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Domain: caelinux.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to caelinux.com.

Comments · 10

  1. CAELinux by jvin248 · · Score: 1 · on Ask Slashdot: Best 3-D Design Software?

    .
    I've used CAELinux for quite a bit, but focused on Finite Element Modeling using Salome->Code_Aster. There are several packages on the disk and easy to burn the LiveDVD, insert it into your computer, reboot, use the software, reboot back to your base system.
    http://www.caelinux.com/CMS/


    .

  2. Slashdotted by steveha · · Score: 4, Informative · on Unusual, Obscure, and Useful Linux Distros

    Coral Cache:

    http://www.goodgearguide.com.au.nyud.net/article/351651/12_most_interesting_unusual_useful_linux_distros/

    List of the distros:

    steveha

  3. Code_Saturne by thatcadguy · · Score: 4, Informative · on Best OSS CFD Package For High School Physics?

    I like Code_Saturne. It has a GUI that greatly simplifies the whole process. You can use SALOME to make the initial model and then mesh it, and also use it to visualize the results. All of these programs come precompiled on a live Linux distro called CAElinux. http://www.code-saturne.org/ http://www.caelinux.com/CMS/ http://www.salome-platform.org/ In any case, check out CAElinux. It's going to be the least hassle out of any of your choices because everything comes precompiled.

  4. CAE Linux by The_Dougster · · Score: 1 · on FOSS CAD and 3D Modeling Software?

    There is one bright shining star in the otherwise empty void of free engineering software packages. I would suggest that you investigate CAE Linux . From their website

    Based on the open-source CAE softwares Salomé, Code_Aster, Code_Saturne and OpenFOAM , you can load your CAD geometry in Salomé and start partitionning and meshing your problem in just 5 minutes.

    That being said, I'm a mechanical engineer, and I've messed around with CAE Linux, and this is *not* anything even close to what you get with Solidworks or Autodesk Inventor. While the FEA end is good, maybe even great, the modeling functionality is very basic and more akin to what you get with ANSYS or ALGOR rather than a full blown 3D drafting package. Nevertheless, its a great package for engineers and students who want to do some meshing and otherwise learn the basics of finite element analysis. The site even offers a standalone distribution of Salome-Meca-2009.1 which is the core FEA bundle that comes with CAE Linux. I have successfully installed their blob in Gentoo into /opt and it runs on my system at least.

    As far as full featured free 3D drafting packages, there really isn't any such animal yet. Yes, I've tried BRL-CAD, and no, I wouldn't consider it to be a viable option. You're going to have to look towards some sort of professional CAD package for that. At home, I use TurboCAD as a reasonably full-featured yet relatively inexpensive solution. There are a great many lower priced 3D drafting packages out there, so look around.

    And I must say, I really admire your ambition here... hope it works out for you.

  5. CAE Linux by The_Dougster · · Score: 1 · on FOSS CAD and 3D Modeling Software?

    There is one bright shining star in the otherwise empty void of free engineering software packages. I would suggest that you investigate CAE Linux . From their website

    Based on the open-source CAE softwares Salomé, Code_Aster, Code_Saturne and OpenFOAM , you can load your CAD geometry in Salomé and start partitionning and meshing your problem in just 5 minutes.

    That being said, I'm a mechanical engineer, and I've messed around with CAE Linux, and this is *not* anything even close to what you get with Solidworks or Autodesk Inventor. While the FEA end is good, maybe even great, the modeling functionality is very basic and more akin to what you get with ANSYS or ALGOR rather than a full blown 3D drafting package. Nevertheless, its a great package for engineers and students who want to do some meshing and otherwise learn the basics of finite element analysis. The site even offers a standalone distribution of Salome-Meca-2009.1 which is the core FEA bundle that comes with CAE Linux. I have successfully installed their blob in Gentoo into /opt and it runs on my system at least.

    As far as full featured free 3D drafting packages, there really isn't any such animal yet. Yes, I've tried BRL-CAD, and no, I wouldn't consider it to be a viable option. You're going to have to look towards some sort of professional CAD package for that. At home, I use TurboCAD as a reasonably full-featured yet relatively inexpensive solution. There are a great many lower priced 3D drafting packages out there, so look around.

    And I must say, I really admire your ambition here... hope it works out for you.

