Hello
Can someone please let me know how to install Calculix on Windows 10 computer?
I have already installed PrePoMax but I am looking for a preprocessor that has a (preferably independent) GUI for preprocessing which also allows using linear beam elements. I am a structural engineer and often need to model building frames as well.
You can download CalculiX for Windows from here: https://www.dhondt.de/calculix_2.22_4win.zip
When it comes to CalculiX’s beam elements, try FreeCAD FEM, it supports them: FEM ElementGeometry1D
2 Likes
I use for windows these version and add the executable
1 Like
Why don’t you use just the https://www.dhondt.de/calculix_2.22_4win.zip package directly ? It doesn’t have libraries for Pardiso but I guess bConverged doesn’t provide them either.
Calculix for Windows is just .exe file + few dll’s. You can just download it and place in the forder at C drive. After that you are operating with it using shell commands.
cmd
cd path
ccx text.inp
etc.
Sorry but I think someone has to say it. I don’t recomend Calculix for modeling building frames.
There are bugs reported and you will find many limitations soon. If you are planning to learn the software just to work with beams I would invest my time in other direction.
3 Likes
There are some real-life cases discussed on the FreeCAD forum (for example this thread and more from those guys working with civil engineering topics) and many bugs with beam elements are now fixed but some still remain plus there are multiple limitations so I agree that one should be very careful when using those elements in CalculiX. Perhaps a different FOSS solver (such as Mystran also supported by FreeCAD) is a good choice, at least for comparison.
1 Like
For frame modeling I recommend you to use Mecway FEA, it has an internal solver with better support for beams and shells than CalculiX. You can make small models with the free/demo edition or you can buy the licence for comercial use.
With Mecway you can use the internal solver, and also CalculiX and OpenRadioss.
What an active community! Impressive!
Thank you all for your quick support!
I have been using Sofistik for many years for modelling different types of structures including beams, shells, nonlinear analysis with imperfections, dynamic, and buckling analyses.
Now I am looking for an alternative as I don’t want to use Sofistik anymore.
From my limited searches, the options that I have are perhaps Calculix, Code-Aster, and SCIA (commercial). (I also don’t want to use Ansys or Abaqus).
From your feedback, it seems that Calculix is less suited for the type of structures where there are often multiple linear beam elements.
I really appreciate the work that has been done to develop Calculix.
Thank you again and kind regards,
Amin
I agree with you there.
1 Like