# Best workflow for beginners **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [February 4, 2024, 12:42am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060 "2024-02-04T00:42:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jbr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecccb3/32.png) [@jbr](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/jbr)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/41 "2024-02-09T02:18:40Z")
> [@Lt72884](#): > > can prepomax do cycles to failure? No. You may want to look for other options for fatigue. ---
**Author:** ![Lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@Lt72884](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Lt72884)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 4:26am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/42 "2024-02-09T04:26:01Z")
what options are there? any opensource options? I can google it. Just looking for a simple, straight forward software ---
**Author:** ![Calc\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Calc\_em](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Calc_em)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 7:44am UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/43 "2024-02-09T07:44:38Z")
I told you about one some time ago (on FreeCAD forum): [Fatlab download | SourceForge.net](https://sourceforge.net/projects/fatlab/) ---
**Author:** ![rsmith](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/rsmith/32/1684_2.png) [@rsmith](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/rsmith)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 12:21pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/44 "2024-02-09T12:21:17Z")
> [@Lt72884](#): > > simple, straight forward Those are not words generally associated with FEA software. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@Lt72884](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Lt72884)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/45 "2024-02-09T18:17:01Z")
Lol, i remembered about that around 1am this morning. So i went and downloaded it. It has a hard time opening the .exe, even with the matlab requirements. Windows 10 is just being annoying is all. I didnt know this was you, so i ended up posting in a thread last night asking about exporting a load file from freecad at the freecad forums. Fatlab looks interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Lt72884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/97f17d/32.png) [@Lt72884](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Lt72884)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 6:22pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/46 "2024-02-09T18:22:05Z")
Lol, ok, just straight forward and more user friendly. So far freecad fea is nice and so is prepomax. Cfd on the other hand is not as user friendly haha. It would be great if prepomax had fatigue but it does not so i will keep trying to learn fatlab ---
**Author:** ![rsmith](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/rsmith/32/1684_2.png) [@rsmith](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/rsmith)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2024, 4:46pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/47 "2024-02-10T16:46:52Z")
> [@Lt72884](#): > > freecad fea is nice For static analysis involving isotropic materials, FreeCAD (as a front-end for `gmsh` and CalculiX) could very well be all that one needs. > [@Lt72884](#): > > i will keep trying to learn fatlab The “fatigue compendium” from [fatiguetoolbox](http://fatiguetoolbox.org/) (written by the developer of fatlab) might be of interest to you. ---
**Author:** ![SergioP](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/sergiop/32/10_2.png) [@SergioP](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/SergioP)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 3:36pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/48 "2025-03-14T15:36:21Z")
Use FreeCAD for CAD and prepare the geometries for the analysis, and then PrePoMax for FEA and Baram (Mesh and Flow) for CFD. Regards ---
**Author:** ![Calc\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Calc\_em](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Calc_em)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 4:59pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/49 "2025-03-14T16:59:21Z")
> [@SergioP](#): > > Baram (Mesh and Flow) for CFD FreeCAD has a really good CfdOF module for OpenFOAM. ---
**Author:** ![SergioP](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/sergiop/32/10_2.png) [@SergioP](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/SergioP)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/50 "2025-03-14T17:27:12Z")
Baram for CFD is like Prepomax for FEA, you get almost all what you need in terms of pre (meshing and bc definition) and postprocessing out of the box without installing any other sofware in a consistent Windows application (well, you need Paraview but if I remember well it came integrated with Baram). FreeCAD is the best open source 3D modeling CAD suite. ---
**Author:** ![Arnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Arnie](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Arnie)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 1:51pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/51 "2025-03-27T13:51:17Z")
Has anyone compared these ? If so, in your opinion, between FreeCAD CfdOF vs Baram, which: - has the most pre-post processor features ? - is the most user freindly ? - has the most intuitive GUI ? ---
