Creation of hierarchical structure for computerized ship block model based on interconnection relationship of structural members and shipyard environment

Abstract

The hierarchical structure of computerized ship model blocks is important in facilitating the understanding of the internal structure and connection relationships of the blocks. Because the hierarchical structure of the block model is created manually, defining a consistent standardized method is difficult, as each expert may create a different hierarchical structure. In addition, when a block model in a computer-aided design system is converted to another platform, severe problems can occur, such as the loss of production information and changes in the hierarchical structure. Hence, we introduce an algorithm that automatically creates a hierarchical structure of blocks based on the shipyard assembly process using geometric information extracted from a neutral computer-aided design format. The cost is calculated based on the connection relationship between structural members to obtain the final hierarchical structure. The accuracy of the created hierarchy is verified by consulting experts in shipyard block division.