface Simplification: Merge 100 patches into 1!

If you need to make a CFD Analysis on a boat for instance, you need a proper mesh. To obtain this, you need a good quality surface as an input. One of the common problem with bad surfaces is that they are made of multi-patches. Today, most of the Simulation software use mesh algorithms with boundaries limitation – it means that the mesh elements follows the boundaries of a surface or a solid.

To solve this problem, CATIA Generative Shape Optimizer (GSO) allows you to merge several patches together in only one feature: Surface Simplification. After merging all the patches together, you obtain a clean surface. If necessary you can split this new surface into several controlled patches and design your own boundaries.

In addition, software that are used to make boat give bad shapes in CAD software:

Problem of connexity (C0) in the hull (holes, overlaps)

Patches with singularities

Tangency (C1) defect to allow offsetability

Patches with bumps

If you want to solve these issues, you need to repair manually and heal the surface (connexity) then you need to offset it (tangency).

In this video you will see how to repair a bad surface, simplify it and mesh it. The surface contains too many patches, gaps and overlaps. You will see how to merge these patches together and heal the surface’s defect.

Advanced surface meshing and structural analysis

In the 3DExperience you can Design, Mesh and Simulate in the same platform! In this example, the wind turbine blade has been designed in CATIA Generative Shape Design (surface modeling), mesh and simulate into SIMULIA Structural Scenario application.

The mesh comes just after the surface preparation step. You will see how to mesh a surface with quadratic element using the internal boundaries of the surface.

Then in the structural scenario you can add constraints (fix) and loads (pressure) to the model. Execute a static step and you can observe the different plots (Von Mises stress, displacement, deformation, etc.). You can also animate the simulation and record it.

Here is the video that shows you the full process of meshing an simulation in the 3DExperience.

We provide these courses!

CATIA Hull reconstruction (2Days)



This course will give you a flying start with GSD. It’s perfect for advanced CAD and CAE-Engineers who are looking to repair surfaces with damages (bumps, holes, overlaps, etc.). You’ll get an introduction of repairing boat’s hulls using GSD, Freestyle and Healing assistant workbenches. After 2 days, you will know best-practices for how to import files from other software, analyze and repair bad shapes and simplify the geometry. We will also work together to help you answering your questions about your own projects.

If you are interested, find all the brochure here: CATIA Hull Reconstruction (2days) brochure

CATIA Advanced Meshing Tools (2Days)

This course is the rest of the Hull reconstruction methodology. It’s perfect for advanced CAD and CAE-Engineers who are looking to mesh complex surfaces. You’ll get and introduction of partitioning a surface in GSD and meshing it in Advanced Meshing Tools workbench. After 2 days, you will know best-practices for how to prepare a surface (partitioning and simplification) before meshing it. We will also work together to help you answering your questions about your own projects.

If you are interested, find all the brochure here: CATIA Advanced Meshing Tools (2days) brochure