OpenSim
OpenSim is a free, open-source platform for modeling and simulating movement and interaction involving humans, animals, robots and their environment. Its graphical interface lets users visualize models and generate and analyze simulations. Models can include rigid bodies, joints, constraints, contact, muscles and other actuators. Movement-analysis tools cover inverse kinematics, inverse dynamics, static optimization and forward dynamics; Computed Muscle Control can generate muscle-driven forward simulations. The API can be used through Matlab, Python, Java and C++, while 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 GUI is distributed for 64-bit Windows and Mac; there is no public Linux GUI distribution, although the API source can be built for Linux. OpenSim 4.0 added reading of marker and force data in C3D files. The GUI and API use Apache 2.0, while models, examples and plugins may have separate licenses. Documentation, tutorials and a discussion forum are available. The project describes the platform as suitable for research and teaching; downloads require a SimTK account.
Who it is for
OpenSim suits researchers and educators modeling movement or interaction, and the project welcomes academic and commercial applications. Linux users can build the API from source, but the public GUI distribution is for Windows and Mac.
What is good
- Includes tools for four types of movement analysis.
- API supports Matlab, Python, Java and C++.
- Can read marker and force data in C3D files.
- Documentation, tutorials and a discussion forum are available.
What to know first
- No public Linux GUI distribution.
- Plugins must match the OpenSim version and platform.
- Download requires a SimTK account.
Verdict
OpenSim offers modeling, simulation and analysis tools with scripting options across several languages. Check the GUI platform limitation and plugin compatibility requirements before choosing it.
OpenSim plans and pricing
All plansCompared on physics simulation software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Delivery mode
- desktop
- Lesson library
- Yes
- Authoring tools
- Yes
- 3D visuals
- Yes
- Data export
- Yes
