FEniTop

Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWindows

What FEniTop is

FEniTop is free, GPL-3.0 open-source software for topology optimization built on FEniCSx. It supports 2D and 3D problems on structured and unstructured meshes, with varied element geometries, types, orders, and quadrature degrees. Users define partial differential equations in weak form, and automatic differentiation supports finite-element and sensitivity analysis. PETSc through petsc4py provides linear and nonlinear solvers and preconditioners. For design updates, FEniTop offers parallel implementations of Optimality Criteria and Method of Moving Asymptotes, alongside a Helmholtz-type PDE filter aimed at large-scale parallel problems and large filter radii. It is designed to scale from laptops to distributed computing clusters. Optimized designs can be exported as XDMF files for ParaView post-processing. Included examples cover beams in 2D and 3D, a 2D disk, a 3D shell, and a 2D compliant mechanism. Installation instructions specify FEniCSx 0.7.3, PyVista, and Xvfb; the documented Windows 11 setup uses Ubuntu under WSL and Docker Desktop.

Who it suits

FEniTop suits topology-optimization beginners seeking efficiency and ease of use, as well as experts working on complex problems who value computing efficiency. It is relevant to users who can meet its FEniCSx, PyVista, and Xvfb setup requirements.

What it does well

Free and open-source under GPL-3.0
Supports 2D and 3D meshes
Parallel optimization methods and filtering
Exports XDMF designs for ParaView
Includes examples across several geometries

What to know first

Setup specifies FEniCSx 0.7.3, PyVista, and Xvfb
Windows 11 setup uses WSL and Docker Desktop

Getting started

Open the FEniTop project on GitHub.
Follow the installation instructions for FEniCSx version 0.7.3, PyVista, and Xvfb.
On Windows 11, use the documented setup with Ubuntu under WSL and Docker Desktop.
Use the included examples for beams, a disk, a shell, or a compliant mechanism.

Verdict

FEniTop combines flexible finite-element problem setup with parallel optimization methods and export for ParaView. Its documented dependencies and Windows setup are worth checking before getting started.

Questions

Is FEniTop free?

Yes. It is identified as free software and is licensed under GPL-3.0.

What operating systems or platforms does it support?

The listed platforms are Linux, self-hosted, and Windows. The documented Windows 11 setup uses Ubuntu under WSL and Docker Desktop.

What does FEniTop do?

It provides topology optimization based on FEniCSx for 2D and 3D problems.

What installation dependencies are specified?

The installation instructions specify FEniCSx version 0.7.3, PyVista, and Xvfb.

Can optimized designs be post-processed in ParaView?

Yes. Designs can be exported as XDMF files for post-processing in ParaView.

What optimization methods does it include?

It provides parallel implementations of Optimality Criteria and Method of Moving Asymptotes.

Facts from FEniTop's own pages

Dimensions and meshes: It supports 2D and 3D problems with structured or unstructured meshes and multiple element geometries and types. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Examples: The repository includes examples for 2D and 3D beams, a 2D disk, a 3D shell, and a 2D compliant mechanism. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Export: Optimized designs can be exported as XDMF files for post-processing in ParaView. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Export and post-processing: Optimized designs can be exported to XDMF files for post-processing in ParaView. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Filter: It includes a Helmholtz-type PDE filter designed for large-scale parallel problems, particularly with large filter radii. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Filtering: It includes a Helmholtz-type PDE filter designed for large-scale parallel problems, including problems with large filter radii. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Finite element support: It supports varying element geometries, element types, element orders, and quadrature degrees. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Intended users: The authors say FEniTop may benefit both topology-optimization beginners seeking efficiency and ease of use and experts seeking computing efficiency for complex problems. · zhang.cee.illinois.edu, 4 Oct 2026
License: The repository identifies its license as GPL-3.0. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Optimization algorithms: It provides parallel implementations of Optimality Criteria and Method of Moving Asymptotes for updating design variables. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Optimization methods: It provides parallel implementations of the Optimality Criteria and Method of Moving Asymptotes optimizers. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Parallel computing: It supports scalable parallel computing on systems ranging from laptops to distributed computing clusters. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
PDE formulation: It lets users express PDEs in weak form, avoiding manual matrix manipulation. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
PDEs and sensitivities: It expresses PDEs in weak form and uses automatic differentiation for finite-element analysis and sensitivity analysis. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Product: FEniTop is open-source software for topology optimization based on FEniCSx. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Purpose: FEniTop is open-source software for topology optimization based on FEniCSx. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Requirements: The installation instructions specify FEniCSx version 0.7.3, PyVista, and Xvfb. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Sensitivity analysis: It uses automatic differentiation to help with chain rules in finite element analysis and sensitivity analysis. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Setup requirements: The README recommends FEniCSx version 0.7.3, PyVista, and Xvfb; its detailed setup uses Docker and Ubuntu under WSL on Windows 11. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Solvers: It provides access to linear and nonlinear solvers and preconditioners through the PETSc backend via petsc4py. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Windows setup: The documented Windows 11 setup uses WSL with Ubuntu, Docker Desktop, and a Docker image containing FEniCSx, PyVista, and Xvfb. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026

Where FEniTop stands on Freedom251

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