Received: 21 August 2020 Revised: 20 September 2020 Accepted: 21 September 2020

DOI: 10.1002/mdp2.205

SPECIAL ISSUE ARTICLE

MSLattice: A free software for generating uniform and

graded lattices based on triply periodic minimal surfaces

Oraib Al-Ketan1 | Rashid K. Abu Al-Rub2,3,4

1
Core Technology Platform, New York
University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Abstract
2
Digital and Additive Manufacturing Nature-inspired materials based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS)
Center, Khalifa University of Science and are very attractive in many engineering disciplines because of their topology-
Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE
driven properties. However, their adoption across different research and engi-
3
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Khalifa University of Science and
neering fields is limited by the complexity of their design process. In this work,
Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE we present MSLattice, a software that allows users to design uniform, and
4
Aerosapce Engineering Department, functionally grade lattices and surfaces based on TPMS using two approaches,
Khalifa University of Science and
namely, the sheet networks and solid networks. The software allows users to
Technology, Abu Dhabi, UAE
control the type of TPMS topology, relative density, cell size, relative density
Correspondence grading, cell size grading, and hybridization between lattices. These features
Oraib Al-Ketan, Core Technology
make MSLattice a complete design platform for users in different engineering
Platform, New York University Abu
Dhabi, P.O. Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, UAE. disciplines, especially in applications that employ additive manufacturing
Email: oraib.alketan@nyu.edu, (3D printing) and computational modeling. We demonstrate the capability of
oraib.alketan@gmail.com
the software using several examples.

KEYWORDS
additive manufacturing, architected materials, cellular materials, GUI, MSLattice, triply periodic
minimal surfaces

1 | INTRODUCTION

In nature, many biological systems such as bone, wood, and marine sponge have a microstructure that consists of inter-
penetrating solid and void phases and exhibit a desirable combination of strength and lightweight necessary for sup-
port, mobility, and protection.1–3 Such materials influenced and promoted the emergence of the cellular materials field
of study, which is concerned with synthesizing lightweight, energy absorbing, multifunctional, and strong materials,
composites, and structures. Such materials are obtained by deliberately introducing voids in the bulk of solid material
and can be classified based on their structure into stochastic (foams) or periodic (lattices) unit cells. Also, based on the
unit cell's topology, cellular material can be classified into open-cell and closed-cell foams/lattices.4 The mechanical
and physical properties of cellular materials depend on their topology. This structure–property relationship suggests
that the mechanical and physical properties of cellular materials depend not only on the chemical composition of base
materials but also on the geometric features of the unit cell or cells making the cellular material.
In recent years, advances in additive manufacturing (3D printing) facilitated the fabrication of cellular materials
and reduced the limitations in fabrication associated with structural complexity. Synchronously, different design tools
evolve to facilitate the design of complex structures and allow users to realize complex functional designs much easier.
One design approach that attracted lots of interest is based on the mathematical representation of the cellular materials,
in particular, the design of lattices based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMSs). Because of their fascinating
topologies and related geometrical features such as smooth shells, large surface area to volume ratio, and

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https://doi.org/10.1002/mdp2.205
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interpenetrating void networks, TPMS-based lattices have been proposed in recent years for a wide range of engineering
applications such as scaffolds for tissue engineering and body implants,5–9 interpenetrating phase composites with tun-
able mechanical properties,10–19 functionally graded structural lattices,20 thermal management devices such as heat
sinks21 and heat exchangers,22 soft robotics,19 catalytic substrates,23 feed spacers,24–27 moving bed biofilm reactors for
wastewater treatment,28 static mixers for chemical processes,29 and lightweight structures for mechanical
components.20,30–40 TPMS can be represented using level-set approximation equations, which are a set of trigonometric
functions that describe an iso-surface evaluated at an iso-value. Although several studies presented the mathematical
models and examples of the generated lattices, the actual implementation is often not presented. The complexity of
implementing the mathematical representation of the surfaces to create 3D models is a limitation that hinders a wider
adaption of TPMS in deferent fields.
In this work, we recall the mathematical representation of TPMS-based materials and introduce a design tool that
allows scientists, researchers, and engineers to generate uniform and functionally graded 3D printable models and sur-
face meshes of TPMS-based lattices using two approaches, namely, the sheet networks and solid networks. This design
package called MSLattice is freely available for the scientific and engineering community. The tool allows precise con-
trol of the type of TPMS topology, relative density (i.e., the ratio of lattice's density with respect to the density of the
constituent material or, equivalently, the solid volume fraction), cell size, relative density grading, cell size grading, and
hybridization between two different lattices. Furthermore, the software includes flexibility in allowing the user to
design his own TPMS lattice based on level-set approximations.

