Majors changes to the WMG interface

GHS Enhancer

PartMaker Enhancer

Geometry File Modeler

Chart View

EditX

Midship Section Calculator

Extractor

About the GHS System

Installation Notes and Update Information

WMG 3.0 UPGRADE NOTE

Majors changes to the WMG interface:

Previous versions of WMG provided an integrated set of tools accessed from a toolbar. With theintroduction of Windows 98 however, the toolbar feature became extraneous since Windows 98 includeshighly customizable user-defined toolbars. In addition, some users did not want to spend money for toolsthey did not need. For these reasons, WMG 4.0 has evolved into a suite of separate programs which canbe purchased separately or as a group.

Some modules present in earlier versions of WMG have been eliminated, and others added. Thefollowing lists explain the interface changes:

Eliminated:• Interface to Section Editor: The Geometry File Modeler module (formerly the Viewer) provides the

same functionality as Section Editor in a wholly Windows format.• Printer Interface: The Geometry File Modeler module (formerly the Viewer) prints geometry files, the

ChartView module (formerly Charting) prints GHS graphic files, and the EditX module (formerly TextEditor) prints text files. The Printing module is therefore no longer needed.

• GHS Help: The separate GHS help access engine has be relocated into both GHS Enhancer andPartMaker Enhancer.

Added:• Midship Section Calculator: Calculates section properties of hull and other complex sections.

GHS Enhancer

General HydroStatics (GHS) is a general purpose 16 bit DOS or 32 bit Windows stability programdeveloped and licensed by Creative Systems, Inc.. GHS has become the personal computer stabilitystandard since its introduction in 1984, by virtue of its rich feature set and unrivaled power. Both versionsof GHS use the command entry style ofinterface, similar to old DOS commands. The reason for this approach is that it allows a far largercommand set than can be implemented in a menu interface.

There are, however, a significant number of frequently used command combinations. GHS Enhancer(GHSE) is an interface that adds menu functionality and other enhancements to the General HydroStatics(GHS), Basic HydroStatics (BHS), and Basic Hydrostatics Yacht (BHSY) programs by Creative SystemsInc. when operating in the following environments:DOS GHS/BHS/BHSY under Windows 95/98Windows GHS/BHS/BHSY under Windows 95/98/NT 4

The GHS Enhancer also solves a long-standing problem with running GHS in Windows - setting thecurrent directory. When launching GHS Enhancer, you will first be prompted to select the working folder,which defaults to the last folder accessed by any of the WMG components. The current folder name isthen inserted into the new window’s title bar, so you always know where you are.

In GHS Enhancer, both menus and typed commands are supported. The most commonly usedcommands are contained in menus, and any other commands may be typed into the GHS window, or runfrom standard run files.When running files from GHS Enhancer's file menu, macro names and function key assignments areautomatically placed into menus.

In addition to GHS Enhancer's other features, it also provides direct access to GHS's on line help library,and includes searching features not available anywhere else.

PartMaker Enhancer

PartMaker Enhancer (PME) is an interface that adds menu functionality and other enhancements to thePart Maker program by Creative Systems Inc. when operating in the following environments:

DOS Part Maker under Windows 95/98Windows Part Maker under Windows 95/98/NT 4 (PartMaker for Windows is under development byCreative Systems)

The Part Maker program lacks the menu driven interface which makes using Windows programs so mucheasier. PartMaker Enhancer extends Part Maker with the addition of menus and other dialogs, whichmakes it much easier to use.

In PartMaker Enhancer, both menus and typed commands are supported. The most commonly usedcommands are contained in menus, and any other commands may be typed into the Part Maker window,or run from standard run files.

In addition to PartMaker Enhancer's other features, it also provides direct access to Part Maker's on linehelp library, and includes searching features not available anywhere else.

Geometry File Modeler

The Geometry File Modeler creates, displays, and edits geometry files. The GHS modeling system useda hierarchical system of "parts", "components", and "shapes". Parts are composed of one or morecomponents. For example, the HULL part may be composed of the basic hull component, a skegcomponent, a bulb component, and a deducting bow thruster component. Components are pointers toshapes, and provide information on the side, effectiveness, and reference point. Shapes contains thebasic coordinate geometry. A single shape may be referenced by several components. For example, asump's shape may be used as a component of a wet hold, and also a deducting component from the tankunderneath.

A typical display is shown below, showing the standard three views (profile, plan & axonometric) inresizable panes. Each view pane may be zoomed independently. A drop list of model parts is presentedin the upper left corner. Next to that is the components drop list, which contains the components of thecurrently displayed part. The Render menu allows visualization of 3-dimensional part surfaces, as shownin the example below. The buttons at the bottom control part & component selection, rotation (360degrees both horizontally and vertically), section selection, and point selection.

