Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)

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Scientific Tools for Unix, Linux and MacOS X.

Also, download a LIST of highly reliable operating systems we recommend.

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a) Commercial Software

There is excellent commercial engineering software on the market that runs on Unix and Linux.

Our Linux investigations resulted in the insight that today in most engineering discipline several professional Linux softwares exist. The market leaders mostly offer Unix or Linux versions. They do this at least because of mainframe, multicomputing or clustering reasons, where Linux is the system of choice. One can mostly chose between several competing products.

Today it is possible to run High Tech Engineering Companies completely with Linux without any exception: more secure, more reliable and more economical.

If You are also interested in CAM in addition to CAE you should have a look at MIT's Fab Labs on our links page as an example of a free (educational) Linux CAM project.

Following examples of commercial CAE software we recommend:

Mathematical Analysis Software

• Mathematica www.wolfram.com/..
  Mathematics software. Implements the NAG library. 3D-input: .dxf, .stl; 3D-output: .dxf, .stl
• Maple www.maplesoft.com
  Mathematics software. Implements the NAG library.
• Matlab / Simulink www.mathworks.com/..
  Analysis and simulation of dynamic systems. A simple interface to the widely used linear algebra libraries BLAS and LAPACK and a graphical simulation environment.

2D-CAD

• Medusa4 www.medusa4.de
  2D-CAD system. Solaris, HP-UX and Linux.
• OneSpace Designer Drafting www.cocreate.com/..
  2D-CAD system. Former name ME10. No Linux version but a HP-UX version available.

3D-CAD

• CATIA V5
  IBM Homepage www.ibm.com/..
  Dassault Systemes Homepage www.3ds.com/..
  Dassault developed their own CAD system since 1969. In 1981 they signed a marketing contract with IBM to sell this CAD system worldwide, so CATIA V1 was released. No Linux version available but all important Unix versions: Solaris, HP-UX, Irix, AIX. Dassault has put back a ready developed Linux version since 2003 and waits for more demands, says Wikipedia. 3D-input: .iges, .step, .dxf, .vrml, .stl, .iv, .catia; 3D-output: .iges, .step, .dxf, .vrml, .stl, .iv, .catia
• NX Unigraphics www.ugs.com/..
  CAD development system by UGS. No Linux version but HP-UX, AIX, IRIX and Solaris versions available. 3D-input: .iges, .step; 3D-output: .iges, .step
• VariCad* www.varicad.com
  Priceless but very good standard Linux CAD system. Developed in Czechia, a traditional mechanical engineering country. Simple, but satisfies most of the common drawing demands. With its .step input/output it is compatible to CATIA and ProEngineer. E.g the complete K&S Technologien's 'Toolserver' has been constructed with VariCad. 3D-input: .step; 3D-output: .iges, .step;
• CADRA www.softech.com/..
  CAD development since 1983. No Linux version but HP-UX and Solaris version available. 3D-input: .iges, .dxf, .catia, .dwg; 3D-output: .iges, .dxf, .catia, .dwg
• OneSpace Designer Modeling www.cocreate.com/..
  Former name Solid Designer. A development by an HP department, now an independent company. No Linux version but a HP-UX Unix version available. 3D-input: .iges, .step; 3D-output: .iges, .step, .vrml, .stl
• BricsCad www.bricscad.com
  Very priceless Linux CAD system. An Autocad clone. Demands a running Wine emulator on Linux, which brings some inherent problems with it. No problem, if you are experienced in Wine. 3D-input: .dwg; 3D-output: .dwg

Animation Software and Related

• AC3D* www.ac3d.org
  3D-object scene modeler. 3D-input: .dxf, .vrml, .ac3d; 3D-output: .vrml, .stl, .ac3d
• Maya* www.alias.com/..
  Professional animation software. 3D-input: .iges, .dxf, .vrml, .stl, .dwg; 3D-output: .iges, .dxf, .vrml, .iv, .rib
• Renderman renderman.pixar.com/
  Professional rendering software for photorealistic images and scenes. Won an Academic Award (Oscar) for Lord of the Rings. 3D-input: .rib

