FEM Install/en

Introduction
To be able to do a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using the FEM Worbench FreeCAD makes use of two external programms. One is used for generating the FEM-Mesh and the other for solving the system of equations.

FEM Mesh Generator
As meshing tool to create a FEM-Mesh netgen is used. See https://sourceforge.net/projects/netgen-mesher/ There are more possibilities to create an FEM-Mesh in FreeCAD. Check out the FEM-Mesh Wiki page(ToDo).

FEM Solver
For solving the system of equations CalculiX is used. See http://www.calculix.de/ Up To date (mid 2015) CalculiX is the only possibility to do a FEA in FreeCAD. Since there are more possibilities to get a valid FEM-Mesh it is recommended to install the Solver first.

Windwos
If either a stable or development version from Download is used no further software needs to be installed. Netgen and CalculiX are included in the FreeCAD download package.

Ubuntu PPA
The easiest possibility to get an working FEM Workbench on Linux is the use of the Ubuntu PPA Version. Check out Download. The netgen FEM Mesh Generator is allready included in the ppa version. CalculiX is an extra package provided by the Ubuntu PPA Version as well. If the Ubuntu PPA repository is allready added to your package manager install CalculiX by apt-get install ccx

The following FreeCAD Ubuntu PPA packages have Netgen and CalculiX:
 * Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty Tahr)
 * Ubuntu 14.10 (Utopic Unicorn)
 * Ubuntu 15.04 (Vivid Vervet)

For Developers: There is a huge forum thread in which the creation of the Ubuntu PPA packages was disscussed. It may be usefull if the Ubuntu PPA packages needs to be updated.

Other
ToDo

OSX
Neither Netgen nor CalculiX are included in FreeCAD download packages which can be downloaded from Download

CalculiX
Check out the following forum thread.

Netgen
There is no known documantion source for FreeCAD and netgen on OSX. Check out FEM Mesh wiki (ToDo) for other possibilities to create a FEM Mesh.