TheaterFire

If you ever thought you should make a 3d model of your boat -- this is at least 10 hours in and isn't much of a boat yet.

Posted by foilrider@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 22 comments

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22 Comments

hilomania@reddit

I'm waiting on an overcast day to take a bunch of pictures to build a 3D model of my boat. It would be cool to print out as OP suggested for his model, but I really want it to figure out a major refit of my cabin and cabin entrance as well as the interior. It would be nice to mock it all up and walk / sit / lie down etc... in VR. It would allow me to visualize in a useful way where the lines and cleats would go, how difficult is it to get in and out, or move around. etc...
View on Reddit #13030707

foilrider@reddit (OP)

I'm curious how it goes. With consumer level lidar and photogrammetry, I didn't find it that accurate.
View on Reddit #13031669

hilomania@reddit

I doubt it will be. That's okay, I'm not building from said 3D model, more like a cardboard mock up. Actual refit would happen onto the boat itself with rough dimensions from the mock-up.
View on Reddit #13032067

Ellusive1@reddit

Could you save some time using lidar on your phone to scan the boat?
View on Reddit #12927651

foilrider@reddit (OP)

I did, but it’s not really useful as more than a rough guide. Phone lidar isn’t accurate
View on Reddit #12927963

Ellusive1@reddit

Now I’m curious, how accurate do you need it to be?
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cleverpunnyname@reddit

The problem with LiDAR things I’ve found (I’m a total newb at this) is the point cloud generated by Polycam or something is ultimately only kinda useful. It sees a bunch of rando anomalies that aren’t there and doesn’t have object or straight line recognition that would ultimately help it decrease vertices and make smoother, cleaner, models. The ability to edit the output and /or simplify to tell the machine to Aline these 35,000 points along a straight line of an ibeam(for example) is limited. Again, total newb. But my takeaway so far is it’s easier and faster for me to just build a clean model from scratch.
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foilrider@reddit (OP)

I want to 3D print it a as a desktop model, so not a lumpy mess.
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-The_Nak-@reddit

Have you considered using something like maxsurf? it would probably give you a better product.
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foilrider@reddit (OP)

Looks like a license is $9,000. Not really what I need a a hobbyist.
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-The_Nak-@reddit

Right, licensing costs, its been a minute since ive bought my own software licenses, if youve got any secondary school affiliation, you may be able to get the education edition for free.
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foilrider@reddit (OP)

If you're a professional digital artist or engineer who works in CAD all the time, maybe this will be easier, but a boat is not an easy thing to start your "teach yourself CAD" journey with. ;)
View on Reddit #12924603

LeewardLeeway@reddit

Could Blender be more approachable?
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foilrider@reddit (OP)

Maybe for the modeling, but probably not for the manufacturing.
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strangefolk@reddit

I taught myself CAD and work as a mechanical designer. Surfacing is hard.
View on Reddit #12927526

OregonWoodsChainman@reddit

Every CAD software I've tried has consistently required a month of cussing, minimum.
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ad-undeterminam@reddit

I use to struggle in cad software too. I started modeling boats 5 years ago. I'm only a ship building technician with one failed year of ship architecture. So my design May not be good in anyway. But I have developped a method to quickly design accurate boats in blender. It's no cad software but it has the adventage of being way more flexible. The secret lies with subdivision surface modifier, shift+E to flatten faces that need to be flat, miror modifier (symetry, obviously better when you're designing a boat), and the boolean fonction to creat hulls and other hollow blocs using différence, and stiffeners as well as the all interior éléments with intersect. Would take more time to explain but that's the basic of it.
View on Reddit #12954959

whyrumalwaysgone@reddit

If it makes you feel better, I worked on a boat where they did a 3D scan and model of the engine room to replace the engines. Took the most prestigious marine architect firm in the US around $60k and 2 months. The final result was almost 2" off, which is hilariously awful when aligning engines. 3D modeling is hard, apparently. This was 4 years ago and I think they are still dragging out a lawsuit, good times
View on Reddit #12953659

PooFlingerMonkey@reddit

Nice. I’ve got most of the components of my boats plugged in to Fusion 360, It’s a lot of work, but worth it for me.
View on Reddit #12937874

yowhywouldyoudothat@reddit

Do you mind explaining what/how you’ve done it? I have scanned and measured a lot of the interior parts (cabinets, galley, head, settees etc) but waiting for the next haul out to take a crack at LIDAR scanning the hull with my phone. Given the movement of the boat in the water LIDAR has not been kind to me and was hoping for ncw its on the hard I’ll get better results.
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PooFlingerMonkey@reddit

Model the bulkheads and create a loft between them. I built a solid from that and then start cutting blocks of it out for the cockpit, etc.
View on Reddit #12943794

Cease-the-means@reddit

I made a parametric model for a simple sampan once, using grasshopper/dynamo. (Means literally 'three planks' so it was generated with three curved faces). The idea was to be able to move sliders for length, width, transom position etc. and then it projected the curved faces onto flat drawings, that you could use to cut plywood.
View on Reddit #12925775