---
title: Offset
slug: software/offset
description: The Offset feature in Carbon Design Engine allows you to offset the surface of a boundary mesh at a specified distance, providing control over the placement of generated lattice struts relative to the boundary mesh surface.
docTags: 
createdAt: 2024-06-06T00:05:50.163Z
---

The Offset feature allows you to **offset the surface of a boundary mesh directly in the software** at a specified distance.

# Strut Placement Relative to Boundary Mesh

Offset gives you control over the placement of generated struts relative to the boundary mesh surface. The following examples show a few options of how the offset feature can be used.

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### Standard Strut Placement
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### Struts within Boundary
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![Half of strut falls outside of boundary mesh surface, half within](https://res.cloudinary.com/carbon3d/image/upload/t_auto_quality_format/Education/Software/Design-Engine/Tools-Features/Offset/Design_Space_offset_green.png "Half of strut falls outside of boundary mesh surface, half within")
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![Negative offset distance 1/2 strut diameter](https://res.cloudinary.com/carbon3d/image/upload/t_auto_quality_format/Education/Software/Design-Engine/Tools-Features/Offset/neg_inset_strut_diameter.png "Negative offset distance 1/2 strut diameter")
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### Surface Struts Outside Boundary
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### Extruded Struts Flush with Boundary
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![Positive offset distance 1/2 strut diameter](https://res.cloudinary.com/carbon3d/image/upload/t_auto_quality_format/Education/Software/Design-Engine/Tools-Features/Offset/pos_offset_strut_diameter.png "Positive offset distance 1/2 strut diameter")
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![Using trim with extrude, extrude distance matches negative inset distance](https://res.cloudinary.com/carbon3d/image/upload/t_auto_quality_format/Education/Software/Design-Engine/Tools-Features/Offset/neg_inset_extrude_dist.png "Using trim with extrude, extrude distance matches negative inset distance")
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# Offset Workflow

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Video Text

1. Click Offset
2. Enter offset parameters
   • Select the mesh to offset (usually the imported .stl)
   • Enter the offset distance - use a negative number to inset
3. Generate the offset mesh
   • The offset can be viewed in a clip plane view
4. Move the offset operation to the top
5. Adjust the strut lattice
   • Use the new offset mesh as the boundary mesh
6. Generate the adjusted lattice
7. Adjust mesh visibility and zoom in to see the lattice generated around the new offset mesh
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