# Printing Error Intersecting Faces – How to FInd & Solve?

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/printing-error-intersecting-faces-how-to-find-solve/11695>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [March 5, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/printing-error-intersecting-faces-how-to-find-solve/11695 "2021-03-05T19:11:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elrevez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@elrevez](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/elrevez)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/printing-error-intersecting-faces-how-to-find-solve/11695/1 "2021-03-05T19:11:04Z")

</div>

Hi, I’ve created a complex shape and have sent to [3dhubs.com](http://3dhubs.com) to print.

It’s telling me it has 4 intersecting faces.

How can I find these in Shapr3d for iPad Pro and correct them please?

Thank you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KPeter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/kpeter/32/7644_2.png) [@KPeter](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/KPeter)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/printing-error-intersecting-faces-how-to-find-solve/11695/2 "2021-03-05T19:48:33Z")

</div>

Hello, can you please tell us some more info? Have you made the model in Shapr3D? What file format you sent the model to 3dhubs? If you could contact them and ask for a detailed description of the file issue, that would be really helpful 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elrevez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@elrevez](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/elrevez)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 3:30am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/printing-error-intersecting-faces-how-to-find-solve/11695/3 "2021-03-06T03:30:13Z")

</div>

Thanks for the response KPeter\_Shapr3D.

Yes, the model was created in Shapr3D and output to STL for printing.

I suspect the error came from making a Union of two complex shapes but the internal geometry wasn’t completely solved and it was impossible for me to see where the problem was.

In the end I had to manually slice up the part and recombine it differently.

But I’d like to know if there is a way to identify intersecting faces in general in Shapr3D and, if not, will this feature be added later?

Thanks for your attention.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KPeter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/kpeter/32/7644_2.png) [@KPeter](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/KPeter)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 8:04am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/printing-error-intersecting-faces-how-to-find-solve/11695/4 "2021-03-07T08:04:32Z")

</div>

I am afraid that the error appeared when the CAD model was converted to a mesh model for STL export. If the union had an issue, there would be no Done button to finish the Union.  
Please try the custom export settings and set the deviations for 0.01. That will end up in a very detailed mesh model, or you can repair the already exported mesh file in Meshmixer or Netfabb.

In Shapr3D we are focusing on the CAD modeling features and workflow, analyzing mesh files is a different story. Technically STL is the standard file format used in 3d printing since the '80s, but the industry struggles with that file format because the CAD-mesh conversion can be the cause of dozens of possible issues.
