System Requirements: Running COMSOL Applications
COMSOL applications can be run by connecting to COMSOL Server™ from a web browser or from the COMSOL Client for Windows®. The COMSOL Client for Windows® allows a user to run applications that require a LiveLink™ product for CAD. Running applications in a web browser does not require any installation or web browser plugins. Running an application in a web browser supports interactive graphics in 3D using WebGL™ technology. The system requirements for COMSOL Compiler™, and compiled applications, are identical to those for COMSOL Multiphysics®.
Web Browsers
Recent versions of the most popular web browsers support the WebGL™ standard for 3D graphics and WebSockets. The table below lists the earliest version of each browser that supports WebGL™ and WebSockets, but we recommend always using the latest version of the browser for the best user experience.
| Operating System | Browser | Recommended Version |
|---|---|---|
| Windows®/Linux®/macOS | Chrome™ | 31 or later |
| Windows® | Internet Explorer® | 11 or later |
| Windows® | Microsoft Edge® | 21 or later |
| Windows®/Linux®/macOS | Firefox® | 35 or later |
| macOS | Safari | 7.1 or later |
| iOS® | Safari | 8.1 or later |
| Android™ | Android™ Browser | 37 or later |
| Android™ | Chrome™ | 40 or later |
COMSOL Client for Windows®
Running COMSOL applications with the COMSOL Client for the Windows® operating system utilizes Microsoft® Windows® components. This gives simulation applications a look-and-feel similar to applications running in the COMSOL Desktop® environment. In addition, many of the LiveLink™ products for CAD software can be used with the COMSOL Client.
| Supported Operating System Version | |
|---|---|
| 64-Bit Operating Systems |
|
Interfacing Products
CAD Import Module and Design Module
| Operating System | Version |
|---|---|
| Windows® | Windows® 7, Windows® 8.1, and Windows® 101,2 |
| macOS | macOS 10.13, 10.14, and 10.15 1,2 |
| Linux® | OS-specific system requirements only 1,2 |
1File import of the NX™ file format is available only on a supported Windows® or Linux® operating system.
2File import of the AutoCAD®, Inventor®, and SOLIDWORKS® file formats is available only on a supported Windows® operating system.
For a list of supported file formats for CAD file import and export, see the CAD Specification Chart.
LiveLink™ Products for CAD Software
The bidirectional interface functionality of the product suite detailed in the table below is available only for the Windows® 7, Windows® 8.1, and Windows® 10 operating systems when run together with the COMSOL Client. The bidirectional interface functionality of LiveLink™ for PTC Pro/ENGINEER® is available only for the Windows® 7 operating system when run together with the COMSOL Client. For other included functionality, such as file import and geometric operations, see the CAD Import Module and Design Module table above.
| LiveLink™ | Compatible Software |
|---|---|
| LiveLink™ for AutoCAD® | AutoCAD® 2019 and 2020 |
| LiveLink™ for Inventor® | Inventor® 2019 and 2020; Inventor® Professional 2019 and 2020 |
| LiveLink™ for PTC Creo Parametric™ | PTC Creo Parametric™ 3.0 1, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 |
| LiveLink™ for PTC Pro/ENGINEER® | PTC Pro/ENGINEER® Wildfire® 4.0 and 5.0, and PTC Creo® Elements Pro 5.0 |
| LiveLink™ for Revit® | Revit® 2019 and 2020 |
| LiveLink™ for Solid Edge® | Solid Edge® 2019 and 2020 |
| LiveLink™ for SOLIDWORKS® | SOLIDWORKS® 2019 and 2020 |
1Support for PTC Creo Parametric™ 3.0 by the LiveLink™ interface will be removed in the next major release of the COMSOL Multiphysics® software.
File Import for CATIA® V5
The File Import for CATIA® V5 add-on to the CAD Import Module, Design Module, and LiveLink™ products for CAD is only available for Windows® 7, Windows® 8.1, and Windows® 10.
LiveLink™ for Excel®
LiveLink™ for Excel® is compatible with Excel® 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 on the Windows® operating system. Excel® 2010 Starter is not supported. If using Office 365, Excel® must be installed on the computer — LiveLink™ for Excel® requires a version of Excel that supports VSTO add-ins.
LiveLink™ for MATLAB®
LiveLink™ for MATLAB® is compatible with MATLAB® R2019a and R2019b on all supported operating systems. For Linux® operating system, the programs xterm and csh are required. To interface with MATLAB® functions, the COMSOL application needs to be run in a web browser, while the MATLAB® and COMSOL Server™ programs need to be installed on the same physical computer.
Note: This information is provided for your benefit, but should not be used as a substitute for your own investigation of the system requirements that may be appropriate for your use of COMSOL® software or other software, given your particular circumstances. Systems and hardware change regularly, which may impact any determination of what system requirements are appropriate for you.
Android and Chrome are trademarks of Google Inc. Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, AutoCAD, Inventor, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. CATIA is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries. Firefox is a registered trademark of the Mozilla Foundation. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. macOS , and Safari are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc. Microsoft, Microsoft Edge, Excel, Internet Explorer, Windows, and Windows Server are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. NX and Solid Edge are trademarks or registered trademarks of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. PTC, Creo, Creo Parametric, Elements/Pro, Pro/ENGINEER, and Wildfire are trademarks or registered trademarks of PTC Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and in other countries. SOLIDWORKS is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. WebGL and the WebGL logo are trademarks of the Khronos Group Inc. COMSOL AB and its subsidiaries and products are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or supported by these trademark owners.