modeFRONTIER vs SmartDO
modeFRONTIER
engineering.esteco.comSmartDO
smartdo.coSide by side
| Figure | modeFRONTIER | SmartDO |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Generative Design Software | 7.4 (#12) | 6.9 (#17) |
| Founded | 1999 | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Trieste, Italy | Zhunan Town, Miaoli County, Taiwan |
| Support | ESTECO advertises one-to-one CAE engineering support from its engineers to help customers select a design exploration and optimization strategy. | The SmartDO technical support ticket system is available only to existing customers, who are directed to contact FEA-Opt Technology or a local distributor for an account. |
Plans
In their own words
modeFRONTIER
modeFRONTIER automates engineering simulation workflows and design optimisation by connecting third-party CAD/CAE software with in-house solvers. It combines multiple engineering disciplines in unified workflows and allows several optimisation strategies in one project file. Design exploration includes design of experiments, response surface models, multi-objective optimisation, robust design, reliability analysis and uncertainty quantification. Surrogate models, machine-learning algorithms and reduced-order models support data-driven modelling; ESTECO identifies pilOPT as its proprietary self-adaptive optimisation algorithm. Integrations include parametric solvers and custom connectors for Abaqus, Adams, ANSYS Workbench, CATIA and ANSA. pyFRONTIER and pyCONSOLE connect Python workflows, including scikit-learn and SciPy optimize libraries. Workflows can run in parallel, on local grid computing, or through remote HPC and cloud resources. VOLTA adds collaboration, distributed execution and result traceability. Pricing is on request, with academic licences limited to non-commercial or academic use.
SmartDO
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.