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CFDTool VS Gmsh

Compare CFDTool VS Gmsh and see what are their differences

CFDTool logo CFDTool

An Easy to Use MATLAB Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD Simulation GUI Toolbox

Gmsh logo Gmsh

Gmsh is a 3D finite element grid generator with a build-in CAD engine and post-processor.
  • CFDTool Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-20
  • Gmsh Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-11-13

CFDTool features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    CFDTool offers a highly intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced users without requiring extensive CFD knowledge.
  • Integrated with MATLAB
    The integration with MATLAB allows users to leverage powerful MATLAB capabilities for pre-processing, post-processing, and further analysis, enhancing productivity and broadening application scope.
  • Multiphysics Simulation
    CFDTool supports multiphysics simulations, which enables users to solve coupled heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and structural mechanics problems in a single environment.
  • Built-in Geometry and Mesh Generation
    The tool comes with built-in features for geometry creation and mesh generation, simplifying the setup of simulation models and reducing preparation time.
  • Extensive Documentation and Tutorials
    Extensive documentation along with tutorials and examples are available which can help users to quickly learn how to use the software and understand best practices.

Possible disadvantages of CFDTool

  • Limited Standalone Functionality
    CFDTool heavily relies on MATLAB, meaning users must have an appropriate MATLAB license, which could limit standalone use and increase costs.
  • Performance for Complex Simulations
    For highly complex simulations and large-scale problems, CFDTool might not perform as efficiently compared to more specialized CFD software packages.
  • Feature Limitations
    Although capable of handling a variety of simulations, it may not offer the depth of features for extremely specialized CFD tasks when compared to industry-standard solutions.
  • Cost
    While relatively affordable, the costs associated with necessary MATLAB licenses can make it a less attractive option for users looking for completely standalone and cheaper alternatives.

Gmsh features and specs

  • Versatility
    Gmsh supports a wide range of geometrical shapes and types of elements, making it suitable for various applications across different domains.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, Gmsh is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute, promoting transparency and community contributions.
  • User Community
    Gmsh has an active user community which can provide support, share experiences, and contribute to the software’s growth and improvement.
  • Scripting Features
    The software offers powerful scripting capabilities, allowing users to automate and customize their meshing processes effectively.
  • Compatibility
    Gmsh is compatible with numerous file formats and can be integrated into various simulation workflows, enhancing its usability.

Possible disadvantages of Gmsh

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find Gmsh challenging to learn initially due to its extensive features and complex interface.
  • Limited GUI
    While Gmsh has a graphical user interface, it might not be as intuitive or modern as some other commercial meshing tools.
  • Documentation Gaps
    Some users may experience difficulty finding detailed and comprehensive documentation or tutorials on specific advanced features.
  • Performance
    In some cases, Gmsh might not perform as efficiently as other specialized commercial software when handling very large or complex models.
  • Lack of Advanced Features
    For certain highly specialized applications, Gmsh might lack some advanced features available in dedicated software packages.

CFDTool videos

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Gmsh videos

How to export Mesh in GMSH Format with Salome Meca?

More videos:

  • Review - 4-Gmsh et FreeFem++-cs:exmple 3D cube

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to CFDTool and Gmsh)
Numerical Computation
76 76%
24% 24
3D
0 0%
100% 100
Technical Computing
72 72%
28% 28
Simulation Software
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Gmsh seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

CFDTool mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of CFDTool yet. Tracking of CFDTool recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Gmsh mentions (4)

  • Having problem with setting up project with external lib
    I'm not sure if this is correct place, since my issue is most likely cmake related rather than c++, but I would like to ask anyway. So I'm trying to set up a project, which is new to me (this was usually done by someone else already). I would like to add the 3rd party library gmsh to the setup, but my CMake seems to incorrectly (or not all) link the lib. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Help With Self Study - Computational Physics
    Depending on what you are planning on trying to do. Goma and OpenFOAMare both free to download and use. You can create a mesh with gmsh for free. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Looking to build a PC for Computational fluid dynamics - Budget around $2000 CAD
    Mostly for work. I need to run some CFD models (OpenFOAM -https://openfoam.org/). But I also need to do pre-processing to create the models. I will use YADE (https://www.yade-dem.org/) and GMSH (http://gmsh.info/) for this. I think that for OpenFOAM it is more important to have good processors but for YADE and GMSH I think that I will also need a decent GPU. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Triangular meshing based on color gradient
    I tried Gmsh with the script from Prof Geuzaine, and it work pretty well. Http://gmsh.info/ Script: Http://geuz.org/photos/cg/cg.geo. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing CFDTool and Gmsh, you can also consider the following products

ANSYS Fluent - ANSYS engineering simulation and 3D design software delivers product modeling solutions with unmatched scalability and a comprehensive multiphysics foundation.

Paraview - ParaView is an open-source, multi-platform application designed to visualize data sets of size...

Simscale CFD - SimScale CFD is a cloud-based leading CAE platform that offers access to CFD, FEA, and thermodynamics simulation capabilities 100% via a standard web browser.

ANSA - Product description of ANSA pre-processor of BETA CAE Systems.

OpenFOAM - OpenFOAM® - Official home of The Open Source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Toolbox.

FEATool Multiphysics - FEATool Multiphysics is a fully integrated Finite Element FEM CAE simulation toolbox for Matlab.