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DesignBuilder Resources

Free 30-day software trial

Feel free to download a 1-month free trial version of the latest software. (Free user registration on the site is required. The few restrictions on functionality are described here.)

On the other hand, if you would like a free trial of the latest Agrément SA-certified version, please contact Greenplan to arrange this. (The few restrictions on functionality are described here.)

System requirements

DesignBuilder is a professional graphics application and requires a high standard of computer hardware for successful use. This page contains information on the minimum system requirements and also the recommended specification. The main areas you should pay attention to if you are buying or upgrading your computer system to run DesignBuilder are:

Graphics adapter - a good 100 % OpenGL-compatible graphics adapter is required to run DesignBuilder. Most of the NVIDIA cards we have tested work well. Some graphics adapters integrated with the motherboard are unable to run DesignBuilder as are some ATI graphics cards.

  • Memory: At least 8 GB is recommended for serious modelling.
  • CPU speed: Get as fast as you can afford.
  • CPU cores: Having more than one processor core does not necessarily speed up simulations in DesignBuilder but it does allow you to continue using your computer while simulations are running. Multi core processors also make the software more responsive in use.

Windows environment

  • Microsoft Windows 7 or better (Windows 10 recommended)
  • 2.4 GHz dual core processor (i5, i7 or Xeon quad core processor recommended)
  • 4 GB (or more) RAM
  • 5 GB free disk space (200 GB recommended)
  • Pointing device: 3-button scroll mouse. (Trackballs and trackpads are not recommended.)
  • 100% OpenGL compatible 3D graphics adapter with hardware acceleration running in 32-bit colour mode
  • 1280x1024 pixels or larger screens for efficiency during the modelling process and for displaying high-quality visualisation images and walk-throughs of DesignBuilder models and CFD results. DesignBuilder works well with wide screens.
  • A Windows user account with full admin rights for installation (not required for day to day use). On Windows domain networks this could mean that domain admin rights are required during installation. If this violates security policy, a likely safer alternative would be to install and run DesignBuilder in a virtual machine that is not part of the domain. Admin rights (for installation) are then assigned only within the VM.
  • For standalone licences (except short-term training licences): Internet connection for activation. Firewalls must allow designbuilder.exe to access the internet (lic.designbuilder.co.uk and www.designbuilder.co.uk) via http and https protocols (ports 80 and 443). Proxies must support basic (plain text) authentication.

Network licences - additional requirements

  • A basic Windows computer/server to run the DesignBuilder licence server software

Mac environment - additional requirements

DesignBuilder has been developed using a Windows-specific software development system and there is no immediate prospect of the software running natively under the Mac operating system. However, modern Mac computers (circa 2011 onwards) do support two alternative approaches to running Windows software:

  1. Boot Camp where Intel-based Mac computers can be booted using either the Mac or Windows operating systems. This is the recommended approach to use if possible as it runs faster and more reliably than…
  2. Virtual machines such as Parallels.
  • For subscription licences: Latest release if Agrément certificate not required; Version 6.1.8.021 if Agrément certificate required (e.g. for Part XA)
  • For Version 6 licences: Version 6.1.8.021
  • For Version 5 licences: Version 5.5.2.007
  • For Version 4 licences: Version 4.7.0.022 (not .027)

Learning resources

For additional information on the software, you can also visit the DesignBuilder Software Ltd website. The site offers several free online tutorials, webinars and additional learning resources (including course material from MIT), explaining the software in more detail. There is also free access to the knowledgebase. Consider attending our training course or buying online on-demand training from DesignBuilder Software Ltd.

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