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OpenFOAM VS Enterprise Architect

Compare OpenFOAM VS Enterprise Architect and see what are their differences

OpenFOAM logo OpenFOAM

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

Enterprise Architect logo Enterprise Architect

Enterprise Architect - UML Design Tools and UML CASE tools for software development | Sparx Systems
  • OpenFOAM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-02
  • Enterprise Architect Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-18

OpenFOAM features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenFOAM is free to use and its source code is openly available under the GPL license, allowing for extensive customization and transparency in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.
  • Extensibility
    Users can extend and modify the functionality of OpenFOAM to suit specific needs or integrate new algorithms, making it highly adaptable to various projects and research requirements.
  • Community and Support
    A robust community of users and developers contributes to forums, documentation, and collaboration, providing substantial peer support and shared knowledge.
  • Versatility
    OpenFOAM supports a wide range of physical models and simulation types, from simple incompressible flow to complex multiphase flows and chemical reactions, making it suitable for diverse applications.
  • Parallel Computing
    Optimized for parallel processing, OpenFOAM can run efficiently on high-performance computing systems, thereby handling large-scale simulations effectively.

Possible disadvantages of OpenFOAM

  • Steep Learning Curve
    OpenFOAM requires a significant investment of time to learn and master, as it involves understanding complex physics, programming concepts, and software-specific syntaxes.
  • Limited GUI
    Unlike some commercial CFD software, OpenFOAM lacks a sophisticated graphical user interface (GUI), necessitating users to rely on command-line input and scripting for setup and execution of simulations.
  • Documentation Quality
    Although community-driven, the documentation can sometimes be incomplete or outdated, making it challenging for new users to find reliable and up-to-date instructions and tutorials.
  • Performance Variation
    Performance and stability can vary depending on the specific simulation setup and hardware used, which may require users to conduct extensive testing and optimization.
  • Dependency Management
    Installing and maintaining OpenFOAM and its dependencies can be complex, often requiring specific versions of libraries and compilers to ensure compatibility and optimal performance.

Enterprise Architect features and specs

  • Comprehensive Toolset
    Enterprise Architect offers a wide range of tools for various aspects of system development, including requirements management, business modeling, and software design.
  • Supports Multiple Standards
    The software supports numerous standards such as UML, SysML, BPMN, and TOGAF, making it versatile for different industries and project needs.
  • Collaboration Features
    Provides a robust set of features for team collaboration, including version control integration, role-based security, and shared repositories.
  • Extensible and Customizable
    Allows for extensive customization through scripts, add-ins, and the use of custom templates, enabling teams to tailor the tool to their specific processes.
  • Rich Documentation Capabilities
    The tool can generate comprehensive documentation and reports, aiding in the dissemination and clarity of project details.
  • Simulation and Validation
    Offers simulation and model validation features, enabling users to test and verify their designs before implementation.

Possible disadvantages of Enterprise Architect

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features and capabilities, new users may find the software complex and difficult to master initially.
  • User Interface
    The user interface can feel outdated and cluttered, which might hinder the user experience and efficiency.
  • Performance Issues
    Users have reported that the software can be slow, especially with larger models or repositories.
  • Cost
    The pricing can be high, particularly for small businesses or individual users, potentially limiting its accessibility.
  • Limited Real-time Collaboration
    While it supports team collaboration, real-time co-editing features are limited compared to some modern cloud-based modeling tools.
  • Complex Setup
    Setting up and configuring the tool to meet specific organizational needs can be complex and time-consuming.

Analysis of OpenFOAM

Overall verdict

  • OpenFOAM is a powerful and versatile tool for CFD that is well-regarded in both academia and industry. Its open-source nature and comprehensive feature set make it a valuable resource for those needing customizability and advanced simulation capabilities.

Why this product is good

  • OpenFOAM is a popular open-source Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool that provides a wide range of features for simulating complex fluid flows.
  • It offers a flexible and extensible platform, allowing users to customize solvers and utilities to fit specific simulation needs.
  • The extensive library of pre-built solvers and utilities is suitable for various applications, from automotive to aerospace engineering.
  • Being open-source, it encourages collaboration and sharing of improvements, making it highly adaptable and continuously evolving.
  • Comprehensive documentation and a large user community contribute to reliable support and knowledge exchange.

