COREFORM CUBIT

Advanced hex meshing software.

Coreform Cubit’s pre-processing and hex-dominant meshing tools minimize the time spent on model preparation for FEA and CFD, while maximizing control over mesh quality.
// Runs on Windows and Linux. Scriptable through a full Python API.
Originated at Sandia National Laboratories. Commercialized exclusively by Coreform.
HEX HEX-DOMINANT TET
REPLACE IMAGE — HEX
All-hex mesh on a complex assembly — high-resolution render
suggested 3:2 · ~1400×930
// Pure hexahedral mesh on a complex part
Sandia National Labs icon

Born at Sandia National Labs

Coreform Cubit emerged from the Cubit software developed at Sandia, where the technology has been developed and proven for decades.
Exclusive license icon

Exclusive commercial license

Coreform is the exclusive commercial developer and provider of Coreform Cubit, offering technical support and enhancements to support commercial workflows.
Trusted icon

Trusted across industry and labs

Relied on for production meshing in nuclear, aerospace, defense, automotive, and national-lab research.

Sandia National Labs icon

Doing U.S. government work? Cubit is free for you.

Cubit is free for U.S. government use through Sandia National Laboratories, available to government agencies and to contractors working under a U.S. government contract. The government-use license covers government work only. For commercial work you’ll need Coreform Cubit, and many contractors run both: government Cubit for government projects, Coreform Cubit for commercial ones.

THE BOTTLENECK

Geometry prep is where simulation time is lost.

Preparing CAD geometry for meshing consumes more time and resources than any other stage of the simulation process. Coreform Cubit provides powerful, user-guided automated tools that make geometry cleanup, decomposition, and meshing fast and repeatable.
Hex + tet
Hex, hex-dominant, and tet meshing algorithms in one toolkit, with smart automation.
Python API
Script and fully automate meshing, then replay it as journal files for repeatable results.

Native CAD

Read native CAD, then heal, defeature, and decompose dirty geometry into meshable models.
THE WORKFLOW

From CAD to solver-ready mesh.

Coreform Cubit helps reduce the time it takes to generate analysis models, especially hex meshes of complex parts.

Imported CAD
STEP 01

Import and heal

Import CAD formats such as STEP, IGES, CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, NX, CREO, and more. Analyze and repair dirty CAD by trimming, stitching, and rebuilding.

Decomposed model
STEP 02

Prepare and decompose

Perform booleans, create virtual geometry, imprint and merge, and leverage Coreform Cubit’s smart defeaturing tools to make assemblies meshable.

Hex mesh
STEP 03

Mesh

Create hex, hex-dominant, or tet meshes with precise tools to dictate the meshing schemes and interval sizing, and inspect the meshes with exhaustive quality metrics. 

Solver-ready model
STEP 04

Export to your solver

Export your mesh. Coreform Cubit supports file formats for most leading commercial and open-source solvers. 

FEATURES

A comprehensive meshing toolkit.

Coreform Cubit has a full-featured toolkit for robust generation of two- and three-dimensional finite element meshes, as well as features to help you fine-tune your CAD geometry to create the oprimal mesh.

Imported CAD

Geometry preparation

  • Create and modify solid geometry with Booleans
  • Auto-heal dirty CAD: trim, stitch, and rebuild
  • Imprint and merge for conformal assembly meshing
  • Smart defeaturing and powerful decomposition tools
Imported CAD

Meshing algorithms

  • Industry-leading hex, hex-dominant, and tet meshing
  • Paving, mapping, sub-mapping, sweeping, and multi-sweeping
  • Multi-scheme automatic tri and tet meshing
  • Automatic scheme selection, interval sizing, and smoothing
Imported CAD

Automation and interop

  • Full Python API, plus GUI and command line
  • Journal files for repeatable, scriptable workflows
  • Machine-learning-assisted diagnostics and classification
  • Broad import and export, including Abaqus, Exodus, and DAGMC

INPUT/OUTPUT

Reads your CAD. Writes to your solver.

Coreform Cubit supports a broad range of file formats for both import and export. 

Mesh export

Mesh + boundary conditions
AbaqusExodus IIGenesisANSYSPatranOpenMC DAGMCCUBIT
Mesh only
NastranLS-DYNAFluentOpenFOAMMCNPI-DEASIMPETUSUCD

Mesh import 

Mesh + boundary conditions
AbaqusExodus IIGenesisCUBIT .cub / .cub5
Mesh only
NastranLS-DYNAFluentAzoreCFDPatranI-DEASGAMBITIMPETUS

CAD import

Import automatically repairs geometry and topology and resolves tolerances — no native CAD seats required.
ACISSTEPSTLOBJPLYAssimpFacetsGAMBITMCNP CSGAVS

Additional CAD importers

Priced separately

Direct import of native formats, built on Spatial 3D InterOp, for the cleanest possible data exchange.
CATIA V5NXCreo / Pro-ESolidWorksParasolidIGES
Contact Coreform for pricing. Full version matrix on the data translators page.
AUTOMATION

Mesh once, then script it with Python.

