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3D Form Model Report & Export

Measure a form model by tag and export its geometry as OBJ or STL.

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Try an example: L-shaped concept model · Tagged pavilion quantities

How it works

Inspect a Kerfwise Form Studio project for object bounds, gross surface area, volume and triangle counts. Group quantities by tag and download the normalized project, OBJ and STL files.

  • All geometry is in millimetres, with Z up. Accept one simple, non-self-intersecting footprint without holes, 3–64 vertices and at least 1 mm² area. Extrude vertically, then rotate around Z and translate.
  • Triangulate both caps and each side with consistent outward winding. Each separate prism is closed; intersecting prisms are not unioned. Surface = 2 × footprint area + perimeter × height; gross volume = footprint area × height.
  • Models contain at most 128 solids and eight saved camera views. Coordinates, heights and profiles are bounded. OBJ and ASCII STL use millimetres; STL does not embed a unit. These are concept models, separate from cabinet cut lists or machining instructions.
  • Visible-only export is on by default. Hidden solids can be included explicitly. Report bounds are axis-aligned after rotation; quantities sum complete solids, so touching internal faces and overlapping volumes remain counted.

Gross quantities count complete solids, including overlaps and internal faces. STL is unitless; import it as millimetres.

Sources

How to use the 3D Form Model Report & Export

Measure a Kerfwise Form Studio model by tag (bounds, surface, volume, triangles) and download it as OBJ, STL and an editable project.

What it is for

You've sketched a concept in Kerfwise Form Studio, perhaps a counter, a pavilion or a room layout, and now you need numbers: how big is it overall, how much surface would cladding or paint cover, how much volume is the concrete platform? You might also need the model in another program. This tool takes a Form Studio project (the .kerfwise-form.json file) and returns a quantity report per solid and per tag, plus OBJ, ASCII STL and a normalised project file.

It's the scripting counterpart of Export form in the app, and uses the same geometry engine. It's useful when you want reports from the API or an AI agent, or a quick check without opening the editor. The result includes a link to open the model in Form Studio.

These are gross concept quantities. Solids are separate closed extrusions and are never fused, so overlaps and touching faces are counted in full. It isn't a cut list or a bill of materials. Use Kerfwise's cabinet workspace for that.

Worked example

The built-in L-shaped counter has one solid: the footprint (0,0) → (2800,0) → (2800,650) → (900,650) → (900,2200) → (0,2200) in millimetres, 900 mm high. The report:

  • 1 solid: 15.430 m² gross surface and 2.893 m³ gross volume, 20 triangles
  • bounds 2800 × 2200 × 900 mm
  • footprint area 3.215 m²

You can check it by hand. The volume is 3.215 m² × 0.9 m = 2.8935 m³. The surface is two caps (2 × 3.215) plus the perimeter (10 m) × 0.9 m = 15.43 m².

The Courtyard pavilion example has seven solids in two tags:

Worked example
TagSolidsSurfaceVolume
Architecture694.124 m²7.020 m³
Furniture15.770 m²0.630 m³

Overall: 99.894 m², 7.650 m³ and 84 triangles in a 5400 × 4000 × 3030 mm box. The 150 mm platform alone is 2.7 m³, and each 200 × 200 × 2700 mm column is 0.108 m³.

How to read the result

  • Metrics: solid count, gross surface (m²), gross volume (m³) and triangle count.
  • Quantities by tag: the most useful table for estimates. Tag solids by material or trade in Form Studio and you get a subtotal for each.
  • Per-object rows: name, tag, footprint area, surface, volume, triangles and bounds after rotation.
  • Downloads: form-model.obj, form-model.stl and model.kerfwise-form.json, plus an Open in Form Studio link to keep editing.

Tips and common mistakes

  • Visible only is on by default, so solids you hid in the app are left out of both the report and the exports. Switch it off to include them.
  • STL stores no unit. When you import it into a slicer or another CAD program, choose millimetres, or the model will be 1000 times too small or too large.
  • Overlapping solids are double-counted. If a column runs into the canopy, model it up to the canopy's underside.
  • Surface counts every face, including the bottom face that sits on the ground. Subtract footprint areas if you only want visible faces.
  • Bounds are axis-aligned after rotation, so a rotated solid's box is larger than its own length × width.
  • A project can hold up to 128 solids and eight saved views.

FAQ

What file does it accept?

The JSON that Form Studio saves ("format": "kerfwise-form", version 1). Paste its contents into the project field.

Can I import the OBJ into SketchUp or Blender?

Yes. OBJ and STL use millimetres with Z up. Set the import unit to millimetres.

Why are intersecting solids not merged?

Each solid stays a separate closed prism so it remains editable. The disclaimer says so: totals are gross and include overlaps.

How do I create a model without the app?

Use the Footprint to 3D Solid Extruder for single solids, then combine them in Form Studio, or edit the project JSON directly.

Guide last updated:

For scripts and AI agents

  • JSON API: POST https://kerfwisemodelreport.usefulweb.app/api/v1/calculate (same calculation as this page)
  • Interface description: OpenAPI 3.1 · AI guide: llms.txt
  • MCP server (Streamable HTTP): https://kerfwisemodelreport.usefulweb.app/mcp · tool name kerfwise_model_report
Example request
curl -s -X POST https://kerfwisemodelreport.usefulweb.app/api/v1/calculate \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{…see OpenAPI examples…}'
Feedback · ideas & bug reports welcome