Prism FAQ
What the agent does, which simulations it runs, how accurate they are, and how Prism compares with the tools you may use today.
Prism and the agent
Prism is a desktop app for hardware engineering, made by Navier AI. It puts an engineering agent, a code editor, a 3D viewport, and a local solver runtime in one window. You describe the work, and the agent plans it, builds CAD, runs simulations, writes code, and reports back.
Yes. In Prism you describe the problem in plain language. The agent builds or imports the geometry, sets up the case, runs the solver on your machine, checks the result, and writes the report. You can review and approve each step, and every input file is yours to open and audit.
No. Prism is built for mechanical and hardware engineers who need answers from simulation without a dedicated analyst. The agent chooses the solver, sets up the model, and explains what the results mean. Engineers who already run simulation use it to hand off the setup and the reporting.
Real physics solvers. The agent sets up and runs established solvers such as OpenFOAM, SU2, and CalculiX, and Prism's own Ferro FEA solver, so every result comes from a simulation you can open, check, and rerun. It doesn't need a trained model or a library of past simulations before it can start.
Yes. Prism shows every step as the agent takes it, and you can turn on review and approval before each one. Every step is saved as it happens, so a long run picks up where it left off after a restart or a dropped connection.
Simulation
Structures, fluids, thermal, multibody dynamics, electromagnetics, and circuits. Ferro, Prism's structural FEA solver, is built in. OpenFOAM, SU2, Basilisk, code_aster, CalculiX, Elmer, Yade, Project Chrono, OpenModelica, Palace, openEMS, and ngspice install from inside the app.
Yes. Prism runs computational fluid dynamics with OpenFOAM, SU2, and Basilisk, and the agent sets up, runs, and checks each case. Our published CFD studies cover transonic wing aerodynamics, ship hull resistance, data-center cooling, heat-exchanger ducts, and tank mixing. See the validation studies→
Yes. Structural FEA runs on Ferro, Prism's built-in solver, with CalculiX, code_aster, and Elmer available from inside the app. Our composite study compares four carbon/epoxy stacking sequences on the same bolted plate. Read the composite layup study→
Yes. Prism doesn't replace OpenFOAM, it runs it. OpenFOAM installs from inside Prism and runs in a container on your machine. The agent writes the case, runs it, and shows the results in Prism's viewer, and the case files stay in your project for you to open, edit, and rerun.
Yes. The agent can set up a set of cases, run them, and compare the results, splitting big jobs across sub-agents. Our data-center cooling study compares four yard layouts, and the composite study compares four layups on the same plate.
Prism runs established solvers with long track records. OpenFOAM and SU2, for example, have been used for years across industry, universities, and research agencies including NASA. We also publish our own validation studies against wind-tunnel and towing-tank measurements. See the validation studies→
On your own computer. Prism works on files on your machine and runs solvers in a local runtime, so your models, meshes, and results are files in your own project.
CAD, code, and reports
Yes. Describe the part, its loads, and its constraints, and the agent builds CAD you can open, edit, and export. Prism also connects to Onshape.
Yes. The agent writes solvers, analysis scripts, and embedded firmware, then builds and runs them in Prism's code editor.
Yes. The agent writes reports as PDFs or PowerPoint decks, built on your team's templates, with the plots and visuals that tell the story.
Prism has plugins for Onshape, Altium Designer, RMFG, GitHub, GitLab, Atlassian, Linear, Monday, Smartsheet, Notion, OneDrive & SharePoint, Slack, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Sentry, and LangSmith. We add new ones all the time, so the list keeps growing.
Compared with other tools
Yes, for many teams. Traditional packages are built around a dedicated simulation specialist and usually license each kind of analysis separately. Prism runs established open-source solvers and its own FEA solver, and the agent does the setup work a specialist would. It is free to get started, and the paid plan is $500 per seat per month. If you'd rather have a study done for you, Navier engineers also run simulation engagements.
Prism is a desktop app. It works on files on your own machine and runs solvers locally, where cloud platforms run simulations on remote servers through the browser. In Prism, an agent also does the setup, runs, checks, and reporting across CAD, simulation, and code in one window.
Pricing and getting started
Prism is free to get started. Download it, sign in with a Navier account, and start on the free plan. The paid plan is $500 per seat per month, with the agent included. See pricing→
Macs with Apple Silicon, and Windows and Linux on Intel or AMD.
Only a container engine, and it doesn't have to be Docker Desktop. The open-source solvers run in containers, and Prism works with Docker Desktop, Podman, or Colima. Setup offers Colima on macOS and Podman on Windows and Linux, so no Docker Desktop subscription is needed. Prism's own solvers need nothing extra.
Yes. Navier engineers run simulation engagements scoped to what your team needs answered, and forward deployed engineers can work alongside your team to bring Prism into your workflows. See engagements→