SpaceClaim Online Help

Mesh modification

The Modify group contains tools for combining, splitting, shelling, thickening, and scaling mesh bodies. You can also modify the number of mesh triangles to optimize the 3D printing process (more triangles means longer printing time).

Combining mesh bodies is done using Boolean operations.

• Merge
• Subtract
• IntersectA tool used to split solids and faces. 

In the Boolean tools, keep in mind the following:

• The first mesh you select is altered by the second
• The second mesh is “consumed” by the first
• After the operation, the first mesh is still in the Structure treeDisplay in the Structure panel that shows you each of the objects in your design. You can expand or collapse the nodes of the tree to view the objects. You can rename objects, create, modify, replace, and delete objects, as well as work with components. but the second is not
• Use the Keep original bodies option to keep both meshes

To Merge meshes:

1. Click the Merge tool
2. Select the first mesh
   • The first mesh is highlighted in blue
3. Select the second mesh
4. The two meshes are merged into one

The Merge tool also works on two Open meshes to automatically create the union that produces a single, closed mesh.

To Subtract meshes:

1. Click the Subtract tool
2. Select the first mesh
   • The first mesh is highlighted in blue
3. Select a second mesh to use as a cutter, or box-select multiple cutters
4. The second mesh is subtracted from the first

To Intersect meshes:

1. Click the Intersect tool
2. Select the first mesh
   • The first mesh is highlighted in blue
3. Select the second mesh
4. The two mesh bodies are intersected

Patterned components are up-selected in the Boolean tools. In the example below, the cylinders were made as a pattern. Highlighting one pattern member highlights the entire pattern.

Use the SplitUsing the Combine tool to split solids or surfaces. You select a solid or surface to use as a Cutting tool to cut the target. See Cutter object. tool to divide a mesh body using a cutter.

To Split a mesh body:

1. Click the Split tool

2. Select a mesh body

• The selected mesh highlights in blue

3. Choose a Cap option (see images below)

• Don’t cap
• Cap
• Cap with internal points

4. Select a plane, or surface, to use as a cutter

5. The mesh is split into two separate mesh bodies

Use the ShellSolidObject that encloses volume. A surface becomes a solid if it encloses volume. or part that is hollowed out from a selected face, leaving a shell of designated thickness. tool to add thickness on the inside or outside of a mesh.

To Shell a mesh body:

1. Click the Shell tool

2. Choose options in the Options panelArea of the user interface that enables you to modify functions specific to tools..

   • Thicken direction - Inside or Outside
   • Thickness - Enter a shell thickness in model units
   • Keep original bodies - The original, unshelled mesh will be kept as a separate Design2D or 3D model that contains at least one top-level component. Mesh
   • Infill -Select None, Basic, or Custom. Refer to the Mesh Infill topic for more details.
3. Select a mesh body
4. Click Complete
5. The Shell is added and a new mesh body is shown in the Structure Tree

Use the ScaleSolid or surface: Change the size of the selected object using the PullTool used to distort or deform geometry. Use the Pull tool to offset, extrude, revolve, sweep, draft, and blend faces; or to round, chamfer, or extrude edges. When converting a sketch to 3D, pulling a line creates a surface and pulling a surface creates a solid. tool. You can scale dynamically or by entering a scale value. Drawing sheet or cross-section views: Magnify or shrink the view by selecting a ViewOrientation settings that you can apply to your design, including spin, pan, and zoom. You can adjust these settings individually or you can apply one of the following preconfigured views: Trimetric, Isometric, Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Right, Left. You can also select Snap View and click a face to view it head-on. in the Structure tree and editing the Properties panel. tool to scale the mesh body.

To scale a mesh body:

1. Click the Scale tool
2. (Optional) Toggle on/off the scaling directions in the Options panel to scale non-uniformly.
3. Select a mesh in the Graphics window
4. Select a point on the mesh to scale about
5. Drag to change the scale or press the Spacebar and enter a scale value

Use the Thicken tool to add thickness to a surface mesh.

Thicken has the following options:

• Thicken direction
  • Inside
  • Outside

• Thickness

• Fix intersections: Fixes any intersection that result from thickening the facets.

To thicken a surface mesh:

1. Create or import a surface mesh.
2. Click the Thicken tool.
3. Choose a Direction, and enter a Thickness value.
4. (Optional) Set the Fix intersections option.
5. Select the surface mesh.
6. Exit the tool or Undo, change the options, and reselect the surface mesh.