  6. CAE Linux anyone? by garlicbready · · Score: 1 · on FOSS CAD and 3D Modeling Software?

    Try CaeLinux http://www.caelinux.com/CMS/ a bootable CD distribution which is basically a collection of different open source Cad apps
    I'm hoping to make a reprap 3d printer at some point, so I've been looking into writing some ebuild scripts to get some of the stuff from caelinux into gentoo
    like Salome, elmerfem, brlcad

    I'm not an expert in CAD mind you but some of the below may be useful

    One of the things I've discovered is that there's a difference between 3D Cad and 3D Modeling software
    Modeling is about approximating the appearance of an object for appearance sake only, usually using a mesh / grid of some kind, this is a typical use for Blender
    CAD is about what the object is made of, and it's physical dimensions in real space, typically objects are constructed from primitives such as a hollowed out cylinder for example
    Modeling = what you can see the outside appearance, CAD = the innards, what it's made of and more of a focus on measurements in real space

    If your going to design something that's going to be built it's probably better to design it in Cad software first
    then convert it to a modeling form later on for the sake of pretty pictures / animations / appearances in a demonstration etc.
    This way the original design is stored in a form where there's actual physical measurements (in mm for example)
    and in a form that can be manufactured (drill holes at these points here and here etc)

    While Blender could in theory support CAD capability, I think it's current features are lacking in that area
    (although it is open source so if you want to add those features go right ahead)
    From a commercial perspective I think the 2 main packages are Catia and Solidworks

    Also If you want to simulate the environment on a 3D Cad object, the usual way is via FEM or Finite Element Analysis
    This is the sort of thing used to simulate the way temperature travels through an object made of different materials for example
    I think Catia / Solidwords have this sort of thing already inbuilt, in the case of open source software there's a lot of separate packages to play around with (elmerfem for example)
    I think the linux cae pages have some good tutorials / examples on this
    http://www.caelinux.org/wiki/index.php/Doc:CAETutorials

  7. Re:How many of those distros by jank1887 · · Score: 1 · on Linux Desktop Distro Shootout
    It is definitely ME focused. There are a large number of open source (or at least free) EE design tools, but high quality mechanical design tools are much more rare. (less of us making our own, i guess). That said, I posted an inquiry in the developer forum just to be sure, and no, there currently aren't any SPICE or EDA tools included. After mentioning a few tools (U.C. Berkeley's SPICE, gEDA, etc.) I was told that it was really just a lack of discipline involvement, and that they'd look to throwing some of those onto the next LiveDVD release.

    That said, my guess is they'd need a volunteer or two to help verify that things are set up properly for the LiveDVD. I'd recommend any of you real EE's interested in supporting this head over to the forum and express interest. Here's a link to my initial inquiry post. (my MSEE was in semiconductor processing, so it doesn't really count. I've come back from the dark side since then.)

  8. Re:How many of those distros by jank1887 · · Score: 1 · on Linux Desktop Distro Shootout

    I believe PCLinuxOS is trying to target the same windows-transition crowd that Ubuntu's been targeting. I started with them when I tried out the CAELinux distribution. (recommended for all engi-nerds by the way. www.CAELinux.com )

  9. Re:Maybe, but not for games by The_Dougster · · Score: 1 · on $499 PlayStation 3 Confirmed

    That's where I'm at. I could care less whether the PS3 has any games whatsoever available for it so long as there is a robust and *useful* linux system which can be installed on the platform. The Cell architecture would seem to imply that a PS3 might be useful for some sort of network based parallel processing engine. I would love to be able to somehow figure out how to compile something like Code Aster for the Cell on PS3, then send meshing jobs to it, or run such as CAE Linux.

    However, it is really light on RAM for these applications. 2G would probably make it usable, but 512M just won't cut it. I'd still like to pick up a PS3 as a curiosity to fool around with a Cell Linux system, but even $500 is kind of steep for a novelty system. I won't rule it out, I spent around $300 for my Sharp Zaurus Linux PDA, which is more or less a glorified alarm clock and *gee whiz* notepad, so a Cell processor powered unit like a PS3 is basically like one of the old ARM based Netwinder's on steroids. A fairly capable server brain with reasonable power consumption and commodity pricing.

    Actually, it would probably make a pretty sweet little home webserver. Now if we can just get Gentoo 64 running on it. Hmmm . . .

  10. CAx software by Noksagt · · Score: 2, Informative · on Open Source Engineering Tools?
    Mostly from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_s oftware_packages. I've used most, usually for some part of a design or analysis. You could do engineering with only these (people used to not use computers at all), but you are correct that they aren't always "polished." They do, however, work fine for the patient, idealistic hobbyist who doesn't want to spend much money: