Calculate Surface Area

[azn90-z 0]

Hello,

 

Is there a way to calculate the surface area of a part in Cura? Thank you. 

[ahoeben 1,968]

No, there is not. I can add this functionality to the MeshTools plugin. It would be great if you could create a feature request here: https://github.com/fieldOfView/Cura-MeshTools/issues

[azn90-z 0]

Thank you!

[ahoeben 1,968]

Ha, I'll do you one better. It is already part of the Mesh Tools plugin. The "Analyse meshes" function will give you the surface area and volume, as well as the number of vertices and faces. I thought it only included the latter.

Edited March 31, 2022 by ahoeben

[azn90-z 0]

Thanks a bunch, I've downloaded the plugin, but I can't access it after restarting the software. How may I access this plugin after installation? 

[ahoeben 1,968]

  

5 minutes ago, azn90-z said:

I can't access it after restarting the software

Please elaborate. What do you mean by "I can't access it"?

 

Read the documentation here:

https://github.com/fieldOfView/Cura-MeshTools/#meshtools

Edited March 31, 2022 by ahoeben

[azn90-z 0]

Thank you. But this gives only the number of vertices and faces, am I missing something? 

[ahoeben 1,968]

If you only get the number of vertices and faces, then the model is not "watertight" (manifold) according to the plugin. You can check for watertightness with the "Check models" function. For non-manifold models, the volume and surface-area are undefined. You may need to repair the model and reopen it.

[azn90-z 0]

On 3/31/2022 at 4:30 AM, ahoeben said:

If you only get the number of vertices and faces, then the model is not "watertight" (manifold) according to the plugin. You can check for watertightness with the "Check models" function. For non-manifold models, the volume and surface-area are undefined. You may need to repair the model and reopen it.

Do you mean repair the model in SolidWorks for example?

[ahoeben 1,968]

I don't know if Solidworks has any mesh repair tools. I personally use 3d Builder (comes with Windows 10/11) or Mesh Mixer