#Meshmixer measure tool software#
#Meshmixer measure tool series#

This is a useful tool for trimming parts of your model in any direction you wish. If a model is made up of 10,000 triangles and you slide to 80% then you will be left with a 2,000 triangle model. Once selected, choose Edit and Reduce and use the percentage slider. If you wish to reduce the whole model then double click on the model and this will select the entirety. To reduce, choose Select and then click on the area of the model you wish to reduce. In the case of a high quality 3D scan, reducing the number of triangles fairly substantially will not have a huge effect on the overall quality of your 3D print. The greater this number of triangles the more detailed the model and this means a larger file size.

#Meshmixer measure tool series#

A 3D file is generally made up of a series of triangles. The ability to reduce the file size of your 3D model is extremely useful, particularly if your model is a high quality scan as these can often be over 100MB. Once you are happy with the dimensions click Done. You can alter the dimension along any axis and this will automatically scale your model accordingly. This is easily achieved by selecting Analysis on the left toolbar and then selecting Units/Dimensions. Resizing or scaling your model is usually necessary and if not it is always good to at least confirm your model size before 3D printing. Once you are happy with your transformation, click accept to save the changes. This is done by clicking and dragging the squares at the end of each coloured arrow. Using transform, you can also translate along an axis and thus increase the size in one particular direction. For rotation, simply pick one of the coloured curves (blue, green and red) to transform around that particular axis. You want to orientate the model in a way that overhangs are minimised. Anything up to and including a 45 degree angled overhang is printable, however the more you increase this angle, the poorer the finish. An overhang is an area of a model where there is limited support underneath. Remember when 3D printing, not crucially but ideally you want two things: Firstly, you want the object to sit flat on the build plate if possible, secondly you want minimum overhangs. Once you load your 3D model, the next step is manipulating the model so that you can either continue to work on it effectively and make it 3D print ready or if minimal editing is required then you can simply rotate to optimise for 3D printing and export (Step 10). Finally, Ctrl+Z is to undo and Ctrl+Y is redo To zoom in and out of a model you can use the scroll button on your mouse and to move around the model use the right click. Importing a model is very simple, simply open the software, click Import and select the file you wish to load. This is a great place to start and youвЂ™ll be pleased to know that a range of 3D file types can be loaded in to Meshmixer including STL, OBJ, PLY and AMF. Step 1: Importing a model and basic controls Today, we take you through 10 valuable steps to get you up and running and taking your 3D file preparation to the next level. Whether you need to clean up a 3D scan, do some 3D printing or design an object, meshmixer can help.

#Meshmixer measure tool software#

Autodesk meshmixer is a fantastic free software for creating and manipulating 3D files for 3D printing.