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...

In a 3D software program, we have to be able to orient ourselves in this virtual space to be able to work in it. This is typically achieved by modeling on a plane in the workspace. Meshmixer generates a grid plane and a model is then positioned somewhere on or within it. We can see this illustrated in the following image:

Meshmixer imports the rabbit sitting on the plane and imports the sphere with the plane bisecting it. Depending on how a model is positioned in the Cartesian space of another 3D program, the positioning, when importing into Meshmixer, can be anywhere in relation to this plane.

Meshmixer orients the y axis going up from the surface of the plane. You'll find that the other programs in this book will not have this configuration. The z axis will travel up from the plane. This isn't a problem when sculpting the model in Meshmixer, but it does make a difference when using a modification tool, which depends on the plane for orientation.

In...

Measurement in the virtual space can be considered arbitrary; what matters is the relative scale. When a model is created by 123D Catch, the size of the object is measured in an arbitrary scale of units. These units can then be interpolated by other 3D modeling programs using metric or imperial units of measurement. We can see how Meshmixer interpolates the size of the pyramid in the following image:

The pyramid measures roughly 23 x 17 x 33 millimeters. In reality, the pyramid is more than 4 meters high. What is important for us is a scale that will print on our 3D printer.

In this recipe, we'll learn how to scale our model for printing with Meshmixer.

Sometimes, we'll have a model that has an uneven bottom that needs to be leveled. The pyramid is a good example of this. When it was 3D scanned, its positioning on a slope concealed part of its base. This can be seen in the following image:

In this recipe, we'll learn how to fix this kind of problem by using a plane cut in Meshmixer.

Sometimes, we'll find odd distortions in our 3D scanned models. These are digital artifacts that are generated from glares, poorly focused photos, and other degraded information, which the scanning program processes. In this recipe, we'll learn how to remove these artifacts from the model.

Getting ready

You'll need to open a model in Meshmixer that has similar defects as shown in the following image:

In this recipe, we'll improve the surface of a model by working with its mesh. Meshmixer was designed to provide a modeling interface that frees the user from working directly with the geometry of the mesh. In most cases, the intent of the program succeeds, but in some cases, it's good to see how the underlying mesh works.

We'll use some brush tools to make one of our models better, thereby taking a look at how this affects the mesh structure.