Grid Generators

• ICEM CFD www.ansys.com
  CFD grid generators: ICEM Hexa, ICEM Tetra 3D-input: .iges, .step, .stl, .catia, .gg, .plot3d; 3D-output: .vrml, .stl, .gg, .plot3d, .fvw, fluent, starcd, cfx, nastran
• Gridgen* www.pointwise.com
  CFD grid generator. 3D-input: .iges, .step, .stl, .catia, .gg, .plot3d; 3D-output: .vrml, .stl, .gg, .plot3d, .fvw, fluent, starcd, cfx, nastran
• GridPro www.gridpro.com
  CFD grid generator. 3D-input: .iges, .plot3d, nastran; 3D-output: .stl, .plot3d, fluent, nastran
• Truegrid www.truegrid.com
  CFD and FEA grid generator. 3D-input: .iges; 3D-output: .plot3d, fluent, starcd, cfx, nastran, abaqus, ansys
• Harpoon www.ensight.com/..
  CFD and FEA grid generator. "Free the Mesh Monkey!", they say and count on the STL file format. 3D-input: .stl, .ensight, nastran; 3D-output: .ensight, fluent, starcd, cfx, nastran, abaqus, ansys

Complete Modelling and Visualization Tools

• MSC.Patran www.mscsoftware.com/..
  State of the art FEA grid generation and visualization tool. 3D-input: .iges, .step, .vda, .catia, nastran, abaqus, ansys; 3D-output: .iges, .step, nastran, abaqus, ansys
• MEDINA www.digital-engineering-solutions.com/..
  State of the art FEA grid generation and visualization tool. 3D-input: .step, .vda, .stl, .catia, nastran, abaqus, permas, starcd, patran; 3D-output: nastran, abaqus, permas, starcd, patran
• Gid* gid.cimne.upc.es
  Priceless CFD and FEA grid generator and visualization tool. Free test version with reduced capabilities available. 3D-input: .iges, .dxf, .vda, .stl, .gid, nastran; 3D-output: .iges, .dxf, .vrml, .gid, .stl, nastran,

Structural Analysis with Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

• Nastran
  NASa STRuctural ANalysis System, industry standard FEA code since 1965!
  www.openchannelfoundation.org/..
  MSC.Nastran: www.mscsoftware.com/..
  NEiNastran: www.nenastran.com/..
  3D-input: .iges, .dxf, .stl, .catia, .plot3d, nastran, abaqus, ansys; 3D-output: .iges, .dxf, .stl, nastran
• ABAQUS www.hks.com
  FEA software. 3D-input: .iges, .step, .vda, .catia, nastran, abaqus; 3D-output: .catia, nastran, abaqus
• PERMAS www.intes.de
  FEA software. 3D-input: .catia, patran, nastran; 3D-output: .catia, patran, nastran
• Ansys www.ansys.com/..
  FEA software. 3D-input: .iges, .catia, ansys; 3D-output: .iges, .vrml, ansys

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

• Fluent www.fluent.com
  CFD code, Finite Volume Method (FVM). 3D-input: .iges, .step, .stl, .catia, .plot3d, fluent, nastran, ansys; 3D-output: .ensight, .tp, .fvw, .opendx, fluent
• STAR-CD www.cd-adapco.com
  CFD code, FVM. 3D-input: .iges, .step, .stl, .catia, starcd; 3D-output: .ensight, .tp, .fvw, starcd
• CFX www.ansys.com/..
  CFD code, Finite Volume Method. 3D-input: .iges, .catia, cfx; 3D-output: .ensight, cfx
• PowerFLOW www.exa.com
  CFD code, no FVM but particle simulation, no compressible flow, no multiphase flow, no combustion, no heat transfer, but allways converging and very fast. 3D-input: .stl, .catia, nastran, ansys; 3D-output: .ensight, .tp, .fvw, nastran

Visualization Tools

• Ensight www.ensight.com/..
  Visualization application for CFD and FEA programs. 3D-input: .stl, .plot3d, .hdf, .ensight, .tp, fluent, starcd, cfx, nastran, abaqus, ansys; 3D-output: .vrml, .stl, .ensight
• Fieldview www.ilight.com
  Visualization application for CFD programs. 3D-input: .gg, .fvw, fluent, starcd, ansys
• Tecplot* www.tecplot.com
  Visualization application for FEA and CFD programs. 3D-input: .dxf, .gg, .plot3d, .hdf, .tp, fluent
• Plot3D www.openchannelfoundation.org/..
  Classic visualization application for CFD. 3D-input: .plot3d; 3D-output: .plot3d

Thermal Design and Analysis

• TSS www.space3d.com
  Thermal Synthesizer System (TSS), a thermal analysis tool with radiation. Space3D says: "The industry standard for design and analysis of free flying spacecraft. This tool is currently the market leader in Monte Carlo ray-tracing for thermal radiation."

