# meshlib

## Overview

```
{eval-rst}
.. sectionauthor:: Tobias Meisel (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ)
```

`meshlib` is a versatile Python library designed for efficient mesh generation from surfaces. It offers a rich set of features that include supporting various meshing algorithms(e.g. prism, tetraeder, voxel in 3D), which can be customized through a range of parameters to suit specific requirements. `meshlib` enables the creation of meshes tailored for studies involving convergence or scalability, providing researchers and engineers with valuable insights into their simulations.

A unique aspect of `meshlib` is its seamless integration with both pyvista and ogs command line tools, allowing users to visualize and analyze generated meshes effortlessly. These meshes are suitable for finite element method (FEM) calculations using OpenGeoSys (OGS).

## Shapefile meshing

One feature of the `meshlib` is to create 2D triangular meshes within an area that is defined by a shapefile.
`shp2msh` is the corresponding commandline tool that summarizes meshing functionalities to create a mesh from a shapefile.

### Features

- Create a mesh from a shapefile
- Choose between `triangle` and `gmsh` for meshing
- Simplify the shapefile before meshing

### Command line usage

```{argparse}
---
module: ogstools.meshlib.shp2msh_cli
func: parser
prog: shp2msh
---
```

## Getting started

Following examples demonstrate the usage of the meshlib:

- [](../auto_examples/howto_preprocessing/plot_meshlib_pyvista_input.rst)
- [](../auto_examples/howto_preprocessing/plot_meshlib_vtu_input.rst)
- [](../auto_examples/howto_preprocessing/plot_shapefile_meshing.rst)

You can access the comprehensive API documentation at: [](../reference/ogstools.meshlib).