Gmsh: a three-dimensional finite element mesh generator with built-in pre- and post-processing facilities

Christophe Geuzaine and Jean-François Remacle

Version 2.2.6, November 21 2008

Description

Gmsh is an automatic 3D finite element grid generator with a built-in CAD engine and post-processor. Its design goal is to provide a simple meshing tool for academic problems with parametric input and advanced visualization capabilities.

Gmsh is built around four modules: geometry, mesh, solver and post-processing. The specification of any input to these modules is done either interactively using the graphical user interface or in ASCII text files using Gmsh's own scripting language.

See the screencasts for a quick tour of Gmsh's graphical user interface, or the reference manual for a more thorough overview of Gmsh's capabilities.

Download

Gmsh is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). Pre-compiled binaries¹ are available for Windows (XP & Vista), Linux (Intel, glibc 2.3) and Mac OS X (10.5, Universal binary). Tutorial and demos files are included in all the archives.

Current stable release: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and source code ²
Experimental versions (these might be buggy, or might not even launch: use at your own risk!):
- automated nightly builds: Windows (build log), Linux (build log), Mac OS X (build log)
- nightly cvs source snapshot
Browse all versions: binaries and sources

If you use Gmsh, we would appreciate if you could mention it in your work (books, articles, reports, etc.). Cite the web site for now; a paper is in preparation, but is not yet ready.

Authors and credits

Gmsh is developed by Christophe Geuzaine (University of Liège) and Jean-François Remacle (Catholic University of Louvain). The CREDITS file has more information.

Please use gmsh@geuz.org to send questions or bug reports.

Documentation

Reference manual (also available in pdf, text and info formats, or as a single html file)
Screencasts showing how to use the graphical user interface
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Version history
Credits

We need your help to build a library of examples! (username: gmsh, password: wiki)

Mailing lists

gmsh is the public mailing list for Gmsh users. You should send all questions, bug reports, requests or pleas for changes related to Gmsh to this list. The list is archived here.
gmsh-announce is a moderated (i.e. "read-only") list for announcements about significant Gmsh events. You should subscribe to this list to get information about software releases, important bug fixes and other Gmsh-specific news. The list is archived here.

Licensing

Gmsh is copyright (C) 1997-2008 by C. Geuzaine and J.-F. Remacle and is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) (with an exception to allow for easier linking with external mesh generators).

In short, this means that everyone is free to use Gmsh and to redistribute it on a free basis. Gmsh is not in the public domain; it is copyrighted and there are restrictions on its distribution (see the license and its associated FAQ). For example, you cannot integrate this version of Gmsh (in full or in parts) in any closed-source software you plan to distribute (commercially or not).

If you want to integrate Gmsh into a closed-source software, or want to sell a modified closed-source version of Gmsh, please contact us in person. You can purchase a version of Gmsh under a different license, with "no strings attached" (for example allowing you to take parts of Gmsh and integrate them into your own proprietary code).

Screenshots

Sample STEP/BREP models: bike, zylkopf, tap, linkrods, block, hammer, propeller, piston, pump (EDF R&D).
Native models: ocean, magnetron 1, magnetron 2 (P. Lefèvre), circuit breaker (S. K. Choi), electrical machine (J. Gyselinck), braid 1, braid 2 (D. Colignon).
Mesh around an airplane: A319 1, A319 2.
Structured vs. unstructured grids: spirale, unstructured, structured tet, structured hex/pri.
Post-processing: F16 streamlines, F18 streamlines, pressure ring, Boing (P. Geuzaine), post-pro, post-pro 2, colormaps.
Miscellaneous features: Lenna as background mesh, animated cutting spiral, selection, clipping.
Various screen captures: magnetron, F16, electrical machine, neutron scattering.

Links

Gmsh can be linked with OpenCascade to provide support for STEP, IGES and BREP files. Gmsh can also be linked with several external mesh generators (currently Netgen from Joachim Schöberl and TetGen from Hang Si).

Gmsh's high quality vector PostScript, PDF and SVG output is produced by GL2PS.

Gmsh's cross-platform graphical user interface is based on FLTK and OpenGL.

Make sure to also check out GetDP, a rather general finite element code that can be used right from Gmsh's graphical user interface.

¹You need the OpenGL libraries installed on your system (and in the path of the library loader). A free replacement for OpenGL can be found at http://mesa3d.sourceforge.net. Remember that you may have to reconfigure the loader (ldconfig under Linux) or modify the LD_LIBRARY_PATH/SHLIB_PATH/etc. environment variable in order for Gmsh to find the libraries.

²You need the GSL (>= 1.2) and FLTK (>= 1.1.7) libraries properly installed on your system in order to compile Gmsh. Non-graphical versions can be compiled without FLTK.

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