2 | METHOD OLOG Y

When a surface is characterized by having a mean curvature of zero at any point, it is referred to as a minimal surface.41
Also, when this surface is infinite and periodic in 3D, it is referred to as a TPMS. Several mathematical approaches were
presented to describe the nodal coordinates that designate a minimal surface.42–44 However, the simplest and most used
method is the level-set approximation approach.

2.1 | Minimal surfaces

Level-set equations are a set of trigonometric functions that combinedly satisfies the equality ϕ(x,y,z) = c. Here, the
function ϕ(x,y,z) is an iso-surface evaluated at an iso-value c. Examples of level-set equations that are most used in liter-
ature are provided below where corresponding surfaces are shown in Figure 1A.

Schoen-Gyroid sin X cos Y + sin Y cos Z + sin Z cos X = c ð1Þ

Schwarz-Diamond cos X cos Y cos Z −sin X sin Y sin Z = c ð2Þ

FIGURE 1 A, Unit cell examples of triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS); B, strategies to create lattices from a minimal surface
AL-KETAN AND ABU AL-RUB 3 of 10

Schwarz Primitive cos X + cos Y + cos Z = c ð3Þ

Schoen −IWP 2ðcos X cos Y + cos Y cos Z + cos Z cos X Þ

ð4Þ
− ðcos 2X + cos 2Y + cos 2Z Þ = c

Neovius 3ðcos X + cos Y + cos Z Þ + 4ðcos X cos Y cos Z Þ = c ð5Þ

Fischer Koch S cos 2X sin Y cos Z + cos X cos 2Y sin Z

ð6Þ
+ sin X cos Y cos 2Z = c

Schoen-FRD 4ðcos X cos Y cos Z Þ −

ð7Þ
ðcos 2 X cos 2Y + cos 2Y cos 2Z + cos 2Z cos 2X Þ = c

PMY ! 2 cos X cos Y cos Z + sin 2X sin Y + sin X sin 2Z + sin 2Y sin Z = c ð8Þ

In these equations, X = 2απx, Y = 2βπy, Z = 2πγz, α, β, and γ are constants related to the unit cell size in the x, y,
and z directions, respectively.
When the level-set equation is evaluated at a c = 0, the iso-surfaces split the space into subdomains of equal vol-
umes. These subdomains can be controlled through the iso-value constant such that the volumes can be expanded or
contracted by offsetting from the zero value in the normal direction or the opposite direction.

2.2 | Uniform relative density

Creating a TPMS lattice material based on these zero-thickness surfaces is possible following two approaches. First is by
considering one of the volumes divided by the minimal surface as the solid domain and the other as the void domain.
This is done by considering the volume bounded by the minimal surface such that ϕ(x, y, z) > c or ϕ(x, y, z) < c to create
a solid-network lattice. Second is by offsetting the minimal surface along its normal direction and against the normal
direction to create a double surface by solving −c ≤ ϕ(x, y, z) ≤ c. The spatial nodes bounded by these two double
surfaces construct the solid domain that represents a thickened shell/sheet-based lattice derived from the minimal
surface. We refer to this lattice as a sheet-network lattice (see Figure 1B).

2.3 | Functional grading of TPMS-based metamaterials

2.3.1 | Relative density grading

Relative density refers to the density of the resulting lattice divided by the density of the base material it is made
of. Relative density is also equivalent to solid volume fraction that represents the solid volume of the lattice with respect
to the volume of the space it occupies. The relative density of sheet- and solid-network lattices derived from TPMS can
be graded by varying the value of the level-set constant c spatially in the Cartesian space depending on a certain func-
tion or tabulated data such that45

Solid-Networks ϕ > cðx, y, zÞor ϕ < cðx,y,zÞ ð9Þ

Sheet-networks −cðx, y, zÞ < ϕ < + cðx,y,zÞ ð10Þ

For example, a linear grading is obtained by describing the iso-value as a linear function along one of the Cartesian
coordinates such that c = Ax + B where A and B are constants. Similarly, any function can be used to control the rela-
tive density variation of the lattice structure (Figure 2A).
4 of 10 AL-KETAN AND ABU AL-RUB

F I G U R E 2 Examples of functionally
graded and hybrid TPMS lattices

2.3.2 | Unit cell size grading

The ability to mathematically control the topology of the lattice allows not only to perform spatial grading of the rela-
tive density but also to change the cell size in a certain direction. This permits varying the surface area and pore size at
a constant relative density. The mathematical procedure to achieve cell size grading is detailed by Liu et al.46 and
described in detail in the Supporting Information (see Figure 2B).