**Author:** ![SergioP](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/sergiop/32/10_2.png) [@SergioP](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/SergioP)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:23pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/52 "2025-03-27T14:23:38Z")
FreeCAD CfdOF vs Baram, Baram is the winner. - has the most pre-post processor features ? BARAM - is the most user freindly ? BARAM - has the most intuitive GUI ? BARAM Use FreeCAD for preparing/defeaturing the geometry, Baram Mesh for meshing, Baram Flow for solve and Paraview for post. ---
**Author:** ![Arnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Arnie](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Arnie)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/53 "2025-03-27T14:38:45Z")
Thanks @SergioP I am definitely going to try it; I watched a few YouTube tutorials and I like it. I did not like FreeCad Cfd/OF when I used it previously. My only complaint is that Baram can only import STL CAD files. Do you know if they going to include STEP or IGES any time soon ? ---
**Author:** ![SergioP](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/sergiop/32/10_2.png) [@SergioP](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/SergioP)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/54 "2025-03-27T14:52:03Z")
I don´t see the stp/igs suppor in they roadmap (avaliable in the site), but why you say that is a complaint? ---
**Author:** ![Arnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Arnie](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Arnie)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2025, 4:14pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/55 "2025-03-27T16:14:31Z")
Just because you have to take other more common CAD formats and covert to STL. I guess it’s not a major issue; just would be nice if it had the capability. I am more use to all the ‘bells and whistles’ found in Ansys Fluent, but then their prices are ridiculously expensive-crazy, ‘highway robbery’ in my opinion ! I never heard of Baram until you pointed it out in your reply above; so thank you for this. ---
**Author:** ![Arnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Arnie](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Arnie)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 12:03pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/56 "2025-04-09T12:03:54Z")
@SergioP , I have been getting acquainted with BaramMesh & BaramCFD and I must say that I am very impressed. I only have challenges regarding surface splitting requirements at this stage and I was hoping you could suggest a way forward. 1. When importing CAD geometry into BaramMesh in STL format I dont get the BC names (named selections) that I create in SpaceClaim. How do you import STLs with BC names ? Do you use a specific software ? My understanding is that STL format does not include surface names, only geometry data. 2. BaramMesh also has the “Split Surface” option when importing STL files and allows you to pick certain surface metrics to allow it to automatically split the surfaces. However, no matter what configuration I try, it never produces a practical result. Do you ever use this option successfully in more complicated models/fluid domains ? Any feedback or example files that you are allowed to share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Arnie ---
**Author:** ![SergioP](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/sergiop/32/10_2.png) [@SergioP](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/SergioP)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 12:24pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/57 "2025-04-09T12:24:05Z")
@Arnie, I suggest you to post these kind of questions to the Baram forums!. About your questions, the names of the surfaces are not imported by Baram Mesh, it makes some kind of recognizing at the importing (guess that is by surface angle), and then gives a secuential name. Then you need to rename using standard names (inlet, outlet, wall, symm…) so in Baram Flow they are automaticly recognized for defining proper boundary conditions. And yes, is a very nice CFD suite, they made a good work for simplifying complex procedures as meshing and setting up the multi cores support for Windows users. ---
**Author:** ![Arnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Arnie](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/Arnie)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 12:28pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/58 "2025-04-09T12:28:52Z")
> [@SergioP](#): > > it makes some kind of recognizing at the importing (guess that is by surface angle), and then gives a secuential name. Then you need to rename using standard names (inlet, outlet, wall, symm…) so in Baram Flow they are automaticly recognized for defining proper boundary conditions. Yes, I am familiar with the workflow and the surface angle. It’s just that it does not work as intended when the geometry (fluid domain) is more complex; and so it does not produce practical surface selections/splits. I was not aware of a Baram forum. Thanks, I will investigate and post there. ---
**Author:** ![SergioP](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/calculix.discourse.group/sergiop/32/10_2.png) [@SergioP](https://calculix.discourse.group/u/SergioP)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2025, 1:07pm UTC](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060/59 "2025-04-09T13:07:34Z")
They are very nice people there also! > **[nextfoam baram ¡ Discussions](https://github.com/nextfoam/baram/discussions)** > > Explore the GitHub Discussions forum for nextfoam baram. Discuss code, ask questions & collaborate with the developer community. [Previous page](https://calculix.discourse.group/t/best-workflow-for-beginners/2060.md?page=2)