Tools menu: Shell tool

What is the Shell tool?

You can use the Shell tool to turn a solid body into a hollow model with a defined wall thickness. Shell removes the selected face or faces to create openings while retaining the body's outer shape.

Shell is useful for creating:

• Containers – Create open boxes and other hollow objects.
• Housings and enclosures – Create interior cavities for components.
• Hollow parts – Remove internal material while maintaining a defined wall thickness.

The faces you select determine where the shell is open, while the Thickness parameter controls the thickness of the remaining walls.

How to use the Shell tool

Using the Shell tool

To create a hollow body:

1. Go to Tools > Shell. For other ways to open the tool, visit Accessing tools.
2. Select the face or faces you want to remove to create the opening.
3. Drag the arrow to set the wall thickness, or enter a value in the dimension field.
4. Optional: To review or modify your selection and thickness while the tool is active, select Shell again to open the parameter card.
5. To finish and exit the tool, click anywhere in an empty area of the modeling space.

Selecting faces to remove

The faces selected for To Shell are removed from the solid body. The remaining faces form the walls around the hollow interior.

• One face: Remove a single face, such as the top of a box, to create one opening.
• Multiple faces: Remove more than one face to create multiple openings in the same hollow body.

Choose the faces based on where you want the openings to be. For a closed exterior face that should remain part of the shell, leave that face unselected.

Parameter Card and History Settings

Shapr3D records the tools you use as steps in History, allowing you to revisit and modify them later. Each History step stores its parameters, which you can access through the parameter card. You can adjust these parameters while using the tool or reopen the parameter card from History after completing the step.

Adjust Shell parameters

While using Shell, select Shell again to open its parameter card and adjust the following:

• To Shell – Select or change the faces to remove from the solid body. These selections define the openings in the shell.
• Thickness – Specify the wall thickness for the hollow body. You can enter a precise value or adjust the thickness interactively.

To learn more about parameter cards, visit Parameter Cards.

Edit Shell in History

To adjust a completed shell operation:

1. Open the History sidebar.
2. Select the Shell step to reopen its parameter card.
3. Adjust To Shell to change the faces being removed, or modify Thickness to change the wall thickness.
4. To finish editing, click anywhere in an empty area of the modeling space.

To learn more about editing modeling steps, visit History.

When to use the Shell tool

Common Shell use cases

• Containers: Remove the top face of a solid body to create an open container with a consistent wall thickness.
• Product enclosures: Hollow a solid shape to make room for internal components.
• Hollow cylindrical parts: Remove an end face to create an open cavity inside a cylindrical body.
• Design iterations: Revisit the Shell step in History to refine the wall thickness without rebuilding the body.

Best practices and troubleshooting

Best practices

• Start with a solid body: Shell operates on solid geometry, removing selected faces and creating an interior cavity.
• Select openings carefully: Select only the faces you want removed from the finished shell.
• Choose a suitable thickness: The wall thickness must be compatible with the body's shape and dimensions. Very large thickness values can prevent the shell from being created.
• Review the result: Rotate the model to inspect the openings and remaining walls after shelling.
• Use History for adjustments: Reopen the Shell step when you need to change the selected faces or thickness.

Troubleshooting common issues