3D/VFX Tools

zeno1.4k★

If you work with visual effects, physics simulations, or procedural content creation — fluid dynamics, particle systems, rigid bodies, cloth — Zeno is a node-based visual programming framework for building those simulations. Think of it as a Houdini-like node graph but open source, built for technical artists and simulation engineers. 1.4K stars, MPL-2.0 license, C++ core. You connect nodes to build simulation pipelines: meshing, physics solvers, rendering, data processing. Supports OpenVDB, CUDA GPU acceleration, and real-time preview. The node system is extensible — write custom C++ nodes for your specific simulation needs. Zenus Technology offers commercial licensing and support, though exact pricing isn't publicly listed. The open source version under MPL-2.0 is free for use — you can modify it but must share changes to Zeno's own files. Solo VFX artists or researchers: the open source version gives you a capable simulation platform for $0. Small studios: free, add custom nodes for your pipeline. Larger studios: contact Zenus for enterprise support and potentially proprietary extensions. The catch: 1.4K stars and +3/week velocity means a small community. If you hit a bug or need help, you're largely on your own. The node-based paradigm has a learning curve, and documentation is limited compared to commercial tools like Houdini. For production VFX, Houdini is the industry standard — Zeno is the open source alternative for teams that can't or won't pay SideFX's licensing fees ($2K-4.5K/year).