Simple Part Editing

The Extended submenu of the context menu.

netfabb offers several part editing options, including inverting objects, mirroring objects and converting the size of parts according to length units. Additional features in the Professional version are the unification or separation of parts.

They apply to selected parts and are available in the Extended submenu of the context menu of the part(s) or in the Part menu

Invert Part

All triangles of the last selected part are inverted, with the outside turned inside and the inside turned outside. Parts with a valid orientation thereby become totally side-inverted and consequently get a negative volume. Inverted parts are made valid. The shape of an object is not changed by this process. You can either replace the original part or keep both.

Valid and inverted cylinders. The inverted cylinder has regular specifications, but a negative volume

Original and mirrored part

Mirror

The selected Part is mirrored across the Y-Z-plane in direction of the X-axis. While the triangles of the new part have the same Y- and Z-coordinates as the original, the X-coordinates are turned around in relation to the overall X-dimensions of the part. Thus, the mirrored part has the same overall dimensions as the original, but the shape is turned around. It can either replace the old part or is positioned next to it.
By rotation, it is possible to get the effect of mirroring a part across other planes too. If you wish a part mirrored across the X-Z-plane, you have to rotate the mirrored part by 180° around the X-axis. Accordingly, if you want a part mirrored across the X-Y-plane, you have to rotate the mirrored part by 180° around the Y-axis.

Convert Units

This feature adapts the length values of all axes to the same values in another unit, either from mm to inch or the other way round. Thereby, it scales the selected parts equally in all three dimensions, effectively changing its size. For example, by choosing "Inches to mm", an object with a length, height and width of 100.00 mm will grow to 100.00 inches. Choosing "mm to Inches", the conversion is conducted the other way round, with parts with the size of 100.00 inches getting a size of 100.00 mm.

The following functions can only be performed by netfabb Studio Professional:

With "Shells to Parts", the interior shell of a hollow part becomes an own part and can be moved separately.

Shells to Parts

Selected parts consisting of more than one shell are divided into several parts, with each shell becoming an own part. The original parts can be either replaced by the new parts or left in the project.

To check which parts consist of more than one shell, one look at the project tree is enough. Parts with multiple shells have a little box on the top right of the color dot.

Merge Parts

Multiple selected parts are unified to form one single part containing all shells of the original parts. The original parts can be either replaced by the new part or be left in the project.

Four parts become one part with four shells.