Step 1

There's a program on your computer called Meshmixer. Look for this icon:

Double-click the icon to open the program.

Step 2

When Meshmixer opens, you should see a screen like this:

Select the import button and find your file. You can use either your person or your object 3D scan for this exercise.

Step 3

Your 3D model should now be imported into Meshmixer. 

Don’t worry about colour at the moment, all the information is still there, it’s just hidden.

Step 4

Meshmixer has a process that will automatically catch any errors that may have occurred during the scanning process.

On the left-hand side of the screen, click on the icon named Analysis.

Once the menu is open, select the Inspector icon.

Step 5

When you click Inspector, Meshmixer looks for any errors. 

If there are errors in your model they will be automatically labelled. 

If your model has no errors, it should look like this: 

Here is another example of an object with lots of mesh errors. Those are usually holes in the mesh, edges that aren’t joined properly or overlapping faces. Meshmixer tags each identified error with a colour coded pin.

Step 6

If there are any errors, Inspector can help to repair them. 

On the Inspector menu, there is a button called ‘Auto Repair All’. Before you click this, you need to choose how to repair the errors. You can choose between the following options from the drop-down menu:

- Minimal Fill – fills the space with the least amount of surface possible (best used when dealing with small holes or gaps between edges)
- Flat Fill – fills the space with a completely flat surface (best for flat faced geometric shapes)
- Smooth Fill – fills the space with a smooth surface with smooth edges (best used for organic shapes and larger holes needing filled)

Depending on the shape and surface of your model, you can choose the best fill option and then click ‘Auto Repair All’.

Once your model is repaired, it is ready for the next step.