Volumetric Tools

Surface Offset

Inflate or deflate the whole surface of a shape by one signed distance.

Surface Offset moves the whole surface of a shape outward or inward by one distance. A positive distance inflates the shape and a negative distance deflates it. Use it to thicken a wall that prints too thin, or to thin a part that came out too heavy. To hollow a complex shape, copy it, deflate the copy, and cut the copy from the original with Cut.

A part at its original size, inflated, and deflated — The original part, the same part inflated by a positive distance, and deflated by a negative distance.

Offsetting a Shape

Select a shape.
Click Surface Offset in the toolbar.

The offset part replaces the original. Undo restores the original. The starting distance is one-fifth of the shape’s smallest dimension, capped at 1.0 in the current display unit.

Parameters

Parameter	What it controls
Distance	How far the surface moves. Positive inflates, negative deflates

Type a value into the Distance field in the Value References panel, or drag the on-screen widget.

Note: An offset too far inward erases the volume. The part then stays in the scene as an outline box. Reduce the distance. The shape returns.