Analysis & Modeling

Analysis refers to software intended to analyze data, whether it be mathematical, instrumental, quantitative, or qualitative. This category includes many research and statistical packages as well as graphing tools for showing data trends and correlations.

Modeling software focuses on the digital creation or the digital re-creation of a design. Modeling software allows for digital simulation to explore possibilities, theories, and simulate results. It also allows for easy viewing of the design from perspectives that would otherwise be difficult.

This category includes mapping tools, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools, plotting tools, landscape analysts, and geological structure tool. Also included is Software for statistical gathering, analysis, computation, and visualization. Often used in research, polling, or surveying.

SketchUp

October 30, 2014 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Analysis & ModelingMultimedia

Availability: Free Download  |  Pro Download
Comparable: Blender, Solidworks

SketchUp (formerly: Google Sketchup) is a 3D modeling program for applications such as architectural, interior design, civil and mechanical engineering, film, and video game design. A freeware version, SketchUp Make, and a paid version with additional functionality, SketchUp Pro, are available.

The program claims to be easy to use. There is an online open source repository of free-of-charge model assemblies (e.g., windows, doors, automobiles, etc.), 3D Warehouse, to which users may contribute models. The program includes drawing layout functionality, allows surface rendering in variable “styles”, supports third-party “plug-in” programs hosted on a site called Extension Warehouse to provide other capabilities (e.g., near photo-realistic rendering), and enables placement of its models within Google Earth.

A free version of SketchUp is available here.  A heavily discounted version of SketchUp Pro is available for students and educators here.

Socrative

August 26, 2014 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Analysis & ModelingDesign & Visualization

socrative-logo

Availability: Free web application
Comparable: 

Socrative is a live polling service that allows the administrator to build surveys, quizzes, and questionnaires that can be responded to by anyone with a computing device and the administrator’s ID.  The poll can be displayed with live results for all the participants to digest.  At the conclusion of the poll, the administrator is given a variety of methods to gather and evaluate the data.  The software is web-based, and a free account is available.Read more…

Tags: cloud

SOFA Statistics

July 30, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Analysis & Modeling

big_brown_sofa

Availability: Free Download
Comparable: SAS, SPSS, Stata

SOFA Statistics is an open-source statistical package, with an emphasis on ease of use, learn as you go, and beautiful output. The name stands for Statistics Open For All. It has a graphical user interface and can connect directly to MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MS Access (mdb), Microsoft SQL Server, and CUBRID. Data can also be imported from CSV and Tab-Separated files or spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice.org Calc, Gnumeric, Google Docs). The main statistical tests available are Independent and Paired t-tests, Wilcoxon signed ranks, Mann–Whitney U, Pearson’s chi squared, Kruskal Wallis H, one-way ANOVA, Spearman’s R, and Pearson’s R. Nested tables can be produced with row and column percentages, totals, sd, mean, median, lower and upper quartiles, and sum. Simple but dynamic bar charts (freq or means), clustered bar charts (freq or means), pie charts, single or multiple line charts (freq or means), area charts (freq or means), histograms, scatterplots, and box and whisker plots are available. It is also possible to create chart series.

Installation packages are available for several Operating Systems such as Microsoft Windows, Ubuntu,ArchLinux, Linux Mint, and Mac OS X (Leopard upwards).

SOFA Statistics is written in Python, and the widget toolkit used is wxPython. The statistical analyses are based on functions available through the Scipy stats module.  Analysis and reporting can be automated using Python scripts – either exported directly from SOFA Statistics or manually written.

Tags: satatistics