Extract mesh faces

The Extract Mesh Faces commands help to edit existing meshes by removing unwanted or unnecessary faces from the mesh. Mesh faces can be extracted using:

• Selecting individual faces.
• A specified maximum or minimum area.
• A specified aspect ratio.
• By a view-based draft angle.
• Duplicate faces.
• A specified edge length.
• Faces that are connected to a selected face.

Note

• Some STL/SLA printers have problems if meshes contain many long, thin facets. These facets can slow the printer down, produce odd results, or run the printer out of memory.
• The MeshRepair command may be useful when tuning up meshes for STL/SLA printing.

The ExtractMeshFaces command separates selected mesh faces from the parent mesh object.

This command works best in shaded mode, because you can pick the shaded mesh faces as well as the face edges.

The ExtractMeshFacesByArea command separates mesh faces that are within a specified range of area from the parent mesh object.

Extract mesh faces by area options

The ExtractMeshFacesByAspectRatio command separates mesh faces from the parent mesh object that are greater than the specified aspect ratio limit.

ExtractMeshFacesByAspectRatio finds mesh faces that are very long compared to their width. A ratio of 25:1 or above is considered long.

In the image, the extracted red faces have an aspect ratio of 9:1 or more.

Extract mesh faces by aspect ratio options

Aspect ratio ___ to 1

Set the target aspect ratio.

Select aspect ratio from face

Select a mesh face to specify the Aspect Ratio value.

The ExtractMeshFacesByDraftAngle command separates mesh faces from the parent mesh object based on the angle of the faces to the view.

ExtractMeshFacesByDraftAngle can split a mesh object for molds or to look for undercut areas. In the example, the mesh faces were selected in the top view.

Extract mesh faces by draft angle options

Start angle from camera direction

Sets the starting angle from the direction of the viewport camera.

End angle from camera direction

Sets the ending angle from the direction of the viewport camera.

Border only

Makes polylines out of the edges of the selected meshes instead of extracting them from the parent mesh object.

The ExtractMeshFacesByEdgeLength command separates mesh faces from the parent mesh object that have an edge length greater or less than a specified value.

ExtractMeshFacesByEdgeLength removes small or large mesh faces that do not belong in the mesh object.

In the example image, the extracted red faces have an edge length shorter than 0.1.

Extract mesh faces by edge length options

Edge length

Sets the mesh edge length to compare.

Select edges:

The ExtractConnectedMeshFaces command separates mesh faces from the parent mesh object that are connected to a selected face.

The ExtractConnectedMeshFaces command extracts a set of mesh faces from a joined mesh object based on a specified break angle. This can be used to extract a series of mesh faces that make up a planar surface in a mesh object or to extract set of faces that make up a coherent feature in the mesh.

Extract connected mesh faces options

Extract faces connected with angle

Sets the angle between mesh faces for selection.

Note

• A setting of 0 will give you all the mesh faces that are connected and planar with the face you select.
• Sometimes planar meshes have a little noise in them, so a angle of 1 can help select planar faces.

Increment

Sets the amount the value is changed with each arrow click.

Select faces to measure angle

Select two mesh faces to specify the angle you want.

Edit Selection

Click to select a different mesh face.

The ExtractDuplicateMeshFaces command separates duplicated mesh faces from the parent mesh object.

The ExtractMeshPart command extracts all mesh faces radiating out from the selected face to naked or unwelded edges in the parent mesh object.

Note

• Some STL/SLA printers have problems if meshes contain many long, thin facets. These facets can slow the printer down, produce odd results, or run the printer out of memory.
• The MeshRepair command may be useful when tuning up meshes for STL/SLA printing.

See also

Collapse mesh faces and vertices

Extract object sub-elements

Edit mesh objects

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