I need to learn FreeCAD and look into the options further (my main interest is in pre/post support for MYSTRAN). While CalculiX is a great solver (and one of best open source solvers), it is does not have true beam and shell elements. This can present major issues, but CaclculiX is great if you want...

a reference ... FEM_Solver There are many solver options. The challenge is knowing which ones are still being developed, which have good documentation, strong user base, pre/post support options, open vs closed, etc. One practical perspective is that CalculiX is largely compatible with ABAQUS. This...

A few additional comparisons: CalculiX is a great solver. Perhaps the biggest disadvantages are that it does not have "true" beam, shell, and spring elements. Rather, all of those elements are internally expanded into 3D. There are a variety of challenges with this, but it still a great so...