Recommended for

  • Engineers and researchers in academia who require a robust CFD tool with customization capabilities.
  • Industry professionals involved in research and development who need flexible and cost-effective CFD solutions.
  • Advanced users with programming skills who want to leverage and extend its capabilities for specific project needs.

Analysis of Enterprise Architect

Overall verdict

  • Enterprise Architect is generally regarded as a comprehensive and versatile modeling tool, particularly effective for organizations that require strong modeling capabilities integrated with other aspects of project management. While it may have a steeper learning curve for beginners, its depth of features provides significant value for experienced professionals.

Why this product is good

  • Enterprise Architect by Sparx Systems is considered a robust tool for several reasons. It offers extensive support for UML and other modeling languages, which makes it well-suited for various software development methodologies. The tool is known for its flexibility, allowing users to customize and extend its functionality according to their needs. Additionally, it supports collaboration features, enabling multiple users to work on projects simultaneously, which is beneficial for large teams or distributed environments. The platform's ability to integrate with other tools and support for requirements management, project management, and simulation further add to its strengths.

Recommended for

    Enterprise Architect is recommended for software architects, system engineers, business analysts, and project managers who need a powerful and integrated modeling toolset. It is ideal for organizations engaged in large-scale, complex projects that require detailed modeling and collaboration among multiple stakeholders.

OpenFOAM videos

What is OpenFoam? | Skill-Lync

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to run your first simulation in OpenFOAM® - Part 1 - tutorial
  • Tutorial - CFD tutorial for beginners | What is OpenFOAM? | SKILL-LYNC

Enterprise Architect videos

How to Manage Review Discussions in Enterprise Architect 13.5

More videos:

  • Review - Let's have a look at Enterprise Architect

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenFOAM and Enterprise Architect)
Numerical Computation
71 71%
29% 29
Technical Computing
70 70%
30% 30
Simulation Software
100 100%
0% 0
Diagrams
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using OpenFOAM and Enterprise Architect. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenFOAM seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 19 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.

OpenFOAM mentions (19)

  • OpenFOAM on Debian 12
    In openfoam.org, there is not compiled binaries for Debian (any version). So one should install it using docker (I prefer to do not use it) or by compiling the code from the source. I consider compiling from source, but I do prefer binaries. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Please help me get running OpenFOAM
    Hello I am a mechanical engineering student in my last year. So I made the wisest decision to learn OpenFOAM. But there is the catch. I have no idea how to use Linux or how to emulate Linux on Windows 10. I found a lot of videos on Youtube how to download an start OpenFOAM but every one of them was using different methods each time so I got confused. Can anyone please help or direct me? Thank you for your answers... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Step by Step (Written not Video) Tutorial for FEM with Air
    As far as air flow simulation, I got slightly farther with Open Foam than I did in FreeCAD directly. Still, I got in way over my skill level and stopped before getting anything useful. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Open source FEA tools instead of ANSYS Workbench and APDL
    There are two versions of openfoam, one closed source (which is the one I linked to in my original comment, my apologies about that) and the open source version. But what you're describing makes it sound like fenics might be your best option. Source: over 2 years ago
  • command not found and looping
    I suggest you install per the instructions at openfoam.com or openfoam.org instead of using apt. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Enterprise Architect mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenFOAM and Enterprise Architect, 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.

MATLAB - A high-level language and interactive environment for numerical computation, visualization, and programming

Wolfram Mathematica - Mathematica has characterized the cutting edge in specialized processing—and gave the chief calculation environment to a large number of pioneers, instructors, understudies, and others around the globe.

Modelio - Modelio is an open source modeling tool supporting natively UML, BPMN and model exchange with XMI.

COMSOL Multiphysics - COMSOL is the developer of COMSOL Multiphysics software, an interactive environment for modeling and simulating scientific and engineering problems.

UML Designer - UML Designer provides a set of common diagrams to work with UML 2.5 models.