# Export mesh as for solid instead of surface only

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395>\
**Category:** Rhino\
**Tags:** windows, python, rhino7\
**Created:** [September 28, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395 "2023-09-28T16:48:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Nava\_Khatri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/nava_khatri/32/478738_2.png) [@Nava\_Khatri](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Nava_Khatri)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395/1 "2023-09-28T16:48:08Z")

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I am starting to learn Rhino and really confused with simple problem. How do export a body in Rhino as solid mesh rather than just exporting the surfaces? I am exporting the selected as STL, when I check the STL it only has surface and inner part is not meshed.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/1/4/e/14efe5f6984d175a87bcca2ae24a3b26e118c9f2.jpeg)  
 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/d/8/9/d895b5e1084b2e0395b369d18e443ab8125a9ad5.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![pascal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/pascal/32/479395_2.png) [@pascal](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/pascal)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 5:04pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395/2 "2023-09-28T17:04:35Z")

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Hello- if a mesh - or surface/polysurface or SubD - is closed, in Rhino, it is solid.

-Pascal

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**Author:** ![Nava\_Khatri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/nava_khatri/32/478738_2.png) [@Nava\_Khatri](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Nava_Khatri)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395/3 "2023-09-28T17:52:32Z")

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Thank you for your response. It looks solid in Rhino, I checked suing the clipping plane. But, still the STL file is just outer surfaces like the second picture.

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**Author:** ![pascal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/pascal/32/479395_2.png) [@pascal](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/pascal)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395/4 "2023-09-28T17:55:46Z")

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> [@Nava\_Khatri](#):
>
> STL file is just outer surfaces

Hi Nava - that is correct and normal expected behavior for stl - however printers will read the objects as solid if they are closed.  
-Pascal

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**Author:** ![JimCarruthers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/jimcarruthers/32/504725_2.png) [@JimCarruthers](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/JimCarruthers)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395/5 "2023-09-28T18:00:55Z")

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That’s what “solid” is in ALL 3D software, an enclosed volume. There is no math describing what’s inside. Except for voxels, but they’re also not really ‘solids’ but a cloud of points.

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**Author:** ![Nava\_Khatri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/nava_khatri/32/478738_2.png) [@Nava\_Khatri](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Nava_Khatri)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395/6 "2023-09-28T18:02:44Z")

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Thnak you very much. How about if I want to export the mesh for FEA, my models are self-intersecting sweeps. This causes problem when I try to import those files as STEP so I was trying to import as mesh.

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**Author:** ![pascal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/pascal/32/479395_2.png) [@pascal](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/pascal)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 6:04pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395/7 "2023-09-28T18:04:30Z")

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Hi Nava - you may be able to use `ShrinkWrap` in the V8 beta.

> [@Rhino 8 Feature: ShrinkWrap](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rhino-8-feature-shrinkwrap/149658):
>
> ShrinkWrap lets you create a wrapped mesh from mesh, NURBS geometry, SubD, and Point Clouds. Just about anything! ShrinkWrap meshes are ideal for creating: Meshes for 3D printing. A solid union mesh from multiple input objects. A solid mesh from 3D scan data fragments. Meshes without internal self intersections. Offset meshes for shell operations Reverse engineering workflows Point cloud meshes Valid closed meshes from broken or often hard to repair geometry. [[ShrinkWrap] ](https://vimeo.com/763781567) …

> [@Rhino 8 WIP Available Now!](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/rhino-8-wip-available-now/115666):
>
> New feature development for Rhino 8 happens in the Rhino WIP. You need a Rhino 7 license to download and run Rhino WIP. [Download now](https://www.rhino3d.com/download/rhino/wip)! Below is a complete list of changes in Rhino 8 WIP. For release-by-release notes, scroll down.

-Pascal

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nava\_Khatri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/nava_khatri/32/478738_2.png) [@Nava\_Khatri](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Nava_Khatri)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 7:42pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395/8 "2023-09-28T19:42:22Z")

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Thank you, I will try it.

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**Author:** ![Nava\_Khatri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/nava_khatri/32/478738_2.png) [@Nava\_Khatri](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Nava_Khatri)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 5:13am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/export-mesh-as-for-solid-instead-of-surface-only/166395/9 "2023-09-29T05:13:08Z")

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This is great, it improved my model a lot. The mesh in self intersecting part look great. My last concern is how do I export the mesh (or other supported format like STEP or IGES) so that I can use it for FEA in Abaqus?