2.3.3 | Cell type grading (multimorphology)

A multimorphology TPMS lattice can be obtained by transitioning between two or more minimal surfaces.36,47,48
For this purpose, a weighing function can be used to assign different TPMS topologies to different spaces in the
hybrid lattice. Mathematically, the simple case of a hybrid lattice composed of two cell types can be described
as follows:

ϕMulti − morphology = γϕSurface1 + ð1 − γ ÞϕSurface2 ð11Þ

where ϕMulti − morphology is the multimorphology lattice made of ϕSurface1 and ϕSurface2 and γ is a spatial weighting
function with a value between 0 and 1. γ can be described for example by a sigmoid function such that47
AL-KETAN AND ABU AL-RUB 5 of 10

1
γ ðx, y, zÞ = ð12Þ
1 + ekGðx,y,zÞ

where G(x, y, z) is the spatial coordinate set that describes the shape of transition between the different regions and
k defines the width of that transition. The function G(x, y, z) can be any function in x, y, and z. For example, if the func-
tion G(x, y, z) = x, then the transition is simply taking place along the x axis (Figure 2C). If the function G(x, y, z) = x2
+ y2 − t2, where t is a constant, then it defines a circular transition (Figure 2D). Note that if γ is constant such that
0 < γ < 1, then a new hybrid lattice is obtained without grading.
In a more general approach for hybridization of cell types, the design space can be split into subdomains using con-
trol points such that different TPMS structures can be assigned to different subdomains. Mathematically, the level-set
equation can then be described in the form of a weighted sum of the different subdomains:

X
n
ϕMulti-Morphology ðx Þ = wi ðx Þϕi ðx Þ ð13Þ
i=1

where the weight functions wi(x) are defined by49

 
1 + expðk ∥x −x i ∥2
w i ðx Þ = n   ð14Þ
P
1 + expðk ∥x −x j ∥2
j=1

where points xi lay in the ith subdomain, the ith substructure ϕi is assigned to the ith subdomain, n is the number
of control points, and x denotes the 3D spatial coordinates (x, y, z). Figure 2E shows an example of a three-lattice hybrid
structure obtained using Equations 13 and 14 (see also section 3 in the Supporting Information).

3 | MSLATTICE DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION

The mathematical equations presented in Section 2 have been implemented in Matlab and compiled into a
simple-to-use graphical user interface (GUI). We refer to this GUI as MSLattice. MSLattice is a software package written
and compiled into a standalone executable package. It runs on Matlab runtime library. The standalone package does
not require Matlab to be installed. If the runtime library is not available on the user's computer, it will be downloaded
during the installation of the MSLattice software. The installation wizards for Windows and Linux are provided in the
Supporting Information and in the permanent GitHub repository https://github.com/MSLattice. The GUI consists of
four main tabs (see Figure 3), namely, (1) Uniform TPMS lattices, (2) Functional TPMS grading, (3) Implicit functions,
and (4) A simple STL viewer. The Functional TPMS grading tab contains two subtabs, namely, (a) Relative density grad-
ing tab and (b) Cell size grading tab. The Help menu provides a detailed description and documentation of each Tab.
The Uniform TPMS lattices tab allows the user to plot and export a number of uniform lattices and surfaces by input-
ting the needed parameters such as cell type (solid networks or sheet networks), cell topology, relative density, cell size,
sample dimensions, and mesh density per unit cell (see Figure 3). The mesh density per unit cell means that the user spec-
ifies the grid points for a single unit cell and the software will recalculate the grid points for the full structure. As such, the
user will not need to guess the optimal grid points. The user can also choose to generate cuboid, cylindrical, or spherical
samples. Upon clicking on plot, the new lattice will be displayed on the plot on the right-hand side of the interface and will
activate the Save button. STL files can then be exported for the purpose of 3D printing or numerical simulations.
The Relative density grading Tap under Functional TPMS grading Tab allows the user to generate lattices with line-
arly graded lattices such that the relative density changes along the z direction. Apart from the above-mentioned
parameters in Uniform TPMS grading, the user also specifies the start and end relative density in order to control the
grading (see Figure S3).
The Cell size grading Tap under Functional TPMS grading allows the user to linearly vary the cell size of the sample
in the z direction. Here, the user will specify the cell type, cell geometry, relative density, sample length and height,
6 of 10 AL-KETAN AND ABU AL-RUB

