Hi val,

> My issue is that Moi sees the deformed shape as a
> solid (when no other software does).

This is not correct though - if you load the exact 3DM file you posted into Rhino v4 and then select your deformed object, and then run the "What" command, it reports that the object is a:

"Closed solid polysurface with 232 surfaces."


So Rhino definitely sees it as a solid as well - it uses the same definition as MoI where a solid is an object that has every edge joined between 2 surfaces.

However, there are some glitches in the model in the pole areas in the deformed spheres, and some other programs when you do the import into them by STEP format or whatever, will probably try to analyze the object and make sure that it's actually structurally sound and they would then probably see that there is a problem with those areas.


> What I need is for Moi to see the same thing as
> other pieces of software.

Yes, like I mentioned previously I would like to add some kinds of diagonistic and analysis tools into MoI in the future. It is not an easy area to add though because it's a difficult thing to do a good UI for without just giving some highly cryptic feedback like "Error number 252".


> So if moi says it's a solid then I would hope other pieces of
> software would see it as a solid.

This is happening already with importing it into Rhino.


> If moi sees it a series of surfaces then I hope other pieces
> of software see it as a series of surfaces. I don't care what it is
> (a set of surfaces or a solid) I just want it to be consistent.

I myself can't control what additional processes another program does to their imported geometry.

Most likely your other program is doing some kind of analysis of the imported object and deciding that although it has all edges joined it is not a proper solid and so decides to break it apart into surfaces instead of keeping it as a badly formed solid.

That's something that the other program is doing during some of it's processing, I'm not in direct control of what that other program decides to do.


As far as I can tell though, the root cause of your problem is like I've mentioned before that there is a bug in the deformer when deforming those sphere surfaces that have a collapsed down pole area in them. The deformed spheres are mangled in the small area near their poles.

Different programs may respond in different ways to mangled geometry.

- Michael