FEniTop vs SmartDO

FEniTop is free, open-source software for topology optimization based on FEniCSx. It handles two- and three-dimensional problems on structured or unstructured meshes, with varied element geometries, types, orders, and quadrature degrees. Users express partial differential equations in weak form, while automatic differentiation supports finite-element and sensitivity analysis. PETSc through petsc4py provides linear and nonlinear solvers and preconditioners. Parallel implementations of Optimality Criteria and Method of Moving Asymptotes update design variables. A Helmholtz-type PDE filter targets large-scale parallel problems, including large filter radii. FEniTop can run from laptops to distributed computing clusters. Optimized designs export as XDMF files for ParaView post-processing. Repository examples cover beams in 2D and 3D, a 2D disk, a 3D shell, and a 2D compliant mechanism. The software is licensed under GPL-3.0. Setup instructions specify FEniCSx 0.7.3, PyVista, and Xvfb; Windows 11 instructions use Ubuntu under WSL and Docker Desktop.

SmartDO is a multidisciplinary, multiphysics platform for automatic engineering design optimization. Its Direct Global Search can begin an optimization after setup with one button, without a design of experiments or manual sensitivity study. The maker describes S.A.F.E.D. and SmartLearning as features that can bypass failed CAD or CAE runs and use earlier calculations to reduce computational cost. APO supports synchronous multi-objective optimization without user weighting. SmartDO uses Tcl/Tk and Python, allowing add-ons, GUIs, graphics, and plotting tools. SmartLink connects the platform with CAE packages, while OpenXim links commercial or open-source CAD with simulation software. Named examples include ANSYS Workbench, FreeCAD, SOLIDWORKS, NX, PrePoMax, and CalculiX. The software page reports successful use with more than 240 design variables and 132 constraints. FEA-Opt Technology develops SmartDO and offers consulting and integration services. Pricing is available on request.