Problem converting surface to solid

[Anonymous]

Hello Meshmixer users!

I was wondering if one of you could help me to try to convert my model into a solid so that I can 3d print it. The first model I print will be like a test and will be scaled at 1:20, being 17 mm thick. The final model will be seperated into different parts, being a 1:10 scale with the same thickness. The problem I am having is that my model is only a surface and I do not know how to convert it to a solid. The model was made using Fusion 360, but I thought that perhapps it can be fixed using Meshmixer. I have asked on several forums for help, but I have only gotten suggestions to start over or turn to Meshmixer. My model together with a 1:10 stl file is located on my Grabcad.

Grabcad: https://grabcad.com/library/my-car-7

[hfcandrew]

Please post the .stl file here, I don't feel like signing up on the link you provided.

fyi models designed in fusion without 3D printing requirements in mind tend to be unusable. These tend to be designed with stuff sticking in through other things, open boundaries, unconnected parts, stuff that is impossible to exist IRL. Furthermore this is all ofen often made worse by a poor export from brep to triangle mesh. All this leads to over lapping meshes, mesh intersections, non manifold meshes and separated shells... aka not solid/watertight which means not printable.

See it all the time.

If by chance it does NOT have these issues, then MM can add some thickness in one step via Select>Edit>Offset. Also slicers are getting pretty good at figuring out bad designs.

[Anonymous]

Hello hfcandrewi!

Thanks for helping me determining my problem. I tried to do the offset as you suggested, but I could not find the feature. It could be called something else in my Meshmixer? or it just will not work. I also tried using the short command ctrl d, but nothing happend. I then tried to convert my model to a solid, but it would not work. Perhaps there is nothing I could do, if you would be kind to take a quick last look, here is the stl and how it looked for me while trying to offset.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

First thing is to flip the object's surface (it comes inside out): SelectAll (via Ctrl+A, Cmd+A on Mac) and do Edit/FlipNormals.

Still all selected run Edit/Remesh at RemeshMode=RelativeDensity and BoundaryMode=RefinedBoundary. this fixes non-manifold issues at the big bottom open boundary and the one at the front of the car.

Now run ANALYSIS/Inspector. Click the spheres pointing to the "interior" open boundaries (all but the bottom one).

To get a nice fill for the bottom: Go to SELECT, switch on Symmetry (to select two corresponding regions in one go) and select a region at the boundary. Run Edit/Bridge and pull down its Refine value to zero to get a straight bridge. Do this to get some guides for the infill surface.

Finally run Inspector to close all remaining open boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Hello MagWeb!

Sorry for the late reply, I want to thank you for your help. Your help really helped and I managed to print a model from it. The only thing missing for me now is to try to make a cool rc car model.