Visual Modeling Method for Ship Piping Network Programs in Engine Simulators

Nowadays, engine room simulators have become an important tool for maritime training, but programming engine room simulators often involves handling large amounts of data, making the process inefficient. This paper proposes an innovative visual modeling method for the ship pipeline network program in engine room simulators, aimed at addressing the heavy programming tasks associated with traditional text-based design and calculation methods when dealing with complex and large-scale pipeline systems. By creating Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) images and using Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) to place controls, an intuitive graphical user interface is built, allowing programmers to easily operate through the graphical interface. Subsequently, You Only Look Once version 5 (YOLOv5) object detection technology is used to identify the completed SVG images and WPF controls, generating corresponding Comma-Separated Values (CSV) files, which are then used as data input via C# (C Sharp). Through automated data processing and equipment recognition, compared to traditional manual design processes (such as using Matlab or C++ for pipeline design), this method reduces human errors and improves programming accuracy. Customization of key pipeline characteristics (such as maximum flow and flow direction) enhances the accuracy and applicability of the pipeline network model. The intuitive user interface design also allows nonprofessional users to easily design and optimize pipeline systems. The results show that this tool not only improves the efficiency of data processing and calculation but also demonstrates excellent performance and broad application prospects in the design and optimization of ship pipeline systems. In the future, this tool is expected to be more widely promoted in ship pipeline network education and practical applications, driving the field towards more efficient and intelligent development.