1. OrcaFlex User Group 2003 www.orcina.com Slide 1 of 7 OrcaFlex - The Dynamic Link Library Introduction What is a DLL? The OrcaFlex DLL (OrcFxAPI) What can OrcFxAPI do? Application 1 – real time monitoring Application 2 – riser design Summary

2. OrcaFlex User Group 2003 www.orcina.com Slide 2 of 7 OrcaFlex - The Dynamic Link Library What is a DLL? DLL stands for “Dynamic-link library” Keyword here is “library” A DLL is a library of functions that can be called by other programs

3. OrcaFlex User Group 2003 www.orcina.com Slide 3 of 7 OrcaFlex - The Dynamic Link Library The OrcaFlex DLL (OrcFxAPI) The OrcaFlex DLL is called OrcFxAPI Original version produced in 1997 Installed with OrcaFlex – part of the product Can be called from any programming language (eg. C, C++, Delphi, VB). Can also be called from general purpose packages like Excel, Matlab, Maple, Mathematica, Mathcad etc. Results spreadsheet uses OrcFxAPI

4. OrcaFlex User Group 2003 www.orcina.com Slide 4 of 7 OrcaFlex - The Dynamic Link Library What can OrcFxAPI do? Data functions for model building File functions (load and save data & sim files) Calculation functions (statics & dynamics) Drawing functions (3D View, AVI file) Results functions (time history, range graph, linked statistics) Provides a programmers interface to the functionality of OrcaFlex

5. OrcaFlex User Group 2003 www.orcina.com Slide 5 of 7 OrcaFlex - The Dynamic Link Library Application 1 – real time monitoring SRD sonar system on Deep Blue lay vessel Requirement to monitor pipe stresses during installation Sonar system monitors pipe weld positions These observed positions are then used to find best fit OrcaFlex model Pipe stresses, tensions, bend moments etc. displayed on on-board monitors

6. OrcaFlex User Group 2003 www.orcina.com Slide 6 of 7 OrcaFlex - The Dynamic Link Library Application 2 – riser design Nicholas Cunliffe UMIST PhD student Automating and optimising riser design Riser must meet API 2RD and be cheap Optimisation algorithm uses OrcFxAPI to check that API 2RD is satisfied Automatic designs are cheaper than human designs and design stage greatly shortened General purpose – can design anything

7. OrcaFlex User Group 2003 www.orcina.com Slide 7 of 7 OrcaFlex - The Dynamic Link Library Summary OrcaFlex DLL very powerful and flexible Harder to use than OrcaFlex since you need programming skills Although it is hard to use the benefits can make this effort worthwhile List of possible applications is endless…