Feature Request: “Smooth or Flat Interior Option” for the Shell Command
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Feature Request: “Smooth or Flat Interior Option” for the Shell Command Summary
Add an option in the Shell command to allow users to generate a simplified or flat interior wall instead of a fully conformal offset of the outer surface. This would provide a faster, cleaner, and more print-friendly inner geometry for organic or detailed models created from Form (T-Spline) or Surface bodies.
Current Behavior
The Shell tool performs a mathematically exact inward offset of the outer BRep surfaces.
All exterior details (bumps, waves, embossing) are carried into the interior wall, resulting in a highly complex inner surface.
For 3D printing, this often increases print time, uses extra filament, and can cause poor bridging or adhesion at steep internal overhangs.
Users who want a smooth, flat inner wall must manually reconstruct it using Sketch + Extrude or Surface + Stitch workarounds.
Proposed Enhancement
Add a new option within the Shell dialog:
🟢 Interior Simplification Mode:
“Conformal” (current behavior)
“Smoothed” (averaged curvature)”
“Flat Interior” (planar or simple revolved wall)
When “Flat Interior” is selected, Fusion would:
Offset only the base plane if present.
Create a simple cylindrical or planar inner cavity following the overall bounding contour.
Maintain uniform wall thickness while ignoring local exterior surface detail.
Benefits
Dramatically simpler interior geometry for complex sculpted bodies.
Reduced print time and filament usage for FDM prints.
Cleaner G-code paths, fewer bridging artifacts.
Faster shelling operation for large or high-curvature T-Spline conversions.
Eliminates the need for manual “flatten-interior” workflows with additional sketches or surfaces.
Example Use Cases
Organic 3D-printed planters, vases, or bowls where exterior form matters but interior smoothness is desired.
Sculpted lampshades or art pieces modeled in the Form workspace.
Mechanical covers or housings where interior detail offers no functional benefit.