AEC Free Software directory: (https://wiki.osarch.org/index.php?title=AEC_Free_Software_directory)
think it would be great to have a directory of 100% free software (e.g. Honeybee is free, but currently coupled with Rhino, which is proprietary - although I heard the devs are making it agnostic!) that could be used at various stages of the design and construction pipeline. Here's a list of what I know so far, please let me know if there are others!
The end goal is a directory with a short description and image for each, and some form of category.
- Blender - Polygonal 3D modeling, animation, and rendering
- FreeCAD - Parametric, constraint-based solid modeling and analysis for industrial design
- Tissue - Create parametric and tesselated panels in Blender
- Sverchok - Parametric and algorithmic or generative design with Blender, similar to Grasshopper
- ArchiPack - Quickly model parametric architectural objects in Blender
- BlenderBIM Add-on - Read, write, and management of IFC data with Blender
- Measure-it - Create 3D measurements in Blender
- IfcOpenShell - A C++ and Python library for manipulating IFC data for programmers
- BIMServer - An online server to view and manage IFC files, similar to BIM360
- Radiance - Scientifically validated light simulation for light engineering
- EnergyPlus - Scientifically validated energy analysis platform
- OpenFOAM - Computational fluid dynamics analysis platform
- ParaView - Scientific visualisation platform for analysis results
- Code_Aster - Numerical simulation for structural mechanics
- Flexible Collision Library - Allows interrogation of geometry clashes
- BIMTester - Write unit tests to perform quality auditing of IFC data
- IFCDiff - Compare changes between two IFC files
- IFCCOBie - Convert COBie data from an IFC file to spreadsheet format
- BIMSurfer - Web-based IFC model viewer
- BRL-CAD - Command based solid modeling platform
I have probably missed quite a few, so please feel free to add your own!
Tagged:
Comments
BricsCAD Shape : great for 2D / 3D Dwg editor
Eats Sketchup files too
Notepad++ (Addon for IFC amd LISP)
@magicalcloud_75 - just to clarify, this is for "free" software, as in software that promotes the freedom of industries and users. This is not to do with the price tag :)
I did not see any free software license for BricsCAD Shape - unless I missed something?
Notepad++ is indeed free software, have you got a link to the IFC add-on for it? I'd love to add it to the list.
BricsCAD shape is free, but it is not open source free. The addon is a 'styler'. It mifht be intresting
https://github.com/JulesBuh/ifcParser/blob/master/NotePad_Styles/NotePad%2B%2BIFCLanguageStyler.xml
sweethome3d
LibreCAD
QCAD
MeshLab
IFC++
xBIM Xplorer
GIMP
Hugin
Inkscape
Scribus
LibreOffice
OpenProj
Freeplane
PDFSAM (basic)
PDFedit
LuxRender
Mitsuba Render
Applessed Render
ODS Studio (basic CFD in Blender)
Meshroom (photogrammetric)
OpenStudio
ShareX (screenshot)
Fantastic! I can start the process of setting up an application directory. @bitacovir can you provide a short 1 sentence description of each one as well as a link? That would speed up the process of me compiling it into a searchable directory.
Any suggestions on categories which would be useful?
Ok. I will suggest an architecture design workflow stages as 3 main categories. and then, sub categories. But, try to keep few groups. For example:
Schematic / Preliminary design / Information Gathering
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Design Development / Construction documents / Technical Design
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Office /Construction Administration
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Sweethome3d (Interior Design application for furniture layout design - http://www.sweethome3d.com/ )
LibreCAD = 2D CAD software https://librecad.org/ )
QCAD = 2D CAD software https://qcad.org/en/)
MeshLab = 3D meshes processing software http://www.meshlab.net/
QGIS = Geographic Information system https://www.qgis.org/en/site/
IFC++ = IFC Viewer https://ifcquery.com/
xBIM Xplorer = IFC Viewer http://docs.xbim.net/downloads/xbimxplorer.html
GIMP = Photo Editor software https://www.gimp.org/
Hugin = panoramic Photo Tool http://hugin.sourceforge.net/
Inkscape = vector graphic editor https://inkscape.org/
Scribus = Page layout program https://www.scribus.net/
LibreOffice = alternative office suit, for all platforms https://www.libreoffice.org/
OpenProj = Gantt software for project management https://sourceforge.net/projects/openproj/
Freeplane = mind map software for diagrams and mind maps https://www.freeplane.org/wiki/index.php/Home
PDFSAM = PDF editor for Split and Merge files https://pdfsam.org/
PDFedit = PDF editor http://pdfedit.cz/en/index.html
LuxRender = external Rendering engine for 3D files https://luxcorerender.org/
Mitsuba = external Rendering engine for 3D files http://www.mitsuba-renderer.org/
Applessed = external Rendering engine for 3D files https://appleseedhq.net/
ODS Studio = Plugin for Blender to perform CFD analysis https://www.ods-engineering.com/tools/ods-studio/download/
Meshroom = 3D photogrametric software for 3D reconstruction and camera tracking https://alicevision.org/
OpenStudio= suite of free and open-source software applications for building energy analysis https://www.openstudio.net/
ShareX = screenshot and screencast program https://getsharex.com/
Another interesting option.