Electronic Design Automation (EDA)

• HSpice www.synopsis.com/..
  Standard industry circuit simulator, research versions of Spice exist since 1972.
• Bartels Auto Engineer www.bartels.de/..
  Printed Circuit Board software.
• Eagle www.cadsoft.de
  Priceless PCB software. Free test version with reduced capabilities available. German website.
• Altera Design Tools for FPGAs www.altera.com/..
  Commercial FPGA and CPLD logic design tools for Linux, Solaris, HP-UX. Used for Stratix (FPGA), Cyclone (FPGA) and MAX II (CPLD) Series.
• ISE Design Tools for FPGAs www.xilinx.com/..
  Commercial CPLD and FPGA logic design tools for Linux. Used for Xilinx Virtex (FPGA), Spartan (FPGA), CoolRunner (CPLD) and XC9500 (CPLD) Series.

Optical Design and Analysis

• OSLO www.lambdares.com/..
  "OSLO is used primarily to determine the optimum sizes and shapes of the elements in optical systems in cameras, consumer products, communications systems, military/space applications, scientific instruments, etc. In addition, it is used to simulate the performance of optical systems, and to develop specialized software tools for optical design, testing, and manufacturing."

Chemical Engineering Software

• PAC91 www.openchannelfoundation.org/..
  Properties And Coefficients 1991, by Gordon and McBride, first version PAC1 from 1967.
• CEA www.openchannelfoundation.org/..
  Chemical Equilibrium with Applications, the very popular NASA Lewis Code by Gordon and McBride, over 2000 copies worldwide, used mainly in rocket science, former versions: CET93, CET89 and CEC71 from 1971, developed from an IBM650 code from 1959.

Data Acquisition

• Labview www.ni.com/labview
  "National Instruments LabVIEW is an industry-leading software tool for designing test, measurement, and control systems."

Libraries

• NAG www.nag.co.uk
  Numerical Algorithm Group. Commercial collection of numerical algorithms in C and Fortran. NAG was founded in 1970.

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b) Free Software

There is also excellent noncommercial engineering software available in the Internet that runs on Unix, e.g. BSD, and Linux. Mostly (but not in every case) the effort to install and to handle it is much bigger than it is with comparable commercial software. Also, there is often no direct commercial support, but you can normaly rely on the mailing lists, where people discuss and help each other. Some of the software packages are for more experienced users.

Mathematical Analysis Software

• Scilab scilabsoft.inria.fr
  Analysis and simulation of dynamic systems. Math software like Matlab / Simulink.
• Octave www.octave.org
  Mathematics software, published under the GPL. Uses a language that is mostly compatible with Matlab.

2D-CAD

• QCad www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html
  Easy to handle professional 2D CAD software with DXF input and output.
• SagCAD sagcad.sourceforge.jp
  Japanese 2D CAD software with DXF input and DXF/IGES output.

3D-CAD

• Varkon www.tech.oru.se/cad/varkon/
  A free 3D CAD system. It's more a parametric CAD modeler for programming CAD environments. Originally developed by the University of Linkoping in Sweden in the 80's. Used e.g. by SAAB Aircraft. Very complicated handling.
• OpenCASCADE* www.opencascade.org
  C++ libraries for scientific computation like CAD, CAM, CAE, LGPL-like license. 3D-input: .iges, .step; 3D-output: .iges, .step

Do you offer comparable 3D-CAD programs? Please send an email to: info_at_ralf-schaefer.biz

Animation Software and Related

• Blender* www.blender.org
  Professional animation software. 3D-input: .dxf, .vrml, .stl, .iv, .ac3d; 3D-output: .dxf, .vrml, .iv, .ac3d, .rib, .pov, .rad
• POV-Ray www.povray.org
  Rendering software package for photorealistic images and scenes. 3D-input: .pov
• Radiance radsite.lbl.gov/radiance/
  Rendering software package for photorealistic images and scenes. 3D-input: .rad

