Meshmixer

What is Meshmixer?

Meshmixer is a free 3D mesh editing program developed by Autodesk for working with triangle meshes. Autodesk describes it as a Swiss Army Knife for 3D meshes: it is used to clean up 3D scans, prepare models for 3D printing and design objects by combining and sculpting meshes. Autodesk no longer develops or supports Meshmixer and recommends Fusion, which now includes many of its tools, but the last version is still available for download.

Meshmixer allows users to quickly repair, edit and prepare 3D models for printing with a free and powerful set of mesh tools.

Features

Meshmixer has a wide range of features that make it a powerful 3D mesh editing tool.

Sculpting: Meshmixer offers an array of sculpting tools which can be used to quickly and easily shape 3D models. The sculpting tools include volume and surface brushes with adjustable size and strength, allowing users to add or remove detail on their models.

Mesh Mixing: Meshmixer lets users drag and drop parts from its built-in libraries onto a model, where they are blended into the surface. This feature is especially useful for quickly combining shapes into new designs.

3D Printing: Meshmixer allows users to prepare 3D models for 3D printing. It provides tools for creating support structures, hollowing models, optimizing the orientation on the build plate and choosing from a list of printers.

Mesh Analysis: Meshmixer can analyze 3D models and provide useful information, such as measurements, dimensions and wall thickness, which helps to check whether a model is printable.

Mesh Repair: Meshmixer can repair 3D models that have holes or other errors. Its Inspector tool detects holes, non-manifold areas and disconnected parts and can fix them automatically.

Mesh Joining: Meshmixer can combine multiple 3D models into a single model with Boolean union, difference and intersection operations. This is useful for creating complex models with multiple components.

Mesh Optimization: Meshmixer can remesh, reduce and smooth 3D models to lower their polygon count and file size and make them easier to work with.

Mesh Conversion: Meshmixer imports STL, OBJ, PLY, AMF, 3MF and OFF files and can export models to STL, OBJ, PLY, AMF and DAE (COLLADA) formats.

3D Model Viewer: Meshmixer provides a real-time 3D viewport with several shaders that allows users to inspect their models from any angle while editing.

Patterns and Lattices: Meshmixer can turn surfaces into lattices and patterns, for example to make lightweight prints.

These are just some of the features that Meshmixer has to offer. Although it is no longer updated, Meshmixer remains a popular free tool for 3D printing hobbyists, designers and anyone who needs to fix or modify mesh models.