Blender GIS - An addon to import geographic data into Blender. https://github.com/domlysz/BlenderGIS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNtKnmRXVlo
Great list of software!! I am providing some more related to structural engineering or engineering modeling/simulation:
OpenSees - (opensees.berkeley.edu): A software framework for developing applications to simulate the performance of structural and geotechnical systems subjected to earthquakes
FDS - (github.com/firemodels/fds): Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is a large-eddy simulation (LES) code for low-speed flows, with an emphasis on smoke and heat transport from fires
Syrthes - (https://www.edf.fr/en/the-edf-group/world-s-largest-power-company/activities/research-and-development/scientific-communities/simulation-softwares?logiciel=10818): A general thermal software dedicated to transient thermal simulations in complex solid geometries including radiation
Code Saturne - (code-saturne.org): A numerical solver for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations
Add a couple more to the list:
I'll find some free time to set up a directory on the main site either this week or next.
Just found another addon for Blender, similar of Sverchock: Sorcar
https://aachman98.itch.io/sorcar
IfcSharp (https://github.com/IfcSharp) - Bringing SQL- and SQLite-based IFC based on C#
OpenProject: Open source project management software. https://www.openproject.org/
Wow, fantastic @bitacovir - do you know if OpenProject implements the OpenCDE spec and the BCF-API specification? That would allow integration of issue management tools and authoring programs.
Do others here think it's a good idea if I set up wiki.osarch.org? This directory can be moved there, along with individual pages for each application, links to tutorials, where to find support...
I think yes
Sorry. No idea.
Just choosing a tool because it's opensource (indeed, somewhat open source) or because it's related to our friends is not a logical way
For me OpenProject is an average project and there's a better solution than it
Researching and finding the best solution is more important that just choosing a solution and "go the wrong way"
XBIM，like this
OpenSees is a kind of FEM software. My master thesis used it to calculate model. But now I am learning construction management lol
Yeah, I took the description directly from OpenSeesWiki but it is a bit too general. Essentially yes it is a finite element solver for structural engineering. There are a couple of projects for python versions of opensees, nowadays, perhaps in the future we can connect it to the "ifc2ca" project
I add some Open Source tools was shared privately
I'll try to share things publicly most and less privately
Cesium (https://github.com/CesiumGS/cesium) JS-based 3D Globes and Maps
Terria.io (https://github.com/TerriaJS) An Australian startup based on Cesium, which these days work directly in and with Cesium team
PlayCanvas (https://github.com/playcanvas/engine) A game engine based on HTML5 and WebGL which cooperates with Mozilla
Webcodesk (https://github.com/webcodesk/webcodesk-srv) A front-end visual development tool for React applications
OpenOrienting: https://www.openorienteering.org/ Collection of tools (opensource and free) which help with the creation of orienteering maps and the organization of orienteering events.
Hi. I put all the links in a FreePlane map with different categories. You need Freeplane to open the file https://www.freeplane.org/wiki/index.php/Home
Also I exported the file into a Html file.
Fantastic! I have literally just set up https://wiki.osarch.org/ just a few minutes ago! Please feel free to start putting it up there.
The AEC software directory is now available here: https://wiki.osarch.org/index.php?title=AEC_Free_Software_directory
Feel free to contribute! I took out some of the more generic ones like Libreoffice. I think it's best to keep it specific to the domain.
@Moult Dion, I think it'd be better first of all build a whole life-cycle (tasks) and then put software/tools in their appropriate directories
I'm working on this and will share it publicly to improve it and transform it to web-pages:
That's a lot of categories relative to the amount of software available. Unless you're aware of a bunch more FOSS software out there?
For sure no, but it will give an accurate view about the whole FOSS environment, and which areas are less known or people less worked?
Speckle. https://speckle.systems/ open source data platform for aec, With a addon for Blender https://vimeo.com/398214562