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Volume Mesh Statistics

The Volume Mesh Statistics tool calculates geometric and topological statistics for volume mesh objects. Volume meshes are 3D tessellations composed of volumetric elements such as tetrahedra, hexahedra, or other cell types.

Accessing the Tool​

  1. Navigate to the Measure tab in the ribbon
  2. Click the Volume Mesh Statistics button in the Statistics section

Overview​

Calculate statistics for the active or all visible volume meshes. Select an individual volume element in the 3D view to inspect its properties.

User Interface​

Options​

ControlDescription
TargetSelect the analysis target
Select statisticsOpen dialog to choose which statistics to calculate

Target Options​

OptionDescription
Active volume mesh objectCalculate statistics for the active volume mesh
Visible volume mesh object(s)Calculate statistics for all visible volume meshes
Volume element selectionCalculate statistics for the selected volume mesh element
Element Selection Mode

Left-click on the volume mesh in the 3D view to select an element. Hold the Alt key to enable spinning, zooming, and panning while in selection mode.

Output Tables​

TableDescription
StatisticsCalculated statistics for the target
Individual visible volume mesh statisticsPer-mesh breakdown when multiple volume meshes are visible

Toolbar​

ButtonDescription
Export...Export the calculated statistics to disk

Available Statistics​

Volume mesh statistics include:

Geometric Statistics​

  • Volume (mm³) — total volume of all elements
  • Surface Area (mm²) — area of external faces
  • Bounding Box dimensions
  • Centroid position (X, Y, Z)

Topological Statistics​

  • Number of Points — total vertices
  • Number of Cells — total volumetric elements
  • Number of Tetrahedra — tetrahedral elements
  • Number of Hexahedra — hexahedral elements
  • Number of Wedges — wedge/prism elements
  • Number of Pyramids — pyramid elements
  • Number of Faces — total faces
  • Number of External Faces — boundary faces

Element Quality Metrics​

  • Element Volume (min, max, mean, std dev)
  • Aspect Ratio statistics
  • Jacobian statistics
  • Skewness statistics
  • Edge Length (min, max, mean)

Shape Statistics​

  • Elongation
  • Flatness
  • Sphericity

Workflow​

Basic Volume Mesh Analysis​

  1. Ensure a volume mesh is active or visible
  2. Open the Volume Mesh Statistics tool
  3. Select the target (Active mesh, Visible meshes, or Element selection)
  4. Click Select statistics to choose which metrics to calculate
  5. Statistics are computed and displayed in the table

Inspect Individual Elements​

  1. Set Target to "Volume element selection"
  2. Click on an element in the 3D view
  3. View the selected element's properties in the statistics table
  4. Hold Alt to pan/zoom/rotate without selecting

Compare Multiple Meshes​

  1. Make multiple volume meshes visible
  2. Set Target to "Visible volume mesh object(s)"
  3. View combined statistics and per-mesh breakdown
  4. Compare quality metrics across meshes

Use Cases​

Finite Element Analysis Preparation​

Verify mesh quality before FEA simulation. Check element aspect ratios, Jacobian values, and skewness to ensure numerical stability.

Mesh Quality Validation​

Validate volume mesh quality after generation or import. Identify problematic elements that may need refinement.

Volume Calculations​

Calculate precise volumes for parts, cavities, or other 3D regions represented by volume meshes.

Export​

Click Export... to save calculated statistics to a file for reporting or further analysis.