SpaceClaim Online Help

Analyzing meshes

The Analyze group contains tools for checking the thickness of a mesh and checking for overhangs. Thickness and the presence of overhangs are things that need to be considered for 3D printing.

Thickness

Thickness is important for planning 3D printing. The Thickness tool lets you measure the thickness based on facet normals or relative to the printer vertical direction.

To check mesh thickness:

1. Click the Thickness tool.
2. Enter a Minimum thickness in the Options panelArea of the user interface that enables you to modify functions specific to tools. or use the default value.

   You can also click the arrow to open a slider for setting the Minimum thickness. The Thickness display changes dynamical as you drag the slider.

3. (Optional) Click the 3D Printing Direction tool guide and select an edge or axis parallel to the printer vertical direction.
4. Select a mesh body.

The results are shown shaded with areas that are less than the Minimum thickness shown in red. An example is shown below.

Overhangs

Overhanging geometry is an important consideration in 3D printing because it may require special supports. This can add cost and setup time to the process.

The Overhangs tool detects and highlights areas of the mesh that protrude out at angles up to 90°. You can set the Overhang Angle option to look for any angle up to 90°.

To check a mesh for overhangs:

1. Click the Overhangs tool.
2. Enter a Overhang Angle in the Options panel or use the default value.
3. Select a mesh body.
4. Faces that overhang by More Than the Overhang Angle are highlighted.

In the example below, the overhang is at 65°. The Overhang Angle is set to 64°.