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Wall Thickness Analysis

The Wall Thickness Analysis tool measures material thickness at every point on a mask or surface object, providing color-mapped visualizations and statistical data to identify thin-wall regions, verify manufacturing tolerances, and assess structural integrity. This analysis is fundamental for quality control in additive manufacturing, casting inspection, and design validation workflows.

Wall Thickness Analysis

Understanding Wall Thickness Measurement​

Wall thickness measurement determines the shortest distance from each point on an object's outer surface to the opposing inner boundary. For solid objects, this represents the material thickness at that location. The analysis produces a continuous scalar field mapped to the object geometry, enabling immediate visual identification of regions that may be structurally weak or outside design specifications.

The computed thickness values are displayed as a color gradient on the object surface, with accompanying statistics and histogram visualization showing the distribution of thickness values across the entire part.

Medical and Manufacturing Disclaimer

Wall thickness measurements are provided for research and quality assessment purposes. Results should be validated by qualified engineers or professionals before making manufacturing, structural, or clinical decisions. Measurement accuracy depends on mesh quality, algorithm parameters, and object geometry.

Accessing the Tool​

  1. Navigate to the Analyze ribbon tab.
  2. Click the Wall Thickness Analysis button.
  3. Select the analysis mode from the dropdown menu:
    • Analyze Mask – Analyze wall thickness on a mask object's 3D preview surface.
    • Analyze Surface – Analyze wall thickness on a triangle mesh surface object.

Analysis Configuration​

Creating a New Analysis​

  1. In the Analysis Selection section, click Select analysis to open the Wall Thickness Analysis Editor dialog.
  2. Click New Analysis to create a new analysis configuration. A new row appears in the table.
  3. Configure the analysis parameters (detailed below).
  4. Click Load to load the selected analysis and close the dialog.

Analysis Parameters​

The Wall Thickness Analysis Editor provides the following configuration options:

ParameterDescription
Analysis NameUser-defined name for the analysis. Double-click to rename.
Actual ObjectThe mask or surface object to analyze.
Surface Quality(Mask analysis only) Quality of the 3D preview surface: Optimal, High, Medium, or Low. Higher quality provides more accurate results but increases computation time.
MethodAlgorithm used for thickness calculation: Ray Casting or Shrinking Sphere.
Max. Wall Thickness (mm)Maximum thickness to search for. Set to 0 for unlimited search, or specify a value to limit the search range and improve performance.
Search Angle (deg)Cone angle for finding opposite surface points. Wider angles detect points on coarse meshes but may reduce accuracy.
Above Max. Range ColorColor displayed for thickness values above the visualization range.
LUTLookup table (color map) for visualizing thickness values.
Below Min. Range ColorColor displayed for thickness values below the visualization range.
Range (mm)Current visualization range (read-only, updated after analysis).

Calculation Methods​

The tool provides two algorithms for calculating wall thickness:

Ray Casting (Bidirectional)​

The ray casting method projects rays from each surface point along the surface normal in both directions (inward and outward) to find the opposing surface intersection. This method is:

  • Fast: Efficient for large meshes and typical geometries.
  • Accurate for parallel surfaces: Works well when inner and outer surfaces are roughly parallel.
  • Suitable for: Thin-walled structures, shells, and objects with consistent wall geometry.

Shrinking Sphere​

The shrinking sphere method determines thickness by fitting the largest sphere that touches both the inner and outer surfaces while centered on the normal line. Starting from each point, the algorithm finds the smallest sphere that contacts both boundaries. This method is:

  • More accurate for curved surfaces: Handles non-parallel and complex surface relationships.
  • Better for variable geometry: Provides more meaningful results for organic shapes and tapered walls.
  • Computationally intensive: Slower than ray casting but produces more robust results for challenging geometries.
tip

For initial exploration, use Ray Casting for faster results. Switch to Shrinking Sphere when analyzing curved or complex geometries where ray casting may produce artifacts.

Search Parameters​

Maximum Wall Thickness​

This parameter limits the search distance for finding opposing surfaces:

  • Set to 0 to search the entire object without limits.
  • Set to a specific value when you know the approximate maximum thickness, improving performance by avoiding unnecessary calculations.
  • For best performance, set this value slightly larger than the expected maximum thickness.

