MESH MODELING

By Prof Rajednra Salokhe

B.Tech. (I.I.T.Delhi)
Please view my website for Books
http://arutapub.brinkster.net

(AutoCAD 2010 Only)

The mesh modeling was introduced new in AutoCAD 2010. In mesh modeling every
object comprises of small planes objects brought together to create more complex
surfaces.
Mesh objects are made up of tessellated objects. Tessellated objects are faces bounded by
edges. With free-form modeling tools, faces, edges, and vertices of tessellated objects
can be moved, scaled, stretched, pushed, pulled, and rotated individually using the
GIZMO or other tools to create smooth and rounded objects.
The mesh modeling is given importance in AutoCAD 2010. This is to compete some
other 3D software and create complicated objects.
For example a box comprises of many small, tessellated objects as shown below.

Panels on the mesh modeling tab.

Click on the Mesh box tool to draw

the mesh box.

By default the box comprises of 27 cubes

and 54 faces. It looks like the magic cube.

You can decide the number of cubes you need width wise, length wise and height wise.
This is set by clicking on the small arrow on the 'primitives' pallet.
The 'mesh primitive dialog box' will popup.
 You can set the number of
cubes you want
Lengthwise, Widthwise
and Height wise.

Each cube has faces, edges and vertexes. The concept is shown below.

Select a The Face.

face by
pressing If you select the face
the control filter then only face
key and will be selected. (Not
move the edge or vertex).
small
rectangle The Gizmo you select will popup on
cursor over selecting the object.
the face.

EDGE SELECTION
1]Set the filter to edge.
2] Select edge by pressing the control key.

Selected
edge

Edge Rotating Edge More complex rotation

VERTEX SELECTION
 vertexes

Moving vertexes

EXTRUDING FACE
In extrusion the face is extended. See the following figure to know how it looks after
smoothness is applied.
Smooth more option
for smoothening

Extruded face Selecting face We have extruded two faces .See how
for extrusion they look when smoothened.

MOVING THE FACE

Moving the face will pool all the relevant meshes as follows.

Select face for moving Face moved.

Box after smoothening

OTHER MESH OBJECTS

 Cone Cylinder Pyramid Spher Wedge Torus
e

You can draw all these meshes by typing MESH at command prompt instead of '3D'
command used in earlier versions up to AutoCAD 2009.
SPLITTING A FACE
You can split a face into two and also further.

Split tool

Face to The split

split. face.

Click on the split tool. Select the face. Select two points of the splitting line.

APPLYING CREASE
The crease option flattens the surface, which has become oval due to extrusion.
 Surfaces extruded from the cylinder, smoothness
applied After applying crease.

TABSURF

1] Draw a spline.
2] Convert it to polyline
with PEDIT command.
3] Draw direction vector
in Z direction.

4] Use tabsurf to
create a corrugated
sheet.

PRACTICE
1] Set the primitive mesh as 8x6x3

Click here

Set the primitives

 Select the top faces Move the faces down
Draw a box.

Smoothen the object Select the edges and Final object.

move them a little up.