Decimating a Graphics Mesh Body

Video: What's New in SOLIDWORKS 2020 - Decimation and Body Compare

The Decimate Mesh tool reduces the facet count in graphics mesh bodies. A lower facet count makes it easier to modify a graphics mesh body.

You can reduce the facet count for an entire body or a group of facets in the body. To select a group of facets, you can use the Paint Select Facets tool or the Tangent Select Facets tool.

This tool does not support mesh BREP bodies.

To decimate a graphics mesh body:

  1. Before you open a graphics mesh file, specify these system options in Tools > Options > Import:
    1. For File Format, select STL/OBJ/OFF/PLY/PLY2 and click Import as Graphics Body.
    2. For Unit, select Millimeters.
    3. Click OK.
  2. Open system_dir:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS 2020\samples\whatsnew\parts\piggy_bank.STL.

  3. Click Insert > Mesh > Decimate Mesh.
  4. Hover over the body.

    A tooltip displays the total number of facets and vertices in the body.

  5. In the graphics area, select the graphics mesh body.

    The PropertyManager lists the graphics mesh body in Selections and displays the total facet count in the body.

  6. In the PropertyManager:
    1. Under Facet Reduction, for Percentage Reduced By , enter 80.

      When you enter a percentage value, the tool automatically calculates the number of facets that the graphics mesh body is reduced to in Reduced Facet Count . This number is 12140.

    2. Click Calculate.

      A progress dialog reports decimation status. When the process is complete, a preview of the decimated body generates. The body does not decimate much.

    1. Click Reset to remove the preview and restore the body to its previous state.
    2. For Maximum Error Tolerance , enter 25mm.

      This option sets the maximum deviation tolerance between the original and resulting mesh. Increasing this value allows for more notable decimation.

    3. Click Calculate.
    4. Click .

    The facets in the graphics mesh body are substantially less dense than the original body.

  7. Click Undo on the Standard toolbar to restore the graphics mesh body to its previous state.
Keep the model open to continue with the next task where you use Paint Select Facets to decimate a group of facets.