Wireframe

Wireframe is a display mode that shows a three-dimensional model only through the lines joining its edges and vertices, with no filled surfaces. The model looks like a skeleton made of wire, and lines behind the front faces usually stay visible. It is one of the basic view modes in almost every modeling program.

Wireframe in modeling

A wireframe view shows how a model is built. How many polygons make up a surface, where geometry is needlessly dense and which edges are missing all become obvious. Switching to wireframe also lightens the load on the graphics card when a scene gets heavy. In architectural models, a clean and orderly wireframe usually means trouble-free rendering and easy editing later on.

Wireframe in presentations

Wireframe is not only a technical tool. Architectural animations often show a building appearing first as a wireframe, then turning into a clay model and finally into real materials, which is a striking way to tell the story of a design. In technical presentations and portfolios, a render and its wireframe are placed side by side to show the work behind the image. Line weight and background color make a big difference here; a very dense mesh can collapse into a grey smudge. For good modeling habits, see our 3D modeling tips and tricks.