After Coreform Cubit users become familiar with the software through using the GUI, the will often begin to heavily use Python to script their Coreform Cubit processes. 

A full Python API.

Drive every step from a script and replay it as a journal file. The GUI and non-GUI versions create and play back identical journals, so you can move between interactive and batch work freely. Coreform Cubit commands wrapped in Python look like this: cubit.cmd(‘mesh volume all’).

COREFORM CUBIT + AI

Built for automation. Ready for AI.

Coreform Cubit was built for automation, which makes it unusually ready for AI. Machine learning is already at work inside the product: ML-based feature recognition automatically identifies fasteners such as bolts, nuts, and pins in imported CAD, accelerating defeaturing and model prep. Coreform Cubit is also a natural fit for generative AI. Every action, whether clicked in the GUI or typed at the command line, is captured as a human-readable journal file backed by a complete Python API, so AI assistants can write meshing workflows the same way engineers do. Users can ask an LLM to generate a journal file from a plain-English description, replay it deterministically, and refine it, while AI agents can drive Coreform Cubit directly through its scripting interface to interrogate model state, clean up geometry, and build meshes with the engineer watching and steering in the GUI.

MACHINE LEARNING, SHIPPING TODAY

Part identification and reduction

Coreform Cubit’s ML-trained part classification recognizes bolts, nuts, washers, and other fasteners across an entire assembly, each with a confidence score, then simplifies, removes, or replaces them in bulk. You can also train it on your own recurring parts.

Coreform Cubit part classification listing bolts with confidence scores across a 128-volume assembly

// Machine-learning part classification from the webinar Machine learning in Coreform Cubit

GENERATIVE AI, IN PRACTICE

Ask an AI for a journal file. Play it back.

A real exchange with an AI assistant, unedited. The generated journal file played back in Coreform Cubit, hex meshed the model, and exported it to ANSYS.
Prompt
"Claude, write me a journal file to create a Coreform Cubit model of the Coreform 'C' logo that is six inches across and 0.5 inches deep, hex mesh it, and export the mesh to Ansys."
Generated journal file (abridged)
# Coreform "C" logo - 6.0 across, 0.5 deep
create cylinder height 0.5 radius 3.0
create cylinder height 0.5 radius 1.75
subtract volume 2 from volume 1
brick x 2.2 y 1.4 z 0.6
move volume 3 x 2.3
subtract volume 3 from volume 1
# ... petals, plate, webcut, imprint, merge ...
volume all size 0.125
volume all scheme sweep
mesh volume all
block all element type hex8
export ansys cdb "coreform_c_logo.cdb" overwrite
The AI-generated Coreform C logo model hex meshed in Coreform Cubit
// The result: the Coreform logo, hex meshed in Coreform Cubit from the AI-generated journal
WHY COREFORM CUBIT

Control where it counts.

Coreform Cubit is built for engineers who need high-quality meshes on complex, real-world geometry, and who want to automate the work once they have it dialed in.
Imported CAD

Controls mesh quality

QUALITY
Smart, user-guided controls give you the element quality your solver needs, instead of an opaque automatic result you cannot tune.

Handles dirty, complex CAD

ROBUSTNESS
Healing, imprint and merge, and decomposition tools make even large interlocking assemblies meshable.

Scriptable and repeatable

AUTOMATION
The Python API and journal files turn a one-time meshing effort into a workflow you can run across hundreds of analyses.

Fits your toolchain

INTEROP
Import from common CAD formats and export to many solvers, so Coreform Cubit slots into the tools you already use.
INDUSTRIES

Trusted by demanding engineers in industry and research.

From nuclear energy to automotive, Coreform Cubit’s performance and capabilities consistently deliver across demanding simulation work.
Imported CAD

Nuclear energy

Reactor design and Monte Carlo transport, with MCNP and DAGMC support. Above image courtesy UKAEA.

Imported CAD

CFD

Very large, complex computational meshes for flow simulation that just works. Above image courtesy Carollo.

Imported CAD

Automotive and mechanical

Structural FEA on complex parts and assemblies, automated through Python. Above image courtesy Akselos.

Imported CAD

Aerospace, defense, research

High-fidelity meshing for national labs and certification-grade analysis. Above image courtesy University of Tennessee.

CASE STUDIES

Production teams rely on Coreform Cubit every day.

coreform logo
coreform logo
coreform logo
coreform logo
coreform logo
“very large and complex computational meshes for CFD”
Switched from GAMBIT in 2015 and has used Coreform Cubit for reliable CFD meshing ever since.
Ed Wicklein / Principal Technologist, Carollo Engineers
“fully comprehensive, powerful, fast and intuitive meshing tool”
Five years of daily team use, with custom plugins that run Coreform Cubit meshes from Python scripts.
Phuong Huynh / Founder and Head of Research and Operation, Akselos
“rapid meshing of complex geometries thanks to its API”
The API and compatibility with modern tools let the team iterate quickly on complex geometry.
Paul Keutelian / COO, Radiant
“fully automate the hex meshing process by Python scripting”
Parametric mesh builds and automated boundary-condition setup to qualify products faster.
Sondre Tjessem / Computational Engineer (MSc), TP Products
QUESTIONS

Common questions about Coreform Cubit.

