Autoship 10.3: Professional Ship Design, Hull Modeling & Hydrostatic Analysis Software

Autoship 10.3 is a comprehensive CAD/CAM software solution for vessel design, hydrostatic analysis, and production planning, developed by Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC) of Vancouver, Canada. The software utilizes NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline) mathematics—the high-end CAD standard for surface modeling—to enable precise definition of curved surfaces such as hulls, decks, and appendages. This advanced surface modeling allows designers to create complex hull forms with parametric control and perform geometric edits in real-time.

The software provides a complete integrated CAD/CAM approach from hull design through to NC cutting, using the same 3D model throughout all design stages to ensure the highest degree of accuracy when final plates are cut. It is widely used for generating shop drawings, basic design plans, hydrostatic calculations, and stability assessments. The software has been tested on Windows 10 64-bit by the manufacturer and is Windows 11 compatible.

???? Primary Users

This professional ship design and engineering software is designed for:

Naval Architects & Marine Engineers performing hull design, hydrostatic analysis, and stability calculations for all vessel types
Shipyards & Boat Builders generating production-ready shop drawings, shell expansion plates, and NC cutting files
Yacht Designers & Small Craft Builders creating complex curved hull forms with NURBS surface modeling
Structural Designers designing internal structures including bulkheads, stringers, and flanges perfectly fitted to the hull form
Classification & Regulatory Authorities reviewing stability documentation compliant with Lloyds, DNV, ABS, and US/Canadian Coast Guard standards

⚡ Key Features & Capabilities

???? NURBS Surface Modeling & Hull Design

Core Modeling Engine:

NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline) mathematics for precise surface definition
Create any hull shape from racing yachts to super tankers, including superstructures and appendages
Parametric control of complex hull geometries with real-time geometric editing
Curve and surface knot redistribution for refined control

Fairing & Analysis Tools:

Curvature displays for curves and surfaces, including Gaussian curvature visualization (red = convex, green = concave)
Curve and surface fairing operations for smooth hull lines
Developable surface generation with ability to export flattened surfaces
Surface-to-surface intersection with trimming capabilities
Optional display compression in X direction aids fairing

???? Hydrostatics & Stability Analysis (Autohydro)

Core Hydrostatic Calculations:

Displacement, center of buoyancy, waterlines, and stability coefficients
Intact and damaged stability analyses on 3D vessel models
Probabilistic damage assessment to handle new rules for cargo and passenger vessels
Downflooding angle curves production (protected, unprotected, and critical points)
Longitudinal strength calculations and floodable length calculations

Stability & Compliance:

MARPOL Regulation 23 – Accidental oil outflow performance
MARPOL Regulation 12A – Oil fuel tank protection
Dynamic limit definition and user-defined stability criteria
Output accepted by Lloyds, Det Norske Veritas, ABS, US Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard

Analysis Capabilities:

Interactive conditions (loading, damage, outside forces, wind, high speed turning)
Waves and wind velocity/direction specification
High speed turning and grounding situations
Tank capacities, sounding/ullage tables, and correction table functions

????️ Shell Expansion & Plate Development (Autoplate)

Plate Expansion:

Shell expansion for hull plates using Autoship model
Both developable and non-developable plate expansion calculations
Modern proprietary expansion algorithm for accurate plate layout
Export of flattened surfaces for cutting and forming
Reduces strain and deviation in surface development

????️ Internal Structure Design (Autostructure)

Structural Modeling:

Design internal structures including bulkheads, stringers, and flanges perfectly fitted to hull form
Complete 3D structural model with accurate production output
Removes cut and trim process that many small steel boatbuilders waste time on
Built on Microsoft SQL Server database

Components:

Project Manager – for project management
Autostructure – for design work
Report Manager – for report generation

⚡ Resistance & Powering Prediction (Autopower)

Stand-alone or can use Autoship model
Twelve independent resistance and propulsion methods for variety of hull forms
Powering prediction for all hull types

???? Production & NC Integration

Production Manager:

Material management and nesting using Autostructure model
Automatic best fit to sheet material with leftover material library for future use
Exports nesting drawings and tables into AutoCAD

CNC Integration:

Direct manufacturing data output for cutting and bending machines
NC cutting from hull design through to final plate cutting

???? File Compatibility & Interoperability

Import/Export Formats:

Export & Import DXF and IGES
Export geometry files to Autohydro
Integration with third-party software

CAD/CAM Workflow:

Use same 3D model through all design steps for maximum accuracy
One-button operation to create station contours from baseline data

????️ User Interface & Visualization

Windows 11 Compatible
Metric or imperial units
Four simultaneous views or single view with multiple zoom and pan
OpenGL rendering with walk-through capability
Translucency in rendering
Navigator pane provides tree-view control of model
Ten levels of Undo and Redo

???? What’s New in Version 10.3

Windows 11 Compatibility – Fully supported on Windows 11 operating system
Newly-enhanced Shell Expansion output – Improved plate development algorithms
Enhanced reporting – Create large documents (PDF files only) in Autohydro
Second method added for intermediate steps in stability calculations
MARPOL Regulation 23 & 12A compliance – Accidental oil outflow performance and oil fuel tank protection