Open source software for architects
Essential tools
Architecture being multidisciplinary by definition architects need to master and manage many tools. Yet, in this digital world code is law and ‘technofeudalism’ never far away. Also, creativity always wants to reinvent rules.
Therefore open source (see https://opensource.org/osd/) tools offer accessible free solutions and endless possibilities to adapt to one’s needs (see e.g. https://community.osarch.org).
Hereby you’ll find an overview of open source software for architects. Many of them are of professional level, but open source CAD and BIM solutions are still in development (there’s however an accessible proprietary solution from Belgian origin : Bricsys).
Tell us about your best open tools !
| OFFICE | |||
| 7-ZIP | 7-zip | www.7-zip.org | (un)zip files |
| DIGIUM | Asterisk | https://www.asterisk.org/ | VoIP |
| FRAMASOFT | FramaPad | https://framadrop.org/ | collaborative editor |
| GANTTPV | GantPV project | http://ganttproject.biz/ | project management |
| IRFANVIEW | Irfanview | www.irfanview.com | image viewer (free but not open) |
| JITSI | Jitsi | https://jitsi.org/index.php/Main/Download | VoIP |
| LIBREOFFICE | LibreOffice | www.libreoffice.org | office suite |
| MOZILLA | Firefox | https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/ | browser |
| OKULAR | Document Viewer | https://okular.kde.org/ | PDF reader |
| PROJECTLIBRE | ProjectLibre | www.projectlibre.org | project management |
| SUMATRAPDF | Sumatra PDF Reader | https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org | PDF reader |
| THUNDERBIRD | Thunderbird | https://www.thunderbird.net | email client |
| WISEMAPPING | WiseMapping | www.wisemapping.com/c/home.htm | mind mapping |
| XMIND | Xmind | www.xmind.net | mind mapping |
| CAD | |||
| ALICEVISION | Meshroom | https://alicevision.org | photogrammetry |
| BIMSERVER | BIMserver | www.bimserver.org | BIM server |
| BLENDER | Blender | www.blender.org | 3D modeling |
| BLENDER BIM | BlenderBIM Add-on | https://blenderbim.org | blender BIM add-on |
| CLOUDCOMPARE | CloudCompare | http://www.danielgm.net/cc/ | photogrammetry |
| FREECAD | Free Arch Workbench | https://wiki.freecad.org/Arch_Workbench | BIM modeler |
| LUXCORERENDER | LuxCoreRender | https://luxcorerender.org/ | 3D rendering |
| MESHLAB | Meshlab | https://www.meshlab.net/ | photogrammetry |
| QGIS | Geographic Information system | https://www.qgis.org/en/site/ | GIS modeler |
| GRAPHICS | |||
| DARKTABLE | Darktable | www.darktable.org | photography workflow |
| DIGIKAM | DigiKam | https://www.digikam.org/ | photo manager |
| GIMP | Gimp | www.gimp.org | image editor |
| INKSCAPE | Inkscape | www.inkscape.org | drawing tool |
| KRITA | Krita | https://krita.org | drawing tool |
| PDFFORGE | PDFarchitect | www.pdfforge.org/pdfarchitect | PDF editor |
| PDFSAM | PDFsam Basic | https://pdfsam.org/ | PDF editor |
| RAWTHERAPEE | RawTherapee | http://rawtherapee.com | RAW photo processor |
| SCRIBUS | Scribus DTP | www.scribus.net | desktop publishing |
| VIDEO | |||
| AUDACITY | Audacity | http://audacity.sourceforge.net | sound editor |
| AVIDEMUX | Avidemux | http://avidemux.sourceforge.net | video editor |
| NIKSE | SubtitleEdit | www.nikse.dk/SubtitleEdit | |
| OPENSHOT | OpenShot | www.openshot.org | video editor |
| SHOTCUT | Shotcut | https://shotcut.org | video editor |
| VIDEOLAN | VLC media player | www.videolan.org/vlc | video player |
| ENERGY | |||
| ENERGYPLUS | EnergyPlus | https://energyplus.net/downloads | building energy simulation |
| EPB BXL | PEB Bruxelles | https://environnement.brussels/pro/outils-et-donnees/sites-web-et-outils/outils-et-documents-utiles-de-la-reglementation-travaux-peb | EPB |
| EPB VL | EPB Vlaanderen | https://www.vlaanderen.be/epb-pedia/epb-software/epb-software-3g | EPB |
| EPB WAL | PEB Wallonie | https://energie.wallonie.be/fr/logiciel-peb.html?IDC=9596 | EPB |
| LAWRENCE BERKELEY LAB | Therm | https://windows.lbl.gov/software/therm | building energy simulation |
| OPENSTUDIO COALITION | OpenStudio | https://openstudiocoalition.org/ | building energy simulation |
| IT | |||
| ALFRESCO | Alfresco project groupware | www.alfresco.com | groupware |
| BACULA | Bacula | https://www.bacula.org/ | backup |
| CLAMAV | ClamWin | www.clamwin.com | antivirus |
| CLONEZILLA | Clonezilla | http://clonezilla.org/ | disk partitioning, cloning |
| EID BELGIUM | EID | http://eid.belgium.be | eID manager |
| FILEZILLA | Filezilla | https://filezilla-project.org/ | FTP |
| GLPI | GLPI | https://glpi-project.org/ | IT management |
| KEEPASS | KeePass | http://keepass.info | password manager |
| NEXTCLOUD | Nextcloud Groupware | www.nextcloud.com | groupware |
| OCS Inventory | Inventory & Deployment | https://ocsinventory-ng.org/ | IT management |
| OPENVPN | OpenVPN | https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/downloads.html | VPN |
| OWNCLOUD | Owncloud | www.owncloud.com | groupware |
| PYDIO | Pydio | www.pydio.com | document sharing |
| SOGO | Scalable OpenGroupware.org | www.scalableogo.org | groupware |
| uVNC | Ultra VNC | www.uvnc.com | remote access |
| SOCIAL NETWORKS | |||
| BIGBLUEBUTTON | BigBlueButton | https://bigbluebutton.org | learning platform |
| FRAMASOFT | Mobilizon | https://joinmobilizon.org/en | event organizer |
| MANIVERSE | Maniverse | www.manyver.se | social network |
| MASTODON | Mastodon | https://joinmastodon.org | social network |
| MOODLE | Moodle | https://moodle.org | learning platform |