Thanks Ken, that will be useful for those wanting to run Hullform on Linux. A great rundown.

There was some advice from the original Dev about running Hullform natively on Linux, which was tested. Notes below

There is the version still available here, I don’t know what it may be missing.

From the now dead website:
_________________________________________________
The Linux versions of Hullform now support OpenGL, and their help files have also been updated. At right is a view of the program working under a Windows-based X server.
Just a few remaining issues:

Printing presumes you are using a driver interface like GhostScript, working by generating a PostScript output file and sending it to lpr;
Font support is not total under OpenGL – if your selected font doesn’t display, try another (this is an OpenGL issue, not a Hullform issue!);
Some minor parts still not implemented (e.g., toolbar location);
There is no clipboard interface yet;
You need at least a 24-bit display to show the toolbar;
The help system is html-based, and in general terms presumes availability of Netscape to display the files – you can nominate a different browser, but it probably will handle calls to load html files after startup differently to Netscape;
You must have installed a number of shared libraries:
libXm.so.2
libXmu.so.6
libXpm.so.4
libXp.so.6
libXt.so.6
libm.so.6
libc.so.6
The professional demonstration and freeware copies are available for download as .tar.gz files. The executable has been compiled under RedHat Linux 9. I am told it also runs under Mandrake 8.x. If it doesn’t run under your version of Linux, I can only suggest you update to a more modern version.
To access the demonstration and shareware files, see the “Downloads” menu item.

HI Ruedi,

Hullform was professional. Now it is free as the developer has finished working on it for some years.

As to why Hullform?

It can be simpler for many people.

There are quite a lot of people who don’t “get” 3D.

As compared to Delftship or Freeship, Hullform’s interface is divided into traditional section, plan and elevation views and editing happens in a similar way to traditional lofting.

It is also really really easy to understand curvature one component at a time. Also an analogue of traditional lofting.

Except that changes in one view are instant for all views. This is unlike traditional lofting, where changes, say a hull section, have to be copied to waterlines and buttocks and refairing results in a cascade of changes.

Someone proficient at 3D work can go that way of course. But there are many people with existing skills that can leverage Hullform as it is – Trad boatbuilders, people with a paper drafting background, retired engineers :)

The forums are full of people who love 3D applications. But there are significant numbers that try to come to grips but fail.

Hullform might help some of them and is pretty capable.

Best wishes
MIK

thank you for your information, and for the manual to Hullform, and the donwload link for it as well.
Unfortunately I was simply not able to find any further information concerning the licensing and the price of Hullform, or about the current developer(s) as well.

So just to ask:
Why not using Delftship?
The Pro Version is worth any single buck, and the non-pro version is available for free. I use it for several years now. The learning curve is steep, as for each other CAD system. But I found it really worth the effort to learn it.

All the best, and kind regards, Ruedi