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Engineering Extensions & Libraries Directory

Additive Manufacturing, Application Programming Interface (API), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Computer Aided Design (CAD), Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Digital Twin, Open Source, Prototyping, Software Development Kit (SDK)

Extensions > Plugins > Add-ins > Add-ons > Libraries > Frameworks > Connectors

Engineering extensions libraries directory — The dynamic ecosystem of extensions and libraries in engineering software enhances product design by enabling customization and rapid feature development tailored to specific industry needs.

For big technical engineering software, the ecosystem built around add-ins, modules, extensions, and similar components stands out for its dynamism and versatility. These supplemental elements can be used to address the constant demand for new features, improved workflows, and novel industry requirements, rather than big core updates.

Price of extensions and libraries — Plugins, extensions and library permit to reduce the price at the first place or even be community driven and released as open-source.

Prices for such additions can range widely, reflecting variations in sophistication, licensing agreements, and the depth of integration offered. Some solutions remain free or open-source, while others command higher costs due to advanced functionalities or specialized vendor support.

Notably, popular engineering platforms often gain mass appeal because of extensive plugin libraries or a robust framework encouraging third-party contributions.

Customization can serve as a major attraction; engineers select from modules, widgets, and utilities to construct work environments closely matching their unique workflows or researchers their unique field.

Python Libraries
Python Frameworks
Excel Add-ins

XLMiner SDK Platform

Excel
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Data Analytics, Simulation

Application Programming Interface (API), Machine Learning, Predictive Maintenance Algorithms, Quality Management, Software Development Kit (SDK), Statistical Analysis

A software development kit (SDK) from Frontline Solvers that allows developers to build custom data mining and predictive analytics applications that can integrate with Excel.

Features:

Data mining algorithms (classification, prediction, clustering, association rules), text mining, time series forecasting, model evaluation, data preprocessing, API for building custom applications, potential Excel integration via custom development

Pricing:

Paid

Enables developers to build powerful custom data mining and predictive analytics solutions, provides a wide range of algorithms, good for embedding advanced analytics into other applications or creating specialized Excel tools.

Commercial SDK (requires licensing), intended for software developers (requires programming skills), Excel integration would require custom development using the SDK, not an out-of-the-box Excel add-in for end-users.

Best for:

Software developers and data scientists building custom applications that incorporate data mining and predictive analytics functionalities, potentially with integration into Excel.

Comment | Correct | Complete

XLMiner Analysis ToolPak

Excel
Data Analytics, Mathematics, Quality, Statistics

Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Quality Control, Quality Management, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Tests

A free Excel add-in from Frontline Solvers that replicates and enhances the functionality of Excel’s built-in Analysis ToolPak, offering additional statistical and data analysis tools.

Features:

Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, regression, correlation, covariance, t-tests, F-test, histograms, random number generation, sampling, moving average, exponential smoothing, some enhancements over built-in ToolPak

Pricing:

Free

Free add-in, provides familiar data analysis tools, potentially with some improvements or bug fixes over the standard Excel Analysis ToolPak, good for basic statistical analysis.

Functionality is still limited to basic and intermediate statistical analysis, not a replacement for comprehensive statistical software or advanced ML add-ins, output is generally static.

Best for:

Excel users who need a free set of tools for basic statistical data analysis, offering functionality similar to or slightly enhanced from the standard Excel Analysis ToolPak.

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XLPlot

Excel
2D Graphics, 3D Graphics, Data Analytics, Mathematics, Statistics

Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), Design Optimization, Engineering, Software, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Process Control (SPC), User experience (UX)

An Excel add-in that enhances Excel’s charting capabilities, providing tools to create various types of scientific and technical plots, and offering more customization options.

Features:

2D technical plots (XY, log, polar, ternary), 3D plots (surface, scatter), contour plots, statistical charts, curve fitting, error bars, axis customization, template creation, export options

Pricing:

Paid

Creates a wider range of technical plot types than native Excel, offers more control over graph appearance, good for scientific and engineering data presentation, established tool.

Commercial software, interface might appear somewhat dated compared to newer plotting libraries, may have fewer interactive features than web-based plotting tools, functionality might overlap with other charting add-ins.

Best for:

Scientists and engineers who need to create a variety of specialized 2D and 3D technical plots from Excel data with more customization than standard Excel charts allow.

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XLOPTIM

Excel
Data Analytics, Mathematics, Process Control, Simulation

An Excel add-in providing optimization tools and solvers for linear, mixed-integer, and potentially nonlinear problems directly within the spreadsheet environment.

Features:

Linear programming (LP), mixed-integer programming (MIP), potentially nonlinear programming (NLP), optimization modeling in Excel, solver engine integration, sensitivity analysis, graphical interface for problem setup

Pricing:

Paid

Offers optimization capabilities within Excel, allows users to define and solve optimization problems without leaving the spreadsheet, potentially more affordable than some high-end solver suites.

