macOS — Installation

SurfEx is not distributed through the Mac App Store, so macOS will show a security warning on first launch. Follow these steps:

1
Open the DMG file
Double-click the downloaded .dmg file and drag SurfEx to your Applications folder.
2
Right-click to open
In Finder, right-click (or Control-click) on SurfEx and choose Open. Do not double-click — macOS will block it.
3
Confirm in the dialog
A dialog will appear saying the app is from an unidentified developer. Click Open to proceed. You only need to do this once.
⚠️ If the dialog only shows Cancel and no Open button, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway next to the SurfEx entry.

Alternative: terminal command

If the steps above don't work, remove the quarantine flag manually: 

xattr -cr /Applications/SurfEx.app

After running this command, launch SurfEx normally by double-clicking.

Windows — Installation

Windows SmartScreen may show a warning when you run the installer. This is expected for apps distributed outside the Microsoft Store.

1
Run the installer
Double-click the downloaded .msi file.
2
Click "More info"
If SmartScreen appears saying "Windows protected your PC", click More info in the dialog.
3
Click "Run anyway"
The Run anyway button will appear. Click it to proceed with the installation.
ℹ️ This warning appears because SurfEx does not have a paid Microsoft code signing certificate. The app itself is safe.

Linux — Installation

.AppImage

Make the file executable and run it:

chmod +x SurfEx_*.AppImage
./SurfEx_*.AppImage

.deb (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo dpkg -i surfex_*.deb

Quick start

1
Load a model
Click Open STL or drag and drop an STL file onto the viewport.
2
Select surfaces
Use the brush tool to select which faces will receive the texture. You must select at least one surface before export.
3
Choose a texture and set depth
Pick a built-in pattern or load your own image. Set the amplitude — this is the peak-to-valley depth in millimetres.
4
Export
Click Export STL. The file is saved to the location you choose. Open it in your slicer.

Parameters

Projection mode

Triplanar
Cubic
Cylindrical
Spherical
Planar XY / XZ / YZ

Scale U / Scale V

Offset U / Offset V

Rotation

Max edge length

Amplitude

Symmetric

Bottom angle limit

Top angle limit

Boundary margin

Mask mode

Off
Apply here
Skip here
Erase

Mask tool

Brush
Bucket

Bucket angle

Export settings

Max edge length

Controls how finely the mesh is subdivided before the texture is applied. Smaller values give more detail but produce larger files. A value of 0.5 mm is a good starting point. Go below 0.2 mm only if your model is small and your slicer can handle it.

Amplitude

The depth of the texture in millimetres, measured from peak to valley. A value of 0.5 mm is visible and printable on most FDM printers. Very small values (below 0.2 mm) may not print cleanly depending on layer height.

Symmetric mode

When enabled, the texture is mirrored across the centre of the UV map. Useful for objects that should look the same from both sides.