Methods and processing
How InspectMesh Checks Files
InspectMesh reports bounded geometry observations, not a print certification. Read the method, assumptions and unavailable checks alongside a finding. A closed-looking picture, zero edge findings or a completed operation each answers only part of the question.
What the local methods can establish
| Method and inputs | Supported finding | Important limit | Representative example |
|---|---|---|---|
| STL coordinates with an explicit unit assumption | Axis spans and scaled dimensions | STL has no standard unit declaration; an assumed unit does not rewrite bytes | 20-coordinate cube |
| Supported 3MF mesh build, declared unit and transforms | Placed triangle geometry normalised to millimetres for analysis/conversion | Stored resources differ from build instances. Unsupported extensions and project settings are not validated | One resource, two placements |
| Exact-coordinate welding and edge incidence in local preflight and collection checks | One-face boundary edges, more-than-two-face edges, duplicate and zero-area triangles | No distance-tolerance welding, exhaustive vertex-manifold proof or self-intersection detector | Face-removed cube |
| Directed shared edges and vertex-connected components | Neighbouring winding conflicts and component counts | Stored STL normal vectors are not used; consistent winding does not determine the intended outside. A point-touching body can be one component | Reversed triangle versus stored normal |
| Signed tetrahedron sum, screened single closed component | Magnitude of geometric enclosed volume under the selected unit | Withheld for detected open, degenerate, duplicate, over-shared, winding or multi-component ambiguity. Intersections can escape these screens | Unavailable is not zero |
| Bounded triangle-centroid normal-direction rays | Sampled opposing-surface distances and counts below the chosen threshold | Unmeasured rays are not zero thickness. Small details and unsupported/opposing geometry may be missed; strength is not tested | Thin bars and retained slicer paths |
| Bidirectional area-distributed samples to triangle BVHs in revision comparison | 5,000 point-to-surface distances per direction, sampled maximum/mean and tolerance counts | Finite samples can miss detail. Maximum sampled is not a global upper bound, certified metrology or equality proof | Raised-ridge coupon |
| Axis-aligned bounds and six right-angle axis permutations | Nominal rectangular fit for the selected box | No arbitrary-rotation search, general collision check, automatic brim/support allowance or orientation recommendation for strength | Custom envelope and allowances |
Which actions process locally and which upload
The STL/3MF viewers open geometry locally. STL/3MF preflight, revision comparison, STL scale, STL reduction and the geometry converter also run locally. Loading an example fetches only a fixed public registry asset; it does not send your active model. Renderer code loads when the relevant tool needs it; this library uses lightweight static diagrams.
The viewer's optional issue-analysis action explicitly uploads the selected file to the quality-checker server workflow. Server quality checking and STL repair have their own processing disclosure. Do not interpret the local viewer's initial opening as server analysis, or assume the local methods are the same as every server checker. Review the privacy policy for policy and retention details before an upload.
Collection navigation can hold a selected File in this tab's memory for an explicit handoff. Reloading requires reselection. Optional collection history stores report data such as labels, settings, findings and bounded thumbnails in this browser, not original model bytes or full geometry arrays. Exported reports can contain private filenames and findings; choose where to share them yourself. Example URLs carry only a public allowlisted ID and canonicals point to the clean tool page.
Read result states literally
- Completed: the supported operation returned a result; inspect warnings and scope.
- Warning / needs attention: review a finding against units, design intent and the intended process.
- Skipped / unsupported: the method did not run or cannot answer this question. It is not a passing result.
- Sampled: a bounded set of observations, not exhaustive coverage.
- Failed: no usable result from that operation. Do not read an empty report as zero defects.
- Unavailable volume: no supported solid-volume interpretation, not zero material.
How the examples were produced and verified
The example library contains eight teaching scenarios with stable IDs, original generated geometry, known dimensions, downloadable bytes and original explanatory diagrams. Regression checks read those distributed files, run the actual local implementations and reopen generated STL output. They distinguish duplicate facets, reversed winding and stored normal vectors, resolve 3MF instances/units/transforms and check nominal fit arithmetic independently. These are software controls, not customer models or physical prints.
The coupon derivatives use meshoptimizer 1.2.0, relative error 0.01 and LockBorder. Actual retained PrusaSlicer 2.9.6 Classic/Arachne exports use a 0.4 mm nozzle, 0.2 mm layers, 0.45 mm extrusion width, two perimeters, zero infill and thin-wall option off. Their configuration footers remain available in preview-only G-code. No printer was controlled; a slicer estimate is not measured print time. The guide explains the recorded experiment and its limitations.
Technical basis and review boundary
The 3MF Core Specification defines units, resources, build items and transforms. meshoptimizer documents simplification constraints; Prusa's Arachne documentation explains variable-width perimeters. Reviewed 10 October 2026 alongside the application code. These references support specific method claims; no standard certifies the whole application and no expert reviewer credentials are claimed.
FAQ
Does a completed check mean print ready?
No. Completed describes a software operation. Unsupported intersections, unsampled detail, design intent and the physical process still need review.
Do examples upload my model?
Loading a public example downloads that fixed control and uses the tool's local workflow. Optional viewer issue analysis is a separate deliberate server upload.