Search Angle​

The search angle defines a cone around each surface normal within which the algorithm looks for opposing surface points:

  • Smaller angles (5–15°): More accurate results for high-quality meshes with smooth geometry.
  • Larger angles (20–45°): Better detection on coarse meshes or surfaces with high curvature, at the cost of some accuracy.

Running the Analysis​

  1. After loading an analysis configuration, click Run Analysis.
  2. A progress dialog appears while the analysis computes.
  3. Upon completion:
    • The object displays color-mapped thickness values in 3D and 2D views.
    • The histogram updates with the thickness distribution.
    • The statistics table populates with summary metrics.

Interpreting Results​

Visualization​

The analyzed object displays a color gradient representing thickness values:

  • Cool colors (blue/green): Lower thickness values.
  • Warm colors (yellow/red): Higher thickness values.
  • Below range color: Indicates regions thinner than the selected minimum range.
  • Above range color: Indicates regions thicker than the selected maximum range.

Use the histogram range sliders to focus on specific thickness intervals and identify regions of interest.

Statistics​

The statistics table displays key metrics:

StatisticDescription
MinimumThinnest region on the object (mm).
MaximumThickest region on the object (mm).
MeanAverage thickness across all analyzed points (mm).
Standard DeviationVariation in thickness values (mm).
Surface AreaTotal analyzed surface area (mm²).
Surface Area in RangeArea with thickness values within the selected range (mm²).
Relative Surface Area in RangePercentage of surface within the selected range (%).

Interactive Features​

FeatureDescription
Show MaximumDisplays an annotation at the thickest point, showing the location and value.
Show MinimumDisplays an annotation at the thinnest point, showing the location and value.
Pick PointEnable interactive picking to display thickness at any clicked location on the object.
note

When picking points on mask-based analyses, the 2D slice views automatically update to center on the selected location.

Typical Workflows​

Quality Control for Additive Manufacturing​

  1. Import or segment the printed part.
  2. Create a new Wall Thickness Analysis for the part.
  3. Set the method to Shrinking Sphere for curved geometries.
  4. Set Max. Wall Thickness to slightly exceed the design maximum.
  5. Run the analysis.
  6. Use the histogram to identify regions below the minimum specification.
  7. Enable Show Minimum to locate the thinnest area.
  8. Export a PDF report for documentation.

Design Validation​

  1. Generate a surface from the CAD design or segmentation.
  2. Configure Wall Thickness Analysis with appropriate parameters.
  3. Run the analysis to visualize thickness distribution.
  4. Adjust the range sliders to highlight regions outside tolerance.
  5. Use Copy to Measurements to transfer annotations for reporting.

Comparing Manufacturing Variations​

  1. Create separate analyses for each part variation.
  2. Use consistent parameters across all analyses.
  3. Compare statistics tables to identify differences.
  4. Generate reports for each analysis for side-by-side comparison.

Exporting Results​

CSV Export​

Click Export and select CSV to save:

  • Statistical summary data
  • Thickness distribution histogram data
  • Per-point thickness values (optional)

PDF Report​

Click Export and select PDF Report to generate a formatted document containing:

  • Analysis configuration and parameters
  • 3D visualization screenshots
  • Histogram and statistics
  • Minimum and maximum location annotations

See PDF Report for detailed report customization options.

Best Practices​

  1. Verify mesh quality: Run Diagnostics and Fixes on surfaces before analysis to ensure accurate results.

  2. Start with conservative parameters: Use default settings initially, then refine based on results.

  3. Match surface quality to requirements: For mask analyses, use Optimal quality for final reports and Medium for quick exploration.

  4. Consider geometry when selecting method: Ray Casting for simple shapes; Shrinking Sphere for complex curves.

  5. Document analysis parameters: Include parameter settings in reports for reproducibility.

  6. Validate against known references: When possible, compare results against physical measurements or known CAD dimensions.

Troubleshooting​

IssuePossible CauseSolution
Analysis shows unexpected zero valuesMaximum wall thickness too smallIncrease the Max. Wall Thickness parameter
Noisy thickness mapCoarse mesh or high surface curvatureUse Shrinking Sphere method; increase surface quality for masks
Missing thickness in some regionsNon-manifold mesh or holesRun Diagnostics and Fixes to repair the surface
Long computation timeVery fine mesh or unlimited searchSet a reasonable Max. Wall Thickness limit