OpenSim vs PySDM
OpenSim
opensim.stanford.eduPySDM
open-atmos.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | OpenSim | PySDM |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Physics Simulation Software | 8.7 (#6) | 8.1 (#28) |
| Authoring tools | Yes | Yes |
| Data export | Yes | Yes |
| Delivery mode | desktop | hybrid |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Lesson library | Yes | Yes |
| License | The GUI and API are open source under Apache 2.0, while models, examples, and plugins may have their own licenses. | PySDM and PySDM-examples are free/libre open-source software released under the GNU GPL v3 license. |
| Purpose | OpenSim models humans, animals, robots, and the environment, and simulates their interaction and movement. | PySDM simulates particle populations undergoing diffusional and collisional growth and breakage, with a focus on atmospheric cloud physics and aerosol, cloud, and rain microphysics. |
| Support | OpenSim provides documentation, tutorials, and a discussion forum where users can seek help from experts. | The project recommends GitHub Discussions for help understanding, using, and extending PySDM, and its GitHub issue tracker for reporting incorrect or undocumented behavior. |
Plans
In their own words
OpenSim
OpenSim models and simulates how humans, animals, robots, and their environment move and interact. Its graphical interface displays models and supports creating and analyzing simulations. Models can contain rigid bodies, joints, constraints, contact, muscles, and other actuators. Movement analysis tools include inverse kinematics, inverse dynamics, static optimization, and forward dynamics; Computed Muscle Control can generate muscle-driven forward simulations. The API is usable through Matlab, Python, Java, and C++, and GUI scripting uses an embedded Jython shell. Plugins can add analyses and model components, but must be built for the same OpenSim version and platform. The graphical interface is distributed for 64-bit Windows and Mac, while there is no public Linux GUI distribution; the API source can be built for Linux. OpenSim is free and open source under Apache 2.0, though models, examples, and plugins may have separate licenses. It is intended for research and teaching and welcomes academic and commercial applications. Documentation, tutorials, and a discussion forum are available. Downloading requires a SimTK account.