Mesh Surface Calculation, Can You?

spence · 13 Jan 2011, 20:39

I may be missing something super simple here but I'm not able to figure out the surface area of a mesh (like what you can create with the sandbox tools). Is there a way to do this?

thomthom · 13 Jan 2011, 20:43

Ensure you have selected only faces. Then Enity Info will give you the total area of all selected faces.

spence · 13 Jan 2011, 20:50

Thomas,

Ok, so what is the best way to select all the surfaces on a mesh without selecting any of the lines?

spence · 13 Jan 2011, 20:53

I think I figured it out. Give the surface a material, then select all same material. And I believe this will work if you have a surface that has been smoothed by turning on hidden line then doing the same thing.

Jean Lemire · 13 Jan 2011, 20:54

Hi folks.

Make sure that all edges are smoothed. This will make SU see the face as only one large face, even if it is curved.

Show hidden geometry.

Select the Text Tool. When used on a face, it gives the face's area. With hidden geometry visible, it becomes easy to place the tool on a face (avoiding edges and endpoints).

Just ideas.

d12dozr · 13 Jan 2011, 21:05

@spence said:

Thomas,

Ok, so what is the best way to select all the surfaces on a mesh without selecting any of the lines?

If your needs are more complicated than what you or Jean said, use Thomthom's excellent Selection Toys

thomthom · 13 Jan 2011, 21:09

@d12dozr said:

@spence said:

Thomas,
Ok, so what is the best way to select all the surfaces on a mesh without selecting any of the lines?

If your needs are more complicated than what you or Jean said, use Thomthom's excellent Selection Toys

I'd forgotten it's not part of SU... ( Ctrl+1 (Select Only Edges) and Ctrl+2 (Select Only Faces) is my most used shortcut in SU. )

mitcorb · 13 Jan 2011, 21:40

@ThomThom: Is there a typo in your reply?

thomthom · 13 Jan 2011, 21:50

@mitcorb said:

@ThomThom: Is there a typo in your reply?

waves hand
There is no typo.

Rich O Brien · 13 Jan 2011, 21:52

He's got a shortcut for a shortcut

thomthom · 13 Jan 2011, 21:57

I'll short your cut!

Rich O Brien · 13 Jan 2011, 22:03

I smash cookies to ease my pain....

Bring it!

mitcorb · 13 Jan 2011, 22:07

Good! I am glad I was wrong about the typo. I really need new glasses, or a new brain.
No more Jedi mind tricks, please

thomthom · 14 Jan 2011, 07:24

@unknownuser said:

I smash cookies to ease my pain....

Blasphemy!

pilou · 14 Jan 2011, 09:58

Tricky!

fredo6 · 14 Jan 2011, 10:09

@spence said:

I may be missing something super simple here but I'm not able to figure out the surface area of a mesh (like what you can create with the sandbox tools). Is there a way to do this?

Hi,

When you have a selection that includes faces, go to the contextual menu and use "Area > Selection". You'll get the area of faces in the selection.

Just in case, I modified the script CounFacesBySide to also calculate the area of all faces in the selection, even if they are within groups and components.

The script is based on the selection (top-level geometry and components / groups recursively). It will only take into account the faces regardless of what you selected.

Here is the link to CountFacesBySides

Fredo

spence · 14 Jan 2011, 17:30

Hey thanks a lot everyone, this has been very helpful and enlightening I now have a doctorate in selection and data on mesh surfaces. Love this community, best bunch of pros . The selection toys are super Thomas, you have some awesome skills in creating quality plugins.

Fredo6, I don't think I have ever seen the Area within the contextual Menu, awesome, thanks.