FIGURE 3 MSLattice GUI showing the different tabs and the interface of the Uniform TPMS lattices

initial and final required cell sizes, and finally, the mesh density. Similar to the previous tabs, once the lattice is plotted,
the Save button will be activated and the user can export the STL file (see Figure S4).
Implicit functions tab can be viewed as the user's gate to generate user-defined level-set functions. In this tab, the
user can define the function, the iso-value, the number of cells in the x, y, and z directions and the lattice type
(i.e., solid networks or sheet networks). The software will generate the plot and return the relative density of the plotted
structure. For example, other level-set equations that are not part of the built-in TPMS structures can be plotted and
exported. An example is presented in Figure 4A (see also Figure S5 for numerical values). This tab can also be used to
generate functionally graded lattices by controlling the relative density through controlling the iso-value. The user can
define the grading function, and it does not necessarily be a linear function. For example, a sample graded in the x and
y directions using exponential grading is shown in Figure 4B (see also Figure S5 for numerical values). Also, the user
can do hybridization of different lattices such as the hybridization between Gyroid, Diamond, and Primitive lattices as
shown in Figure 2E. The detailed mathematical implementation for this three-lattice hybrid structure is detailed in
section 3 of the Supporting Information for readers to examine. It worth mentioning that the Implicit function tab is
not limited to TPMS structures as it can be used to plot any implicit function that defines a surface of certain topology.
For example, plotting the arbitrary function x × y × z = c with sheet-network category yields the nonperiodic structure
shown in Figure 4C. This structure resembles a plate-like simple cubic lattice.50

4 | 3D PRINTING AND COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS

TPMS-based lattices are self-supporting structures that do not require any support materials or structures during 3D
printing. STL files generated using MSLattice can be uploaded to any 3D printing system and fabricated directly. Exam-
ples of metallic 3D printed samples generated using this software are presented in Figure 5. These samples have been
AL-KETAN AND ABU AL-RUB 7 of 10

F I G U R E 4 Examples of
structures that can be generated
using the implicit functions tab

FIGURE 5 Examples of 3D printed metallic TPMS-based lattices generated using MSLattice

printed using the EOS M280 powder bed fusion system available at the core technology platform at the New York
University in Abu Dhabi such that 316L powder and the standard EOS parameters have been used.
For the purpose of numerical simulations, the user can convert the STL file to a CAD file using the freely available
software FreeCAD (https://www.freecadweb.org/). In the Supporting Information, we detail the steps of converting an
STL file into a STEP file that can be used in computational modeling using, for example, finite element method or com-
putational fluid dynamics packages.

5 | IMPACT OVE R VI E W

By making MSLattice freely available for the research and engineering community, it is expected to have a wider adap-
tion of TPMS-based materials in different fields of engineering. Other software packages that can generate TPMS-based
materials have been made available.51,52 However, these packages are very limited in their functionalities and often
require the use of third-party software to thicken the generated surfaces of zero thickness. They are also limited in their
ability to create solid-network-type structures. The ability to do functional grading is also limited even with the use of a
third-party software for thickening. On the other hand, other commercially available tools can be very expensive.
MSLattice is a much-advanced software with the capability of generating surface meshes, uniform lattices, and graded
lattices. Also, through its implicit function window, the software allows the user to generate any TPMS-based lattice
provided that the level-set approximation equation is available. In addition, multimorphology lattices can be obtained
through the implicit function window. For this reason, the authors have provided examples in the help menu of the
implicit functions tab to support the user.
8 of 10 AL-KETAN AND ABU AL-RUB

6 | LIMITATIONS

Currently, the software is limited to not being able to lattice an arbitrary CAD shape for the purpose of light-weighting.
This is currently achieved by importing the generated unit cell to a third part package such as Magics (Materialise,
Belgium) to lattice the structure. Moreover, the software is limited in its ability to grade a structure based on a grayscale
image resulting from topology-optimization. In the future, the authors are planning to incorporate such functionalities
into this software.

7 | C ONCLUS I ONS A ND FUTUR E WOR K

In this short paper, we present MSLattice, a standalone software written in Matlab for the generation of 3D printable lat-
tices based on TPMS structures. The software allows the user to generate uniform and functionally graded lattices with
sheet- or solid-network configurations for a wide range of TPMS topologies. The software also allows the user to export
the STL file for the purpose of 3D printing and numerical simulations. In the future, the authors aim to expand this
package to allow for lattice-based topology-optimization, as well as the ability to lattice any arbitrary CAD geometry.

A C K N O WL E D G E M E N T
The first author would like to acknowledge the help of Juan Esteban Villegas Delgado in certain aspects of coding. The
metal 3D printing was performed done using the system available in the Core Technology Platforms at New York Uni-
versity Abu Dhabi.

ORCID
Oraib Al-Ketan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2736-3779

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S UP PO RT ING IN FOR MAT ION

Additional supporting information may be found online in the Supporting Information section at the end of this article.

How to cite this article: Al-Ketan O, Abu Al-Rub RK. MSLattice: A free software for generating uniform and
graded lattices based on triply periodic minimal surfaces. Mat Design Process Comm. 2020;e205. https://doi.org/
10.1002/mdp2.205