Swiftcraft News

HydroComp, Inc. was established in 1984 to provide powering analysis services to naval architects and shipbuilders. Best known for its award-winning NavCad software, HydroComp is regarded as the premier source for performance prediction software, consulting, and knowledge. The firm’s offerings include NavCad, NavCad Premium, PropCad, PropCad Premium, PropElements, PropExpert, SwiftCraft, and SwiftTrial software. The firm has 8 employees. Sometimes the least sophisticated vehicle is the hardest to analyze. With respect to resistance, this is definitely the case with barges.

HydroComp, Inc. began as a business venture in 1984 to meet the specific needs of naval architects and shipbuilders in the area of resistance and power predictions. Thirty years later, HydroComp has grown into a multifaceted corporation with clients from design to construction to academia in more than 60 countries. Founded in 1984 in New Hampshire, U.S. by Jill Aaron (Managing Director) and Donald MacPherson (Technical Director), HydroComp was a pioneer in the very specific area of applied hydrodynamics. This focus shaped a line of unique naval architectural software packages beginning with our flagship product NavCad, and which now include SwiftCraft, PropExpert, PropCad, SwiftTrial and most recently, PropElements.

SwiftCraft is a designer's tool for speed and power prediction of propeller-driven monohull vessels under 250 ft. SwiftCraft had been developed specifically for designers and builders of motor yachts, patrol craft, small ships, supply vessels, ferries and other transit craft. SwiftCraft employs advanced parametric prediction capabilities. Modeled on web navigation, it is ideal for new users where a rapid learning curve is important and the time needed to complete a project must be minimized. •    New report viewer - A new integrated report viewer provides enhanced reporting options, including direct to PDF, as well as export to RTF (for word processing) and CSV (for spreadsheets). •    Effect of shaft angle - High shaft angles can greatly affect a propeller's thrust and torque.

Twenty-five years ago HydroComp was formed with a mission to provide naval architects and ship builders with resistance and propulsion analysis solutions. HydroComp was formed as a corporation in 1984 by Jill Aaron, Managing Director, and Donald MacPherson, Technical Director. This partnership continues to direct HydroComp's evolution and growth. HydroComp now serves software customers and consulting clients in over 50 countries. NavCad is still HydroComp's flagship product, with users in all corners of the world from design to construction to academia. In addition to NavCad, HydroComp's software products grew to include PropExpert, PropCad, and SwiftCraft programs for propeller sizing & analysis, propeller CAD, and resistance and powering.

Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC) has developed a complete CAD/CAM suite to meet the CAD/CAM needs in marine vessel design and construction, including two key programs in the CAD/CAM suite: Autostructure 3.0 and Production Manager 3.0. Autostructure and Production Manager are key components in the Autoship CAD/CAM suite, offering shipyards complete solutions in structural design, pre-construction drawing preparation and part nesting. Autostructure is used to create a 3D model of a vessel structure and to output the parts of that model in CAD format. The CAD representation can be used either to prepare construction drawings or for input to NC cutting processors.

The early 1980s witnessed the birth of the first generation Autohydro by Coastdesign Inc. (now called Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC)). Autohydro was one of a very few PC-based first principles stability and longitudinal strength programs available on the market of the day. Running in DOS, Autohydro quickly became world-renowned as a robust, dependable design and analysis tool for the creation of trim and stability books. Even today, some users of these early versions of Autohydro call ASC asking for advice. Since those early times, ASC has continued to improve Autohydro. The most recent release, Autohydro 6.0, includes many new features that hundreds of naval architects around the world rely on for their hydrostatic and strength calculations.