Commercial software, specific features and solver power depend on the version/license, may not handle extremely large or complex problems as well as dedicated standalone optimization packages, documentation and support level can vary.

Best for:

Excel users needing to solve optimization problems of various types (linear, mixed-integer) who prefer an integrated add-in solution.

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XLGL

Excel
Automation, Data Analytics, Finance

Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Customer Experience, Expense Management, Financial, Project Management, Software as a Service (SaaS)

An Excel add-in or template system designed for general ledger accounting and financial reporting, often with features to import data from accounting software like QuickBooks.

Features:

General ledger management in Excel, financial statement generation (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow), trial balance, journal entries, import data from QuickBooks or CSV, customizable chart of accounts, budgeting tools (potentially)

Pricing:

Paid

Provides a familiar Excel environment for managing general ledger and creating financial reports, can be more flexible than some dedicated accounting software for custom reporting, useful for small businesses or accountants.

Commercial product, may lack the full audit trail and security features of dedicated accounting software, data integrity relies heavily on user input and spreadsheet management, scalability for large businesses might be limited.

Best for:

Small business owners, accountants, and bookkeepers who prefer to manage their general ledger and generate financial reports within Microsoft Excel, potentially with integration from QuickBooks.

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Windchill Office Integration (PTC PLM)

Excel
Aerospace, Automation, Automotive, Manufacturing, PLM & ERP

Agile Methodology, Continuous Improvement, Document Management System (DMS), Process Optimization, Product Lifecycle Management, Software as a Service (SaaS), User experience (UX), User Interface (UI)

An integration solution that connects PTC Windchill (Product Lifecycle Management software) with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, for managing PLM data.

Features:

Access Windchill data from Excel, import/export PLM information (parts, BOMs, documents), manage document check-in/check-out, link Excel files to Windchill items, data synchronization, potentially initiate workflows

Pricing:

Paid

Improves productivity by allowing users to interact with Windchill PLM data from within the familiar Excel environment, facilitates data consistency and collaboration on product data.

Requires PTC Windchill PLM system and the Office Integration module, specific to Windchill users, functionality is focused on managing PLM data within the Windchill ecosystem.

Best for:

Engineers, designers, and other Windchill users who need to access, manage, and update product lifecycle information stored in Windchill using Microsoft Excel.

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What’sBest! (Lindo Systems)

Excel
Data Analytics, Mathematics, PLM & ERP, Process Control, Simulation

An Excel add-in that provides powerful optimization capabilities, allowing users to solve large-scale linear, nonlinear, integer, and stochastic optimization problems directly within spreadsheets.

Features:

Linear programming (LP), nonlinear programming (NLP), integer programming (MIP), quadratic programming (QP), stochastic programming (SP), global optimization, constraint programming, interfaces to powerful Lindo/LINGO solvers, modeling directly in Excel using cell references

Pricing:

Paid

Very powerful optimization solvers for large and complex problems, allows natural expression of models in Excel, good for operations research and management science applications, supports a wide range of problem types.

Commercial software (can be expensive), steep learning curve for advanced problem formulation and solver options, can be resource-intensive for very large models.

Best for:

Operations researchers, management scientists, and analysts who need to solve large-scale and complex optimization problems using advanced solvers directly within Microsoft Excel.

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Vernier Graphical Analysis Pro

Excel
Bioengineering, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Physics, Signal Processing

Digital Twin, Graphical User Interface (GUI), Machine Learning, Software, Software as a Service (SaaS)

Graphical Analysis Pro is data-collection and analysis software from Vernier, primarily for science education. It allows data import from Excel and export to Excel/CSV.

Features:

Data collection from Vernier sensors, manual data entry, data analysis tools (statistics, curve fits, modeling), graphing capabilities, video analysis, Excel data import/export, experiment library

Pricing:

Paid

Excellent for science education (physics, chemistry, biology), integrates with Vernier sensors, user-friendly for students, Pro version offers more advanced analysis features and data sharing.

Commercial software (Pro version), primarily a standalone application for data collection and analysis, Excel integration is for data exchange, not for performing Vernier functions within Excel.

Best for:

Science educators and students (K-12 and college) using Vernier sensors and software for experiments, data collection, and analysis, with options to use Excel for data management.

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Disclaimer: due to complexity, the prices and the vast features of the software, the directory above is based on a mix of personal hands-on experience with some of them and an online information collected. In other words, we have tested some of them, but not all of them. Furthermore, many of these software have versions or plugins extending their features.

If you see any info that is not accurate anymore, or we made a mistake, or could be completed, or suggest another software solution, reach us via the comment section or the contact form.

Topics covered: Engineering, Extensions, Libraries, Plugins, Add-ins, Add-ons, Frameworks, Connectors, Customization, Open-source, Workflows, Third-party, Integration, Modules, Widgets, Utilities, Python Libraries, Python Frameworks, and Excel Add-ins..