> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ntop.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# TPMS Unit Cell with Offset

## About this Block

**What it does:** Allows you to select a unit cell from a library of TPMS Unit Cells. This block is a 1 Parameter Unit Cell, requiring only one parameter to define it. The parameter is the Mid-surface offset of the TPMS as either a positive or negative distance.

**Common uses:**

* Used with a Cell Map to create a **Periodic Lattice**.

**Tips:**

* The Mid-surface offset wall shifts inward for negative values and outward for positive values.
* The orientation changes the layout of the Unit Cell, which can affect the structure based on its usage.
* A Unit Cell Preview window appears when the block is visible. It allows you to preview the Mid-surface offset and toggle the Bounding Box and the UVW guides on or off.

![Unit Cell](https://storage.googleapis.com/files-learn/static/ExtendedBlockDocs/tpmsbias.png)

***

Single Parameter triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) Unit Cell. Minimal surfaces are defined as surfaces that have the minimum possible surface area stretched across a particular contour. TPMS are crystalline minimal surfaces, meaning they are periodic in 3 dimensions.
Parameter 1: Mid-surface Offset - Offset of the TPMS as a positive or negative approximate distance. This will shift the mid-surface wall inward or outward.

### Inputs

| Name        | Type             | Description                                                 |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Unit cell   | TPMS Enum        | The selected Unit Cell for the Lattice generation workflow. |
| Orientation | Permutation Enum | Unit Cell Orientaion (UVW).                                 |

### Outputs

| Type                                                                                 |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| [1 Parameter Unit Cell](../../../../block-documentation/types/1-parameter-unit-cell) |