- 3D Printing with RepRap Cookbook
- Richard Salinas
- 623字
- 2021-07-16 11:30:30
Inspecting the model with Meshmixer
In this recipe, we'll get familiar with Meshmixer by using the Inspector tool. This tool analyzes defects in the model's mesh and provides options for repairing it manually or automatically. We'll see how well it works by repairing the models that we made in 123D Catch.
Before we get started, let's get acquainted with the basic navigation controls. Meshmixer has an easy user interface called a Hotbox. It can be seen in the following image:
The navigation control buttons are in the Camera section. Experiment with them. While keeping the Space bar key pressed on the keyboard, click, hold, and move the mouse on each button. The first button will rotate the model along the axes. The second button will pan the model across the screen. The third button will zoom in and out on the object, and the fourth button will re-center the image.
There are two other buttons in the far left corner that will help in orienting your model precisely. The Snap button will keep your model snapped to the axes. The other button, Free, will allow full navigation around the model.
If you like the mouse navigation control that's similar to 123D Catch, this can be made possible by going to the menu and selecting View and then Navigation Control. From the cascaded window, choose 123D.
Getting ready
You'll need to download Meshmixer from http://www.meshmixer.com/download.html and follow the instructions for installing it. You'll also need to choose a model that was scanned with 123D Catch. Don't choose a model that was repaired with the Autodesk 3D Print Utility. We need a model that has defects and is in need of repair.
How to do it...
We will proceed as follows:
- When you initially open Meshmixer, you'll see a big box that provides us with options to open a file. We'll need to use Import+ to load our file.
- The Meshmixer UI has a row of icons on the left that provides access to a variety of actions, from here choose Analysis. From the pop-up window, choose Inspector. What you should see is illustrated in the following image:
- Lines will radiate from the mesh defects with an attached globe on each end.
- There are three differently colored globes that represent three different problems. The first one that we'll look at is the magenta-colored globe. These markers indicate disconnected fragments that fill your scene, which should probably be deleted. To delete the fragments, left-click on the globe and it will disappear.
- The second one is the blue-colored globe. This represents areas that have holes in the mesh. Left-click on one to repair the hole.
- The third one is the red-colored globe. This indicates the non-manifold areas in the mesh. By left-clicking on the red globe, the non-manifold area will be repaired by discarding it.
- Instead of selecting each globe one by one, all the repairs can be made by selecting from the pop-up toolbox or by right-clicking on any single globe.
- If you don't like a repair, select Actions in the menu. Scroll down and select Undo/Back.
How it works...
When Meshmixer auto repairs the model, it's not unusual for the program to extrapolate a repair, which distorts a "repaired" area of the model. Sometimes, the automatic repair may remove portions of the model that we would like to keep. Using AutoRepair All is generally a fast and efficient way to clean up your model, but sometimes there are situations when a manual selection is preferable.
See also
- Chapter 8, Troubleshooting Issues in 3D Modeling, will provide more information on different kinds of mesh defects and how to repair them manually