Short answers to what people ask most. Full details live in the documentation and on the forum.
Who develops Coreform Cubit?
Coreform Cubit emerged from the Cubit software developed at Sandia National Laboratories, where the technology has been developed and proven over decades. Coreform is the exclusive commercial developer and provider, offering technical support and enhancements for commercial workflows.
How is it different from the Sandia version?

Very little at the core. Coreform contributes its much of its development back to Sandia, so the underlying meshing and geometry technology is essentially the same in both. Significant unique Coreform contributions include commercial-use licensing, CAD and mesh import/export capabilities, and commercial support. Sandia government-use licensing.

Is there a free version?

Yes. The Coreform Cubit Associate license includes all features with a 50,000-element export limit, free for students, hobbyists, and non-commercial use. 

What does a commercial license cost?

Multiple commercial pricing options are available to best meet your use case. Contact Coreform for a quote.

I qualify for free government-use Cubit. Should I still buy Coreform Cubit?

If all of your work is U.S. government use, no, get the free government-use license from Sandia. You would buy Coreform Cubit for commercial work (the government-use license doesn’t allow that), mesh and CAD translators, and for commercial support. Many contractors run both. 

What platforms does Coreform Cubit run on?

Coreform Cubit runs on Windows and Linux. 

Do I have to hex mesh everything in Coreform Cubit?
No. Coreform Cubit gives you hex, hex-dominant, and tet meshing in one toolkit, so you can choose the right element type per part of the model.
Can I automate meshing with Python in Coreform Cubit?
Yes. A full Python API drives every step, and journal files replay your workflow exactly, which is how teams build automated meshing pipelines.
Does Coreform Cubit have a GUI or command line?
Both. The GUI and non-GUI versions create and play back identical journal files, so you can move between interactive and batch work freely.
Coreform Cubit logo

Get Coreform Cubit

One place to start, whether you’re evaluating for your company or meshing for your research.
STEP 1

How will you use Coreform Cubit?

🏢 Commercial work

You’ll use Coreform Cubit for work at a company or lab, including evaluating it for possible purchase.

Full trial · no export limits · direct engineer support

🎓 Academic use

You’re a student, researcher, or professor using Coreform Cubit at a university. Non-commercial use only.

Free options · university email required

STEP 2 OF 3

Which describes you?

🔬 Researcher or professor

Faculty, research staff, or a postdoc using Coreform Cubit for university research or instruction.

Limited 30-day trial · buy academic licenses online

📚 Student

Coursework, thesis work, or student projects. Non-commercial use only.

Free Associate license · 1 year · 50,000-element export cap

👈  Choose an option to get started

Pick how you’ll use Coreform Cubit on the left, and the matching form appears here.

STEP 2 OF 2

Request a commercial trial

Full-featured Coreform Cubit, no element export limits, evaluated on your real models with an application engineer.

How this works: submit the form and you’ll get an email with next steps. We will ask you some questions and set up a short call with an engineer to evaluate your use case.

Using a university email for research or coursework? The academic options are free with no conversation needed — continue here only if you’re evaluating for commercial purchase.

STEP 3 OF 3

Start your academic trial

A limited 30-day trial of Coreform Cubit for university research and teaching.

How this works: submitting the form creates your Coreform account, with your university email as your login. You’ll land in your account portal with your trial license ready to download. Verification is by email domain, so a university address is required; if you qualify for academic use but don’t have one, reach out to sales@coreform.com. When you’re ready for more, you can purchase full academic licenses (90% off the commercial price) directly through the portal, no sales conversation required. Academic licenses do not include direct support; help is available through the Coreform community forum.

Working with industry? The academic trial is licensed for non-commercial use only. If the results will be owned or used by a commercial partner or sponsor, the license terms require a commercial license. Request the commercial trial instead.

STEP 3 OF 3

Get your free Associate license

All Coreform Cubit features, free for one year and renewable, with a 50,000-element export limit. Please note: the Coreform Cubit Associate license is not supported for MacOS.
How this works: submitting the form creates your Coreform account, with your university email as your login. You’ll land in your account portal, where you can download Coreform Cubit with your Associate license active. A university email address is required. Hobbyists, and researchers who qualify but don’t have an academic email, can reach out to sales@coreform.com.

Evaluating for your company? This isn’t the shortcut it looks like: the license terms prohibit commercial use, including evaluation for an employer, and the 50,000-element export cap rules out production-scale models. The commercial trial is the full uncapped product with an application engineer on your side. Request the commercial trial instead.