Company Profile
FormSys is a software development company specialising in 3D modelling, analysis and design software. Specialist areas of application include naval architecture and shipbuilding, and structural engineering. Our 20 years experience in CAD/CAE/CAM software makes us one of the more experienced companies in our industry.
Naval Architecture & Shipbuilding
Since 1984, our Maxsurf suite of naval architecture and ship construction software has formed the cornerstone of our offerings to the naval architecture profession. Over 1000 designers and companies use Maxsurf to design all types of vessels ranging from pleasure boats through to workboats and large ships. Maxsurf users include major Japanese shipbuilders, US Navy, US Coast Guard, Bath Iron Works, Austal Ships, Incat Designs, Americas Cup syndicates and leading European luxury yacht designers. In recent years our alliance with ShipConstructor has broadened our focus to include shipbuilding as well as ship design. This lets us provide a suite of tools that go all the way from initial design through to final construction. Many of our customers now use the Maxsurf/ShipConstructor combination on large, multi-site projects down to smaller individual design firms. Behind the software systems is our team of naval architects and engineers. Most of our technical staff members come from a naval architecture, shipbuilding or engineering background. This helps us provide advice which is both practical and technically deep. | FormSys is a corporate RINA member. | |
| Over the past few years, we have played a very active role in supporting complex, multi-site shipbuilding projects. This support has covered software selection, training, implementation, technical support and customisation. Our combination of practical ship design and production knowledge, as well as our in-depth software skills, helps our customers implement software systems in a timely way, and most importantly, gain the benefit from them in complex projects. | ||
Structural Engineering
The Company's Multiframe software range is used by over 2000 companies world-wide to model, analyse and design all types of engineering, marine and architectural structures. Like the other FormSys products, Multiframe is also widely used in education, helping engineering and architectural students utilise a visual approach to learning about structural design. Educational users of FormSys software include Stanford University, Harvard University, MIT and Tokyo University.
Multiframe is particularly widely used in Japan and the USA. Our outlook has always been international and we provide localised versions in the local language and supporting local design codes.
Collaboration
In order to offer a complete shipbuilding solution, we collaborate with ShipConstructor Software Inc of Victoria, Canada and with NavisWorks Ltd of Sheffield, UK. The ShipConstructor product suite provides detailing and production software while NavisWorks offers visualisation and collaboration capabilities. By integrating with these products, we are able to offer a complete solution from initial design through to construction. We provide sales and support for ShipConstructor and NavisWorks in Australia.
Design Philosophy
All of FormSys' products are characterized by their three main design criteria - a consistent and intuitive graphical interface for all modules, an integrated database which provides a parametric design capability, and support for industry standards for software and data exchange.
Intuitive Graphical Interface
All products use a consistent graphical interface which allows direct graphical manipulation of the 3D model as well as numerical specification of design parameters. A multi-window approach is used allowing changes in one view to be instantly updated in all other views. FormSys has also developed many innovative click and drag techniques, to allow users to interactively interrogate the 3D model to retrieve any required design information.
Integrated database with parametric design capabilities
Each product creates a full 3D database which is used directly by all design and analysis modules. This eliminates the need for file format exchanges between disciplines and departments within a design and construction company. The parametric approach adopted allows changes to "flow through", allowing designers using the software to explore more design alternatives and achieve improved optimization.
Support for industry standards
All FormSys products run on the industry standard Microsoft Windows platform. User interface design conforms with Microsoft recommendations and allows users familiar with any other Windows applications, to rapidly learn and master the programs.
Data exchange is provided for the common CAD formats and also extends to copy and paste interchange both to and from Microsoft Office applications as well as full Automation support allowing our applications to be scripted from Excel, Word and AutoCAD.
Software Technology
All FormSys' CAD products are based on leading edge software technology including C++ object oriented development, a modularized approach to system design and use, 3D rendering and animation standards, and advanced algorithms like trimmed NURB surfaces and non-linear analysis.
Customer Support
FormSys has an excellent reputation for providing timely and practical customer support with a team of highly skilled technical staff to help solve customer problems. A number of our staff have Masters or PhD degrees in engineering or naval architecture, as well as practical experience in design and construction.
Company Partners
All products are sold and supported through a world-wide network of distributors in USA, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland and Scandinavia. Formation Design Systems has offices in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Our Customers
FormSys has over 3000 customers in over 30 countries. Our customers include:
| DEFENCE | COMMERCIAL | CONSULTING | EDUCATION |
| US Navy | Austal Ships | Australian Marine Technologies | MIT |
| US Coast Guard | Damen | Burness Corlett | Harvard University |
| Bath Iron Works | Swiftships | Sinclair Knight Merz | Stanford University |
| Tenix Defence | Image Marine | Incat Crowther | Tokyo University |
| Austal Ships | Strategic Marine | Francis Design | University of Melbourne |
| Gibbs & Cox | Arco Marine | JJ McMullen & Associates | University of Sydney |
| Northrop Grumman Ship Systems | Kajima Corp | Ron Holland Design | University of Michigan |
| ADI | Taisei | Nelson/Marek Design | Southampton University |
| Marinette Marine | Kumagai Gumi | German Frers | TU Berlin |
For more information on FormSys, please email us.
P.S. If you were looking for Graphic Magic, you are in the right place. We changed our name from Graphic Magic to Formation Design Systems in 1996 and now use the abbreviated name of FormSys.
