Mesh(ID)

Mesh Data

The mesh data is accessed in object mode and intended for compact storage, for more flexible mesh editing from python see bmesh.

Blender stores 4 main arrays to define mesh geometry.

Each polygon reference a slice in the loop array, this way, polygons do not store vertices or corner data such as UV’s directly, only a reference to loops that the polygon uses.

Mesh.loops, Mesh.uv_layers Mesh.vertex_colors are all aligned so the same polygon loop indices can be used to find the UV’s and vertex colors as with as the vertices.

To compare mesh API options see: NGons and Tessellation Faces

This example script prints the vertices and UV’s for each polygon, assumes the active object is a mesh with UVs.


import bpy

me = bpy.context.object.data
uv_layer = me.uv_layers.active.data

for poly in me.polygons:
    print("Polygon index: %d, length: %d" % (poly.index, poly.loop_total))

    # range is used here to show how the polygons reference loops,
    # for convenience 'poly.loop_indices' can be used instead.
    for loop_index in range(poly.loop_start, poly.loop_start + poly.loop_total):
        print("    Vertex: %d" % me.loops[loop_index].vertex_index)
        print("    UV: %r" % uv_layer[loop_index].uv)

base classes — bpy_struct, ID

class bpy.types.Mesh(ID)

Mesh data-block defining geometric surfaces

animation_data

Animation data for this data-block

Type:AnimData, (readonly)
auto_smooth_angle

Maximum angle between face normals that will be considered as smooth (unused if custom split normals data are available)

Type:float in [0, 3.14159], default 3.14159
auto_texspace

Adjust active object’s texture space automatically when transforming object

Type:boolean, default False
cycles

Cycles mesh settings

Type:CyclesMeshSettings, (readonly)
edges

Edges of the mesh

Type:MeshEdges bpy_prop_collection of MeshEdge, (readonly)
face_maps
Type:MeshFaceMapLayers bpy_prop_collection of MeshFaceMapLayer, (readonly)
has_custom_normals

True if there are custom split normals data in this mesh

Type:boolean, default False, (readonly)
is_editmode

True when used in editmode

Type:boolean, default False, (readonly)
loop_triangles

Tessellation of mesh polygons into triangles

Type:MeshLoopTriangle bpy_prop_collection of MeshLoopTriangle, (readonly)
loops

Loops of the mesh (polygon corners)

Type:MeshLoops bpy_prop_collection of MeshLoop, (readonly)
materials
Type:IDMaterials bpy_prop_collection of Material, (readonly)
polygon_layers_float
Type:PolygonFloatProperties bpy_prop_collection of MeshPolygonFloatPropertyLayer, (readonly)
polygon_layers_int
Type:PolygonIntProperties bpy_prop_collection of MeshPolygonIntPropertyLayer, (readonly)
polygon_layers_string
Type:PolygonStringProperties bpy_prop_collection of MeshPolygonStringPropertyLayer, (readonly)
polygons

Polygons of the mesh

Type:MeshPolygons bpy_prop_collection of MeshPolygon, (readonly)
shape_keys
Type:Key, (readonly)
skin_vertices

All skin vertices

Type:bpy_prop_collection of MeshSkinVertexLayer, (readonly)
texco_mesh

Derive texture coordinates from another mesh

Type:Mesh
texspace_location

Texture space location

Type:float array of 3 items in [-inf, inf], default (0.0, 0.0, 0.0)
texspace_size

Texture space size

Type:float array of 3 items in [-inf, inf], default (0.0, 0.0, 0.0)
texture_mesh

Use another mesh for texture indices (vertex indices must be aligned)

Type:Mesh
total_edge_sel

Selected edge count in editmode

Type:int in [0, inf], default 0, (readonly)
total_face_sel

Selected face count in editmode

Type:int in [0, inf], default 0, (readonly)
total_vert_sel

Selected vertex count in editmode

Type:int in [0, inf], default 0, (readonly)
use_auto_smooth

Auto smooth (based on smooth/sharp faces/edges and angle between faces), or use custom split normals data if available

Type:boolean, default False
use_auto_texspace

Adjust active object’s texture space automatically when transforming object

Type:boolean, default False
use_customdata_edge_bevel
Type:boolean, default False
use_customdata_edge_crease
Type:boolean, default False
use_customdata_vertex_bevel
Type:boolean, default False
use_mirror_topology

Use topology based mirroring (for when both sides of mesh have matching, unique topology)

Type:boolean, default False
use_mirror_x

X Axis mirror editing

Type:boolean, default False
use_paint_mask

Face selection masking for painting

Type:boolean, default False
use_paint_mask_vertex

Vertex selection masking for painting

Type:boolean, default False
uv_layer_clone

UV loop layer to be used as cloning source

Type:MeshUVLoopLayer
uv_layer_clone_index

Clone UV loop layer index

Type:int in [0, inf], default 0
uv_layer_stencil

UV loop layer to mask the painted area

Type:MeshUVLoopLayer
uv_layer_stencil_index

Mask UV loop layer index

Type:int in [0, inf], default 0
uv_layers

All UV loop layers

Type:UVLoopLayers bpy_prop_collection of MeshUVLoopLayer, (readonly)
vertex_colors

