Free, open-source desktop tools for engineers, scientists, researchers and analysts.
Small, fast apps that do serious technical work, written from scratch in Rust, with one look and one way of working.
No accounts, no subscriptions, no telemetry: your files stay on your computer.
The apps
| App | What it is for | Latest | |
|---|
| Datum Plan | Plan, schedule, track and report projects. For project managers, planners, engineers and contractors. | | Download · Repo |
| Datum Plot | Analyse data and make publication-ready graphs. For scientists, researchers, lab teams and students. | | Download · Repo |
| Datum Atlas | Choose materials with property charts and selection indices. For design and materials engineers, and students. | | Download · Repo |
| Datum Sim | Model and simulate dynamic systems: block diagrams, control and motors. For control, mechanical, electrical, process and mechatronics engineers. | | Download · Repo |
| Datum Calc | Engineering calculations with real units, readable maths, checks and a printable calc sheet. For every engineer who writes calculations. | | Download · Repo |
| Datum Mesh | Finite-element analysis: stresses, deflections and temperatures in parts and frames, with a verification report. For mechanical, structural and process engineers. | | Download · Repo |
| Datum Pipe | Pipe stress analysis: displacements, support and nozzle loads, code stresses and an automatic isometric. For piping, stress and plant engineers. | | Download · Repo |
| Datum Schema | Intelligent P&IDs and process flow diagrams: draw, check and list. For process, piping and instrument engineers. | | Download · Repo |
| Datum Layout | 3D plant layout and piping: place equipment, route lines, check and hand over. For piping and layout designers. | | Download · Repo |
Each app has its own page on the website (click its name): what it does, how it is used, screens, roadmap and releases.
Datum Home installs, updates, opens and removes all of them from one small window, checking for new versions when you open it. Prefer a single app? Download it on its own from the table above.
Every app is free and open source (MIT), Windows first, installs in seconds for your user account (no administrator rights) and updates itself.
Why Datum
- Small and fast. Quick to install, opens in a moment, smooth with large files.
- Private. Your files stay on your computer. The only network call is the update check.
- Built for real technical work. Each app has its own tested engine: scheduling, statistics, materials selection, system simulation, calculation, finite elements, pipe stress, P&IDs, 3D layout.
- One design. The same window, ribbon, help, printing and updater in every app. Learn one, know them all.
- Free forever. MIT licence, built in the open.
Principles
- Engine first. All calculation lives in a pure Rust crate (
crates/core) with unit tests; the window only shows what the engine computes.
- One window style. A Tauri 2 shell with a SolidJS window, IBM Plex type and one set of colour tokens; only the accent and the logo glyph change.
- Small releases. One release is one small numbered version (0.1.0, 0.1.1, …), shown in the in-app updater with its notes.
- Written down. Every repo keeps
CLAUDE.md, docs/MEMORY.md (decisions, roadmap, session log) and a plain-language CHANGELOG.md.
How the family is built
- FAMILY.md: the shared design guide (stack, colour, type, logo, window, components, printing, releases, docs, workflow).
- MEMORY.md: the family memory: decisions that apply to every app, the apps list, the session log.
- apps.json: the registry the website builds from. Adding an app is one line.
- brand/: the Datum logo ("Continuum") and its guide BRAND.md, and every app icon.
- briefs/: the briefs new apps start from: Datum Sim (released), Datum Calc and Datum Mesh (released), Datum Pipe (released), Datum Schema (released), Datum Layout (released).
- : dated status reports: where each app stands, what it lacks, and the priorities.
Starting a new app
- Create
Edgar-Mendonca/Datum-<Name> (MIT) and copy the skeleton from Datum Plan (FAMILY §12).
- Rename the product, identifier, file extension, updater repo and installer name.
- Pick an accent from FAMILY §3 and draw the logo per §5; copy it into
brand/.
- Write
docs/MEMORY.md and docs/PLAN-0.1.md before building features.
- Release 0.1.0 so the updater works from day one.
- Publish
docs/site.json (with about and steps for its page) and add the app to apps.json.
Build the site
cd site
npm ci
npm run build # works without a token; set GITHUB_TOKEN to read releases without rate limits
npm run preview # http://localhost:4321/Datum/
Regenerate the brain file with node brain/brain.mjs (from the repo root).
GitHub Pages must use Settings › Pages › Source: GitHub Actions (the workflow in .github/workflows/pages.yml builds and deploys the site).
Contribute and feedback
Licence
MIT © 2026 Edgar Mendonca. See LICENSE.
