Each answer below starts with what you see in MeshInspector. The steps for opening, exporting and saving files are in Importing Data, Exporting Objects and Saving Scenes.
The file does not open
MeshInspector says "Unsupported file extension"
MeshInspector does not read files with this extension. Check the list in Supported File Formats. A picture (PNG, JPEG) is not opened as a scene object: turn it into a distance map with Image to Distance Map.
A DICOM file says "Please use Open Directory for loading multi-file DICOM volumes."
You opened one slice of a CT series. Open the whole folder with CT › Open DICOMs or Home › Open Directory. See Open DICOMs, Open RAW Voxels and Open Voxels From TIFF.
A RAW file says "Cannot parse filename"
Open Files reads a RAW volume only when its file name holds the dimensions and the voxel size, as in the RAW files that MeshInspector exports. Open other RAW files with CT › Open RAW Voxels and enter their parameters.
A STEP file does not open in the web app
In the web app, STEP files are converted by the MeshInspector conversion service, which works only after you sign in. Sign in, or open the file in the desktop app, which converts STEP on your computer.
The file opens as the wrong object type
My point cloud in a .txt file opens as G-code
MeshInspector always opens .txt files as G-code. If the file holds X Y Z coordinates, rename it to .xyz and open it again.
My PLY file opens as a point cloud, not as a mesh
The file has points but no triangles. To build a mesh from the points, use Points › Points to Mesh (Professional plan).
My TIFF images open as a distance map, not as a CT volume
Open Files reads a single .tif or .tiff file as a distance map. To build a volume from a stack of TIFF images, use CT › Open Voxels From TIFF.
My glTF file opens as a group, and Export is greyed out
A glTF file opens as a group with the meshes inside, and a group is not exported by itself. Expand the group in the Scene tree and select the meshes.
The size or the position is wrong
The model is tiny or huge
STL, OBJ and PLY files store plain numbers without units. MeshInspector reads them in the Model Units of Settings › Units, which are millimeters by default. A part that was modeled in inches therefore opens 25.4 times too small. Check the size in the Information panel and fix it with Scale. See Check the size and units.
I cannot see the object after it opens
After a file opens, the view zooms to the whole scene. If you moved the camera since, click Fit Data (Ctrl+Alt+F, Cmd+Option+F on macOS). If the object is still not visible, check its eye icon in the Scene tree.
The exported file is in another place than in MeshInspector
Export writes a mesh, a point cloud or a polyline with its current position, rotation and scale in the scene. Move the object to where you need it before you export it. A volume or a distance map is written without the move, rotation or scale that you gave it in the scene.
Colors or textures are missing
My OBJ file opens without its texture
Keep the .obj file, its .mtl file and the texture images in one folder, with the names that the .mtl file uses.
The colors are lost after export
STL, OFF and .mrmesh files store only the shape. Export the mesh to .ply, .obj, .ctm or .3mf to keep its colors. For point clouds, use .ply.
The mesh has errors after it opens
The window "The mesh contains errors" appears
The mesh has holes or consists of several separate parts. Repair Mesh opens Mesh Healer for it, and Skip keeps the mesh as it is. See The mesh contains errors.
A notification says that triangles were skipped or vertices were duplicated
The file has triangles that repeat a vertex or do not fit the triangles next to them. MeshInspector removed or fixed them while reading the file, and the mesh may now have holes. Check the Holes value in the Information panel and repair the mesh with Mesh Healer or Mesh Repair › Fill Holes.
Large files
A large file opens slowly or does not open in the web app
Large meshes, point clouds and volumes need a lot of memory. The web app can use only the memory that your browser gives it, so open large files in the desktop app. Remove the objects you no longer need from the scene.
A point cloud says "Visualization is simplified (only part of the points is drawn)"
The cloud has too many points to draw them all. MeshInspector draws only part of them; the point cloud itself is not changed.
FAQ
What is the difference between Save Scene and Export?
Save Scene keeps the whole scene for MeshInspector in a .mru file. Export writes the selected objects to files for other software. The comparison is in Saving Scenes.
Can I save a scene for other software?
Yes, with Save Scene As and the .gltf or .glb format. glTF keeps the meshes with their tree, positions, colors and textures; point clouds, polylines and volumes are not written to it.
Can I export objects of different types at once?
No. Select objects of one type, for example only meshes, and export them. Then select and export the next type.
Can I open DICOM, RAW and TIFF stacks with Open Files?
A DICOM series and a TIFF stack open from the CT tab, and a DICOM folder also with Home › Open Directory. A RAW file opens with Open Files only when its name holds the parameters of the volume, as in the RAW files that MeshInspector exports; open other RAW files with CT › Open RAW Voxels. OpenVDB (.vdb) and Micro CT (.gav) volumes open with Open Files.
What are the shortcuts for saving?
Save Scene is Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on macOS) and Save Scene As is Ctrl+Shift+S (Cmd+Shift+S). Open Files is Ctrl+O (Cmd+O) and New is Ctrl+N (Cmd+N).
