Creating a Surface Automatically from a Mesh

You can create surfaces automatically from a mesh, as standard features, and then convert them into Imagine & Shape features.

Notes:
  • Automatic Surface supports Large Range Design mode.
  • Automatic Surface is not appropriate for tessellations. Use Tessellation Segmentation instead.

  1. From the Surface Reconstruction section of the action bar, click Automatic Surface .
  2. Select the mesh that represents the shape to reconstruct.

    Closed meshes provide the best result. With open meshes, the boundary of the computed surface may deviate from the mesh boundary. However, Automatic Surface is a valid option if the mesh is wider than the zone of interest, and you plan to trim the surface afterward.

    The mesh can consist of several disconnected zones.

  3. Specify the mean deviation.

    It is the target mean deviation between the mesh and the computed surface.

  4. Specify the surface detail value.

    This is the allowed number of patches in the result surface. It directly controls the grid step for a greater accuracy of the details of the shape.

    Tip: Too small a level of detail may result in a partial surface. Specify a value a bit higher than usual for a perfect result.
    Note: A default value of the surface detail is proposed, based on the shape and the complecity of the mesh. The mean deviation does not influence the default vaule.

  5. Click Apply to compute the surface.
    • The computed surface is displayed in the 3D area.
    • Its properties are displayed in the dialog box.
      • Number of faces in the surface
      • Max surface deviation
      • Mean surface deviation
      • Percentage of input points that respect the mean deviation.
  6. Click Deviation Analysis to verify the deviation between the computed surface and the mesh.

    The deviation analysis displayed in Automatic Surface is not kept after you exit.

  7. Optional: Adjust the parameters and restart the computation.

The automatic surface is created as an editable feature.