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Free Unix and Linux OPERATING SYSTEMS

• Sun Solaris 10 www.sun.com
  It is perhaps the most stable server and workstation operating systems available on planet earth. Although Unix has its roots in 1969, Solaris was introduced relatively late in 1991. Newest version 10 is the first Solaris available for free.
• BSD www.bsd.org
  There are three popular BSD variants in development: FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD. This link gives an overview. BSD is a classical Unix system, it is NOT Linux!
• Mandriva Linux www.mandriva.com
  Free Linux distribution, Red Hat Linux based. Former name: Mandrake. Easy to install and to operate.
• Debian GNU/Linux www.debian.org
  Free Linux distribution. The system for Linux professionals. Used in servers, clusters and mainframes. Difficult to install and to operate.
• Knoppix Linux www.knoppix.org
  Free Linux distribution. Can be used to work from Linux on PCs without actually installing it (Live CD), so it is ideal for demonstrations of Linux. Based on Debian Linux, but easy to operate.
• Slackware Linux www.slackware.org
  Free Linux distribution. Was one of the first Linux distributions available. Difficult to install and to operate.

Other popular Linux distributions are not for free, like Red Hat Linux and SuSE Linux. All Linux distributions are based on the free Linux kernel www.kernel.org that was initroduced 1991 "just for fun" by Linus Torvalds AND the GNU operating system tools www.gnu.org that enlarge the kernel to a real Unix-like operating system.

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Grid Generators

• Gmsh www.geuz.org/gmsh/
  Grid generator. Pretty small mesher with one disadvantage: You still have to program data file interfaces by your own.
• Tetgen tetgen.berlios.de
  Tetrahedral mesh generator from my town. 3D-input: .stl; 3D-output: .stl
• NETGEN www.hpfem.jku.at/netgen
  Tetrahedral mesh generator based on the LPGL license. 3D-input: .iges, .step; 3D-output: .stl, opencascade

Do you offer comparable grid generators? Please send an email to: info_at_ralf-schaefer.biz

Structural Analysis with Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

• CalculiX www.calculix.de
  FEA software, GPL, currently the most featured free FEA solver available. 3D-input: .vda, abaqus; 3D-output: nastran, abaqus, ansys, tochnog
• TOCHNOG tochnog.sourceforge.net
  Distributed package in Debian Linux. FEA software, GPL. 3D-input: .gid, tochnog; 3D-output: .gid, .tp, .vtk, .opendx, tochnog
• Z88 www.z88.uni-bayreuth.de
  FEA software, GPL. 3D-input: .dxf, nastran;
• NGSolve www.hpfem.jku.at/ngsolve
  FEA solver, LGPL. 3D-input: netgen;
• Finite Element People
  www-math.cudenver.edu/~lfranca/..
  "Researchers / scientists that work in using / developing / improving / analyzing finite element methods in various applications"

Do you offer comparable FEA codes? Please send an email to: info_at_ralf-schaefer.biz

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

• OpenFOAM www.openfoam.org
  State of the art CFD solver. FOAM was formerly a commercial CFD software, a competitor to Fluent, Star-CD, etc. and is now distributed under the GPL! Features: FVM, structured and unstructured multiblock grids, multiphase flows, DNS and LES, combustion, heat transfer. 3D-input: .gmsh, .tetgen, .gambit, fluent, starcd, cfx; 3D-output: .ensight, .fvw, .vtk, .opendx, fluent
• DUNS duns.sourceforge.net
  CFD solver with many features, FV scheme. 3D-input: .plot3d; 3D-output: .plot3d
• SAMRAI www.llnl.gov/CASC/..
  Algorithms to enable the application of structured adaptive mesh refinement to large-scale multi-physics problems. 3D-input: not known; 3D-output: not known
• Clawpack www.amath.washington.edu/~claw/
  CFD solver, FV scheme, using a wave propagation approach, license for research and instructional use only.

