FEST-3D vs Interactive Physics
FEST-3D
fest3d.github.ioInteractive Physics
design-simulation.comSide by side
| Figure | FEST-3D | Interactive Physics |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 17 |
| Spec score · Physics Simulation Software | 8.6 (#11) | 8.2 (#26) |
| Authoring tools | Yes | Yes |
| Data export | Yes | Yes |
| Delivery mode | desktop | desktop |
| Headquarters | Chennai, India | Canton, Michigan, USA |
| Lesson library | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | FEST-3D is a Fortran 90 finite-volume solver for Navier–Stokes equations on structured grids, developed for aerodynamic flow problems. | Interactive Physics is educational software for modeling and simulating physical phenomena in STEM education. |
| Support | The homepage lists [email protected] as the project contact email. | The maker lists [email protected] and a support forum, and says Homework/Student Editions do not include technical support. |
| Visualization | The solver writes VTK or Tecplot output, and the documentation names VisIt, ParaView, and Tecplot as tools for visualizing results. | Simulation results can be displayed as numbers, graphs and animated vectors. |
Plans
Interactive Physics
- Single User (node-locked)Price not published
- Additional Single UserPrice not published
- Single User (dongle-locked)Price not published
- 10 UserPrice not published
- 20 UserPrice not published
- 30 UserPrice not published
- Single User (node-locked) — Annual License$100 a year
- Single User (node-locked) — Paid Up License$249, paid once
- 10 User — Annual License$400 a year
- 20 User — Annual License$600 a year
In their own words
FEST-3D
FEST-3D is a Fortran 90 finite-volume computational fluid dynamics solver for Navier–Stokes flow problems on structured grids, developed for aerodynamics. It handles incompressible and compressible flows, including inviscid, laminar, transitional and turbulent cases. Users can select among flux schemes, reconstruction methods, time-integration options, turbulence models and transition models. MPI distributes computations across processors on one or more machines. The solver is free and open source under the GNU General Public License version 3.0, with source available from GitHub. Its installation script supports Ubuntu/Debian, CentOS and macOS, while manual installation instructions cover Linux. Building requires a Fortran compiler, an MPI library, CMake and Make. Tutorials in a separate repository address verification cases such as a smooth bump, lid-driven cavity, flat plates and an airfoil. FEST-3D writes VTK or Tecplot output for separate visualization tools. Grid generation and post-processing are outside the solver, and the project notes its halt/stop condition does not work with MPI.
Interactive Physics
Interactive Physics has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.