Main features include:Multiple documents interface can open several geometry files & shape editor sessions simultaneously.Manipulate all geometry file model data without using a text editor.Import and export shape geometry using OFE or OF4 file formats.Export AutoCAD(R) DXF files in 2-D or 3-D format.Use the Part Editor to copy components from part to part.Use the Component Editor to change a component’s shape assignment.Use the 3-D Shape Editor to enter & modify coordinate data, and cut waterlines & buttock lines.Copy images of your models to the clipboard for pasting into documents.Colors may be user defined, or the standard white or black backgrounds schemes may be used.Automatically remove excess coordinate data to increase GHS computation speed.Cut buttocks and waterlines into shapes.Add parallel mid-body plugs with keel drag.Scale & shift your model in any direction, which is helpful in the early design stage when vesseldimensions are being determined.And when you’re all done, render your geometry file in stunning 3-D for a realistic view of your model.

Chart View

The Charting module displays and prints GHS graphics (.PF/.GRP) files, such as Maximum VCG curves,Righting Arms, etc.. Its capabilities include options for selecting the principal axis data & orientation, andshowing or hiding curves. It can even merge different plots together!

Reads & displays GHS™ generated charts (both text and chart pages)Select the data set you want to use for the principal axis, and its directionSelect the data set (curves) you want to displayIndividually re-scale the displayed curves (new!)Export charts in AutoCAD™ DXF format (new!)Export charts in Rich Text Format (RTF), readable by most word processing programs (new!)Copy charts to the clipboardSave your customizations to file (new!)Select the fonts, display format, margins, colors, and page orientation

One of the great benefits afforded by ChartView is the ability to generate reports completely within yourcomputer with its export features. In combination with word processing or page layout programs, an entirereport can be assembled in a single computer file. Contrast that with the typical piles of printouts!

EditX

EditX is a text editor primarily used for creating and editing text command files for use with scientificapplications.It is similar in functionality to Microsoft's® NotePad™ that comes with Windows, except that it candisplay multiple files simultaneously, and can handle very large files.

In addition to the standard editing features, EditX allows you to turn off or on word wrapping, and allowsyou to specify which file extensions your want to associate with EditX.And the best part... Its free with the purchase of any other WMG module!

Midship Section Calculator

Visual Systems Workshop is proud to present Midship Section Calculator version 1.0, which calculatessectional properties of ship cross sections in a CAD-like environment. Why calculate section propertieswith spreadsheets, which leave you guessing if you included everything? MSC’s graphic interfacecontinually shows you what you have included. If you are performing ship design or salvage tasks, MSCis the tool you need!

Although primarily intended as a tool for calculating properties of large composite sections, MSC can alsobe used to calculate simple beam & plate combinations. With the capability to rotate sections, unusualbeam combinations can also be evaluated.

Sections can be built very quickly by using the included library of structural shapes. Additional shapesmay be added to the library using the built-in Shape Tool. Inserted shapes can be rotated to any angle,mirrored, and optionally snapped to the side of any plate.Plates are defined by their endpoints, thickness, and molded line convention. A plate sequencing toolmakes it easy to insert an entire sequence of plates, which can be used to create the shell plating. Platescan be optionally snapped to other plate’s endpoints or sides.An abundance of construction tools make it easy to copy, array, and mirror shape and plate elements. Forexample, an entire deck can be constructed in three steps: (1) insert the deck plating, (2) insert the firstshape, then (3) make multiple copies of the first shape. You can also change the units on the fly betweeninches, feet, millimeters, centimeters, or meters.

Extractor

Many programs produce extensive amounts of text output, which repeats in an organized manner.Extractor is used for extracting tabular data from such text output files, using user-defined searchparameters. Extracted data can then be moved to a spreadsheet type program for further analysis.Some Spreadsheet type programs can read text files, and even organize the data into cells. In manycases this is much more than you want. With Extractor, you specify which specific data you want, andignore the rest. For example, consider the following text output from a vessel stability program:

Using Extractor, you could easily extract a spreadsheet table such as this:DraftTrimDisplacementGMT11.819Fwd 0.52448.839.7011.182Fwd 0.60394.4410.08

Extractor's key features include:

A simple interfaceConfiguration wizardsData sortingData charting via file output in GRP (chart) format

You define what data you want extracted by specifying key words to look for (such as "Total Weight"), therow and column offset from the key word to the extraction text, and the number of characters to extract.You may also have Extractor search for the start of the nearest word to the extraction position, for thecase when the column offset is not constant. To extract entire tables, the Row Count may be set greaterthan 1. New in version 4.0 is the Configuration Wizard, which allows you to preview the file you will beextracting from, and simply select a sample Search Text and sample Extraction Text.

