FEST-3D vs Open Source Physics

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.

Open Source Physics is a free, open-source resource for physics learning and teaching. It offers a lesson library and authoring tools, with 3D visuals, offline access, and data export. The combination supports both browsing learning materials and creating them. Its listed platforms are web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, and its delivery mode is hybrid. Offline access is specifically listed, alongside the web and desktop and mobile platforms. The project is listed as founded in 2002, as is its maker, Open Source Physics. The pricing model is free, and the pricing note identifies the resource as open source. Data export is included among its capabilities. Readers can weigh the library and authoring tools against its broad range of platform options when considering it for physics education.