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I have an stl-file with a 3D scan of a small unmanned aerial vehicle that I want to use in a physics simulation software, but before I can use it I need to clean it up a bit and fix non-manifolds. The model has over 600.000 faces, so it is not easy to manipulate by hand. Furthermore the 3D scan of the vehicle includes some of the interior of the vehicle that I am not interested in, since it would complicate the aerodynamics unnecessarily. So I was hoping for a way to create a new model based on the surface of the complex model.

I have included a image of the front of the vehicle from Blender with holes to the interior colored red. enter image description here

I should probably also mention that I am completely new to Blender.

Kasper T B
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  • Welcome Kasper :) What you are searching for is called retopology, see: http://blender.stackexchange.com/a/6255/3710 – p2or Mar 10 '16 at 10:30
  • Welcome to the site. If you've not already done so, I'd highly recommend that you take the tour, and review the topics in the help center. There is a way--and often more than one--to do almost whatever one wants to do in Blender, and this instance is no different. But if you're completely new to Blender, you may find it faster to spend some time learning to use the tools available, by taking one of the on-line courses referenced in the resources question. – brasshat Mar 10 '16 at 10:30

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There are at least three ways to do this. One is to select the whole object, and apply the decimate modifier; another is to create a pair of planes, one above and one below, and apply to the planes a shrinkwrap modifier. The third method is to use the retopology idea offered by @poor. However, while any of these might yield suitable results, they each require a certain level of mastery of Blender to be able to do. In my view, you'd be well served to spend some time mastering Blender, before you attempt what you are trying to do.

brasshat
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  • Thanks @brasshat. I think I have tried messing a bit around with the decimate solution, but I think you are right - I probably need some more time mastering Blender. – Kasper T B Mar 11 '16 at 12:42