About the GHS System

GHS by Creative Systems Inc. has become the personal computer stability analysis standard since itsintroduction in 1984, by virtue of its rich feature set and unrivaled power. Recent improvements havereconfigured GHS to a 32 bit Windows program, however it remains tied to its DOS roots with its lack ofWindows menus. The GHSEnhancer module of WMG 4.0 adds Windows menus and other useful commands to both the 16 bit andthe 32 bit GHS programs.The GHS system by Creative Systems includes General Hydrostatics (GHS), Basic Hydrostatics (BHS &BHS/Yacht), Part Maker (PM), Section Editor (SE), Report Generator (RG), Print-Plot Utility (PP), andModel Converter (MC). The intent of WMG is to pick up where the GHS system leaves off, providing thetype of tools you have asked for.

Installation Notes and Update Information

Date of issue : 10 June 1996

(Release Notes for Windows Manager for GHS, Version 2.0)Installation NotesThe distribution disk is arranged to run on Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11, or Windows 95. You must have acopy of VER.DLL in your Windows/System directory (folder) for the setup program to work correctly (thisis automatically installed as part of Windows, so you should have it by default). You will also need a copyof the Windows system file COMMDLG.DLL in your Windows\System directory (folder). This file isautomatically installed as part of Windows, so you should have it by default.

To upgrade an earlier installation disc (ex Version 2.001) to version 2.002 : begin by making a back-upcopy of your original disc. Then copy the following files from this disc to your earlier installation disc :Setup.exe, Setup1.ex_, Setup.BM_, Setup.inf, Vswwmg2.ex_ . Finally, rerun the installation.

If you encounter dfifficulties, please contact Design Systems by fax with a descripyion of the problem.We are aware of undocumented (by Microsoft) inconsistencies between the various Windows operatingsystems, and your cooperation will help in making future releases more impervious to Microsoft’sshortcomings. We also report such problems to Microsoft.

v2.001A new command has been added to the Viewer's Edit menu, called "Swap Transverse & Vertical". Someconversion programs generate GHS geometry files with the transverse and vertical coordinates reversed.This command will reverse ALL transverse and vertical coordinates, including section data, referencepoints, sounding tubes, component shift vectors, and critical points.

v2.002The version 2.002 installation disc has a new SETUP.EXE program which automatically takes care of anyVER.DLL redundancies, which may have generated error messages in earlier installations.The Extractor's Configure Column dialog now includes the item "Row Count". This is the number ofconsecutive rows to extract from, which allows extraction of entire tables. Set this to one (1) to extract asingle value.A new "Debug Mode" has been added to the WMG settings dialog. This expands the Manager window toinclude a text area, which displays debugging information. At present, only a few routines displaydebugging data. Additional information will be added when un-reproducable bugs are reported. Thissetting should be set to false unless you have been instructed by VSW to set this to true.

In GHS and PartMaker launch directory dialog, you may now select a file to immediately run.In the Toolbox, an information line which describes the function of the button under the cursor has beenadded.In the Toolbox, added the capability to add other executable programs, up to a total of 5 programs.Access via Toolbox system menu, "Add Program Button" menu item.

v2.010Release Notes for Windows Manager for GHS, Version 2.0 11/21/96

Installation Notes

Your distribution disk is arranged to run on Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11, or Windows 95. You must havea copy of VER.DLL in your Windows/System directory (folder) for the setup program to work correctly(this is automatically installed as part of Windows, so you should have it by default).You will also need a copy of the Windows system file COMMDLG.DLL in your Windows\System directory(folder). This file is automatically installed as part of Windows, so you should have it by default.

# $ K +

WMG 3.0 UPGRADE NOTE

Dear WMG user,

We are pleased to inform you that WMG 3.0 is now available for distribution.

Some of the most apparent new features found in WMG 3.0 are :

Ø support for Windows95 and WindowsNT 4.0Ø full 32 bit execution speedØ remarkably faster GHS execution speed under WindowsØ new charting module for displaying and printing GHS graphic report filesØ updated and more powerful shape editor (for modification of components)Ø support of international decimal separators (fixes an annoying Windows/VB

bug)Ø display of critical points in the Viewer moduleØ support of long file names with GHSØ support of margin line in GHS .GF files

As usual, the presentation demo version of WMG 3.0 can be dowloaded from the Visual Systemshomepage found at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/vsw. Upon request, we can alsoship a copy on floppy discs.

Of course, WMG 3.0 will be displayed on the IMSA booth # Z230 at EUROPORT 97, AmsterdamRAI, 17-23 November 1997. Our telephone number at EUROPORT 97 is +31-20-504 3304.

The upgrade is available for $ 249, including master discs, a new manual and shipping costs.Payment is accepted by wire transfer and credit card, and an invoice will be issued upon receipt oforder.

Much as this newest update has proven to be yet another step in making work with GHS easierand more productive, we do encourage and welcome constructive comments and criticism to helpus continue developing the right software for you the end user.

Sincerely,

DESIGN SYSTEMS & TECHNOLOGIES

# WMG_3.0$ WMG 3.0 UPGRADE NOTEK WMG 3.0+ WMG:0