These CFD solvers have at least the following features: Euler and Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, 3D structured grids, unsteady flow, compressible and uncompressible flow. Do you offer comparable CFD codes? Please send an email to: info_at_ralf-schaefer.biz

Visualization Tools

• ParaView* www.paraview.org
  Professional visualization application for structured or unstructured data from CFD or FEA programs. 3D-input: .plot3d, .ensight, .vtk
• VTK* www.vtk.org
  System for 3D computer graphics, image processing, visualization. 3D-input: .plot3d, .vtk; 3D-output: .vrml, .plot3d, .vtk
• OpenDX www.opendx.org
  Scientific and engineering data visualization, based on IBM's Visualization Data Explorer. The interfaces for data input and output can be programed relatively simple. 3D-input: all 3D data formats; 3D-output: all 3D data formats
• VisIt www.llnl.gov/VisIt/..
  "VisIt is a free interactive parallel visualization and graphical analysis tool for viewing scientific data on Unix and PC platforms." 3D-input: not known;

Electronic Design Automation (EDA)

• Spice
  Standard industry circuit simulator since 1972, clear license: free for people friendly to the U.S.A.
  Classic Unix Spice Homepage: bwrc.eecs.berkeley.edu/..
  Linux 'Spice 3F5 S fix' (versions 1993-1997, C code, X11 output) download: spice3f5sfix.tar.gz (1.38MB)
  Linux 'Spice 2G6' (1983 ported fortran code, text output) download: spize2g6.tar.gz (547kB)
  Linux spice article: www.linuxjournal.com/..
  German article: www.linux-magazin.com/..,
• Electric VLSI Design System www.staticfreesoft.com
  Chip design software for Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI), GPL, Spice circuit simulator integrated.
• gEDA www.geda.seul.org
  "The gEDA project is working on producing a full GPL'd suite of Electronic Design Automation tools. These tools are used for electrical circuit design, schematic capture, simulation, prototyping, and production. Currently, the gEDA project offers a mature suite of open-source applications [..]"
• Icarus Verilog icarus.com/eda/verilog
  "Icarus Verilog is a Verilog simulation and synthesis tool. It operates as a compiler, compiling source code writen in Verilog (IEEE-1364) into some target format." Verilog is a Hardware Description Language (HDL) and is used in EDA e.g. for programing CPLDs or FPGAs.
  Icarus article 2/2001: www.linuxjournal.com/..
  Icarus article 7/2002: www.linuxjournal.com/..
• Free ISE WebPACK 7.1i www.xilinx.com/..
  Free version of Xilinx CPLD and FPGA logic design tools for Linux.
  Xilinx Linux FPGA tools article: www.linuxjournal.com/..
• GTKWave www.cs.manchester.ac.uk/..
  GTKWave is VCD/EVCD/LXT/Synopsis .out format electronic waveform viewer.
• PCB pcb.sourceforge.net/
  Free and powerful Printed Circuit Board (PCB) software.
• KICAD www.lis.inpg.fr/..
  Free Printed Circuit Board (PCB) software from France with with 3D-view.

Data Acquisition

• Comedi www.comedi.org
  "The Comedi project develops open-source drivers, tools, and libraries for data acquisition."

Libraries

• Netlib.org www.netlib.org
  Scientific numerical libraries, e.g. BLAS, LAPACK, SPOOLES, ARPACK.
• CASC www.llnl.gov/CASC/..
  Software libraries of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (University of California) Center for Applied Scientific Computing.
• OpenGL www.openGL.org
  Todays standard 2D and 3D graphics API and library.
• OpenInventor*
  SGI Homepage oss.sgi.com/..
  TGS Homepage www.tgs.com
  On top of OpenGL. An object-oriented 3D toolkit based on a 3D scene database that simplifies graphics programming. 3D-input: .vrml, .iv; 3D-output: .vrml, .iv
• OpenSceneGraph* www.openscenegraph.org
  A graphics toolkit for the development of high performance graphics applications such as flight simulators and scientific visualization. Provides an object oriented framework on top of OpenGL. 3D-input: .vrml, .ac3d, .iv; 3D-output: .vrml, .ac3d, .iv

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*programed with OpenGL

Please mail corrupted links to: info_at_ralf-schaefer.biz

(c) 2005, 2006, 2007 Ralf Schaefer Consulting