All vertex colors

Type:LoopColors bpy_prop_collection of MeshLoopColorLayer, (readonly)
vertex_layers_float
Type:VertexFloatProperties bpy_prop_collection of MeshVertexFloatPropertyLayer, (readonly)
vertex_layers_int
Type:VertexIntProperties bpy_prop_collection of MeshVertexIntPropertyLayer, (readonly)
vertex_layers_string
Type:VertexStringProperties bpy_prop_collection of MeshVertexStringPropertyLayer, (readonly)
vertex_paint_masks

Vertex paint mask

Type:bpy_prop_collection of MeshPaintMaskLayer, (readonly)
vertices

Vertices of the mesh

Type:MeshVertices bpy_prop_collection of MeshVertex, (readonly)
edge_keys

(readonly)

transform(matrix, shape_keys=False)

Transform mesh vertices by a matrix (Warning: inverts normals if matrix is negative)

Parameters:
  • matrix (float multi-dimensional array of 4 * 4 items in [-inf, inf]) – Matrix
  • shape_keys (boolean, (optional)) – Transform Shape Keys
flip_normals()

Invert winding of all polygons (clears tessellation, does not handle custom normals)

calc_normals()

Calculate vertex normals

create_normals_split()

Empty split vertex normals

calc_normals_split()

Calculate split vertex normals, which preserve sharp edges

free_normals_split()

Free split vertex normals

split_faces(free_loop_normals=True)

Split faces based on the edge angle

Parameters:free_loop_normals (boolean, (optional)) – Free Loop Notmals, Free loop normals custom data layer
calc_tangents(uvmap="")

Compute tangents and bitangent signs, to be used together with the split normals to get a complete tangent space for normal mapping (split normals are also computed if not yet present)

Parameters:uvmap (string, (optional, never None)) – Name of the UV map to use for tangent space computation
free_tangents()

Free tangents

calc_loop_triangles()

Calculate loop triangle tessellation (supports editmode too)

calc_smooth_groups(use_bitflags=False)

Calculate smooth groups from sharp edges

Parameters:

use_bitflags (boolean, (optional)) – Produce bitflags groups instead of simple numeric values
Return (poly_groups, groups):
 

poly_groups, Smooth Groups, int array of 1 items in [-inf, inf]

groups, Total number of groups, int in [0, inf]
normals_split_custom_set(normals)

Define custom split normals of this mesh (use zero-vectors to keep auto ones)

Parameters:normals (float multi-dimensional array of 1 * 3 items in [-1, 1]) – Normals
normals_split_custom_set_from_vertices(normals)

Define custom split normals of this mesh, from vertices’ normals (use zero-vectors to keep auto ones)

Parameters:normals (float multi-dimensional array of 1 * 3 items in [-1, 1]) – Normals
update(calc_edges=False, calc_edges_loose=False, calc_loop_triangles=False)

update

Parameters:
  • calc_edges (boolean, (optional)) – Calculate Edges, Force recalculation of edges
  • calc_edges_loose (boolean, (optional)) – Calculate Loose Edges, Calculate the loose state of each edge
  • calc_loop_triangles (boolean, (optional)) – Calculate Triangules, Force recalculation of triangle tessellation
update_gpu_tag()

update_gpu_tag

unit_test_compare(mesh=None)

unit_test_compare

Parameters:mesh (Mesh, (optional)) – Mesh to compare to
Returns:Return value, String description of result of comparison
Return type:string, (never None)
validate(verbose=False, clean_customdata=True)

Validate geometry, return True when the mesh has had invalid geometry corrected/removed

Parameters:
  • verbose (boolean, (optional)) – Verbose, Output information about the errors found
  • clean_customdata (boolean, (optional)) – Clean Custom Data, Remove temp/cached custom-data layers, like e.g. normals…
Returns:

Result
Return type:

boolean
validate_material_indices()

Validate material indices of polygons, return True when the mesh has had invalid indices corrected (to default 0)

Returns:Result
Return type:boolean
count_selected_items()

Return the number of selected items (vert, edge, face)

Returns:Result
Return type:int array of 3 items in [0, inf]
from_pydata(vertices, edges, faces)

Make a mesh from a list of vertices/edges/faces Until we have a nicer way to make geometry, use this.

Parameters:
  • vertices (iterable object) – float triplets each representing (X, Y, Z) eg: [(0.0, 1.0, 0.5), …].
  • edges (iterable object) – int pairs, each pair contains two indices to the vertices argument. eg: [(1, 2), …]
  • faces (iterable object) – iterator of faces, each faces contains three or more indices to the vertices argument. eg: [(5, 6, 8, 9), (1, 2, 3), …]

Warning

Invalid mesh data (out of range indices, edges with matching indices, 2 sided faces… etc) are not prevented. If the data used for mesh creation isn’t known to be valid, run Mesh.validate after this function.

classmethod bl_rna_get_subclass(id, default=None)
Parameters:id (string) – The RNA type identifier.
Returns:The RNA type or default when not found.
Return type:bpy.types.Struct subclass
classmethod bl_rna_get_subclass_py(id, default=None)
Parameters:id (string) – The RNA type identifier.
Returns:The class or default when not found.
Return type:type

Inherited Properties

Inherited Functions

References