How to calculate or get surface area of a mesh?

Question

How do I get the surface area of a mesh? Preferably no python involved.

Answer 1

1. Enable the '3D Print Toolbox' addon.

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2. Open the '3D Printing' tab in 3D view > Tool shelf.
3. Under statistics, press the Area button. (there's also option for volume and other checks for geometry).

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The Addons shelf has been moved on the right of the screen. Press N in the 3D Viewport or click the arrow in the top right of the area to expand it.

Answer 2

I will provide a Python solution to calculating the total surface area in case someone arrives to this thread searching for a python alternative. Make sure you Apply the scale first.

import bpy
obj = bpy.context.active_object
mesh = obj.data
total_area = 0
for p in mesh.polygons:
    total_area += p.area
print("Total Surface Area:", total_area)

Here's a bmesh approach:

import bpy
import bmesh
obj = bpy.context.active_object
mesh = obj.data
bm = bmesh.new()
bm.from_mesh(mesh)
total_area = sum(f.calc_area() for f in bm.faces)
print("Total Surface Area:", total_area)
bm.free()