admesh

STL mesh analysis, repair, and transformation tool

TLDR

Display information about an STL file

$ admesh [path/to/model.stl]

Repair and output a fixed STL file

$ admesh --write-binary-stl=[output.stl] [input.stl]

Convert STL to ASCII format

$ admesh --write-ascii-stl=[output.stl] [input.stl]

Fix all defects in an STL file

$ admesh --fill-holes --normal-directions --normal-values [input.stl] --write-binary-stl=[output.stl]

Scale a model by a factor

$ admesh --scale=[2.0] [input.stl] --write-binary-stl=[output.stl]

Translate a model along axes

$ admesh --translate=[10,20,30] [input.stl] --write-binary-stl=[output.stl]

Rotate around the X axis

$ admesh --x-rotate=[90] [input.stl] --write-binary-stl=[output.stl]

ADMesh is a tool for processing and repairing STL (stereolithography) files used in 3D printing and CAD applications. It diagnoses and fixes common mesh problems including gaps, holes, inverted normals, and disconnected facets that would cause printing failures.When run without output options, ADMesh analyzes the input file and reports statistics including facet count, volume, surface area, and detected errors. The repair algorithms can automatically fix most mesh issues, making it essential for preparing models for 3D printing.ADMesh supports both binary and ASCII STL formats and can convert between them. It also provides transformation operations for scaling, rotating, and translating models without requiring a full CAD application.

PARAMETERS

-b file, --write-binary-stl file

Output repaired mesh in binary STL format.

-a file, --write-ascii-stl file

Output repaired mesh in ASCII STL format.

--fill-holes

Fill holes in the mesh by adding triangles.

--normal-directions

Fix normals to point outward consistently.

--normal-values

Recalculate normal vectors for all facets.

-e, --exact

Check each facet of the mesh for its 3 neighbors using exact vertex matching.

-n, --nearby

Find and connect facets that are almost aligned but do not match exactly due to rounding errors.

-t tolerance, --tolerance tolerance

Search distance used by --nearby. Defaults to the shortest edge length of the mesh.

-i n, --iterations n

Number of times to run the nearby check with progressively larger tolerances (default: 2).

-u, --remove-unconnected

Remove facets that have zero neighbors after the exact and nearby checks.

--scale factor

Scale the model by the given factor.

--translate x,y,z

Translate the mesh so its minimum x, y, z values are at the given coordinates.

--x-rotate, --y-rotate, --z-rotate angle

Rotate model counterclockwise about the specified axis (in degrees).

--xy-mirror, --yz-mirror, --xz-mirror

Mirror the mesh in the specified plane.

--merge file

Merge another STL file into the input (no automatic translation).

-v, --verbose

Display detailed processing information.

CAVEATS

ADMesh processes only STL files; other 3D formats require conversion first. Very complex repairs may alter the original geometry. The --exact and --nearby algorithms may produce different results depending on mesh quality. Large files in ASCII format are significantly slower to process than binary.

HISTORY

ADMesh was originally developed by Anthony D. Martin in the mid-1990s to repair STL files for rapid prototyping machines. It was open-sourced and has been maintained by the community since. The tool gained renewed popularity with the rise of consumer 3D printing in the 2010s and is now commonly used alongside slicing software in FDM printing workflows.

RESOURCES

Source code · Documentation