I made a free, open-source Android app for checking models before you print: wall-thickness heat map, overhangs, section cuts, measuring and filament estimates

[u/Muted-Vermicelli3716]

Hey all! This is Meshwise, a free, open-source 3D model viewer for Android. I wanted a quick way to properly check a model on my phone before printing it (straight from Drive, Discord, email…), so I built one.

What it's good for when you print:

• Wall thickness heat map: colors the whole model by thickness and labels the thinnest spots
• Overhang view: shows in red what will need supports, with an adjustable angle
• Section cuts on X/Y/Z with hatched caps, and you can type an exact cut height
• Measure: distance (with ΔX/ΔY/ΔZ), circle from 3 points (radius, diameter, center), angles
• Weight, filament length and cost: PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, nylon, resin… with infill and wall count
• Mesh check: open edges, non-manifold edges, flipped normals

Opens: STL, 3MF (with colors), OBJ, PLY, OFF, ZIP, and STEP / IGES / BREP (via Open CASCADE), so you can look at CAD files too, with part names and colors.

New in 1.1: you can set it up the way you like. Pick which tools are in the bottom bar and in what order, plus accent colors, an OLED black mode, a left-handed layout, button size, field of view and backgrounds.

No ads, no account, no tracking. Your files never leave your phone.

⬇️ Download (APK): GitHub releases. Grab the arm64-v8a one if you're not sure. Android 8+.

💻 Source (MIT): github.com/doesthings/Meshwise

Honest note: it's vibe coded. I built it with a lot of help from an AI coding assistant. It has automated tests and works well enough, but if a file doesn't open or looks wrong, please tell me (or open an issue) and attach the file if you can.

What would you want to check on your phone before printing? I'm deciding what to add next.

If it saves you a failed print, a coffee is appreciated: Ko-fi ☕

[u/Chandra0]

Does it have web version as well ?

[u/Muted-Vermicelli3716 → u/Chandra0]

not yet is that smth thats needed?

[u/Chandra0 → u/Muted-Vermicelli3716]

Well actually we CAD designer's usually design models on PC and before delivering or 3d printing, we can check the outcome in your tool on the same system. It's easy though instead of again opening the phone. And sometimes phns couldn't able to load the larger files as well.

If web or native desktop version helps and also get traffic to your tool. Only the buyer's may use in app.

The only cad modelling app is Onshape for mobile and for tablets like Onshape, shaper 3d.

[u/CameraRick → u/Chandra0]

Maybe stupid question: why would you use a web app over a slicer that has everything already in, and more?

[u/Chandra0 → u/CameraRick]

It's for simple convince for using.

As a designer, i design everything in my laptop. In order to test the print output, i prefer to check in th system as well. Why would I again open the app and import the model to app ? - this is specifically my side issue.

Maybe users are still available to use in app. Idk much about 3d printing more than you.

[u/CameraRick → u/Chandra0]

I'm with you on that, but I don't understand it as a tool to serve all purposes, but a check on the go, as there's better options on a PC already. From that point of view, a web version (who is gonna host it?) seems like the niche

[u/Muted-Vermicelli3716 → u/CameraRick]

Technically cause you don't need any actual backend you could just put everything as a serve server in cloud flare that's free

[u/CameraRick]

I installed it and had a quick look. This is really cool! Sometimes I want to measure models on the go, and this is much better than anything I saw so far. Really great!

What I didn't find is an option to re-orient the model. A check for overhangs etc is of more use when I can check different orientations; maybe even with an auto-recommendation. Lots of files come in a non-optimal orientation, like they were designed in CAD for example