.. _bpy.types.MeshStatVis: .. _modeling-mesh-analysis: ************* Mesh Analysis ************* .. admonition:: Reference :class: refbox :Mode: Edit Mode :Panel: :menuselection:`Header --> Overlays --> Mesh Analysis` Mesh analysis is useful for displaying attributes of the mesh, that may impact certain use cases. The mesh analysis works in *Edit Mode* and *Solid* Viewport shading. It shows areas with a high value in red, and areas with a low value in blue. Geometry outside the range is displayed gray. Currently the different modes target 3D printing as their primary use. Overhang ======== Extrusion 3D printers have a physical limit to the overhang that can be printed, this display mode shows the overhang with angle range and axis selection. Minimum/Maximum Minimum/Maximum angle to display. Axis Axis and direction to use as the bases to calculate the angle to visualize. .. figure:: /images/modeling_meshes_mesh-analysis_overhang.png :width: 350px :align: center Overhang. Thickness ========= Printers have a limited *wall-thickness* where very thin areas cannot be printed, this test uses ray casting and a distance range to the thickness of the geometry. Minimum/Maximum Minimum/Maximum thickness to display. Samples Number of samples to use to calculate the thickness. .. figure:: /images/modeling_meshes_mesh-analysis_thickness.png :width: 400px :align: center Thickness. Intersections ============= Another common cause of problems for printing are intersections between surfaces, where the inside/outside of a model cannot be reliably detected. Unlike other display modes, intersections have no variance and are either on or off. .. figure:: /images/modeling_meshes_mesh-analysis_intersections.png :width: 400px :align: center Intersecting faces. Distortion ========== Distorted geometry can cause problems since the triangulation of a distorted n-gon is undefined. Distortion is measured by faces which are not flat, with parts of the face pointing in different directions. Minimum/Maximum Minimum/Maximum distortion to display. .. figure:: /images/modeling_meshes_mesh-analysis_distortion.png :width: 300px :align: center Distorted Faces. Sharp Edges =========== Similar to wall-thickness, sharp edges can form shapes that are too thin to be able to print. Minimum/Maximum Minimum/Maximum angle to display. .. figure:: /images/modeling_meshes_mesh-analysis_sharp-edges.png :width: 350px :align: center Sharp edges. Known Limitations ================= There are some known limitations with mesh analysis: - Currently only displayed with Deform Modifiers. - For high-poly meshes the performance is low while editing.