Finite Element Method Solver

Archive Blender Development
1

Greetings!

Is there a way to integrate a Finite Element Method solver for simulations? im thinking about libraries like FEniCS.

Thanks!

1 Like
2

Hello,

it depends what you want mean by “integrate” or what you want to achieve. If you want to use Blender for e.g. just preprocessing, like my SnappyHexMesh GUI add-on for Blender, that is relatively easy to program via Python API. But if you want to have full command of the whole FEM simulation pipeline (preprocessing, simulation, postprocessing) from Blender, then that would require a large development effort. One existing FOSS alternative is FreeCAD, which includes a FEM workbench.

2 Likes
3

Hi!

Do you have a link to the library/libraries you had in mind?

As said by @tkeskita bringing a full FEM pipeline in Blender would be a large undertaking. But it should be possible.

/Nathan

2 Likes
4

Blender shoudn’t focus on bringing individual solvers into it, but rather look at a framework.

Considering everything nodes is being developed together with a new particle system, something like PBD/XPBD would be advantageous to look at as there is a lot of overlap in terms of what types of data it processes.

XPBD is quite useful, Houdinis grains implementation is based on it and Maya/Bifrosts new MPM system uses it to solve hair, strands, grains, softbodies, structured volumes (similar to fem), cloth and more.

Reuse of code and data should be a priority, not implementing and introducing new workflows for specific features.

Everything nodes is a perfect ground for these things.

4 Likes