# Shoe last - how to create one close surface from a complex mesh

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/shoe-last-how-to-create-one-close-surface-from-a-complex-mesh/3573>\
**Category:** Rhino for Windows\
**Created:** [November 3, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/shoe-last-how-to-create-one-close-surface-from-a-complex-mesh/3573 "2013-11-03T20:04:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dirk1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dirk1](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Dirk1)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/shoe-last-how-to-create-one-close-surface-from-a-complex-mesh/3573/1 "2013-11-03T20:04:53Z")

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![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/c/b/cb19e867d68ed37c8f7da705f645a34c2d49f8a9.jpg) 

Hello folks,  
great to be here!  
Is there a strategy to create one close surface from a complex mesh? (in this case a .stl-file of a shoe last)

I tried out several things (primarily I extracted curves by projection. Then I lofted them, I sweeped them along one and two paths, I used the network of curves, I matched the surfaces…) But it did’t work.  
I know there is software for reconstructing surfaces from meshes on the market.  
But is it possible to do it with Rhino only?

Grateful for useful informations,  
Dirk

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**Author:** ![laborda](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/laborda/32/548739_2.png) [@laborda](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/laborda)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/shoe-last-how-to-create-one-close-surface-from-a-complex-mesh/3573/2 "2013-11-04T18:26:29Z")

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Hi Dirk,

Without a plugin this task can be done by creating sections and then rebuilding them to create clean surfaces.  
I think that the biggest challenge is to find the natural order of the form.  
May be you can build this in 3 different surfaces: top, bottom and the big more vertical one.  
I would make this 3 surfaces in a way they intersect, so then you can trim and finally add the fillet.  
If this is something you will have to do frequently I would consider VSR plugin.

I hope this help,  
Joaquín

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**Author:** ![margaret](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/margaret/32/121759_2.png) [@margaret](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/margaret)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/shoe-last-how-to-create-one-close-surface-from-a-complex-mesh/3573/3 "2013-11-04T18:29:58Z")

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I attached an excerpt from a tutorial about shoe creation. It was written for an older version of Rhino, but it might still be useful.[ShoeTutorial Excerpt.pdf](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/0/c/0c8c86433815b3e05767200f3a510e9eb3cab49d.pdf) (112.7 KB)

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**Author:** ![Dirk1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dirk1](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Dirk1)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/shoe-last-how-to-create-one-close-surface-from-a-complex-mesh/3573/4 "2013-11-05T14:30:07Z")

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Hey Joaquín,

thanks a lot for your advice! I will try it this way.  
If I can handle it, I will give a short summary of how it worked the best.  
If not I will have to ask the forum one more time…

For the moment, thank you for sharing your knowledge,  
Dirk

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**Author:** ![Dirk1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dirk1](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Dirk1)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/shoe-last-how-to-create-one-close-surface-from-a-complex-mesh/3573/5 "2013-11-05T14:37:17Z")

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Hello Margaret,

I just browsed through the PDF.  
Indeed, it seems to be a good starting point for me!

Thank you,  
Dirk