> ## 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.

# How to use Minimum Height Orientation

## Objective:

Learn how to use the **Minimum Height Orientation** block to determine an optimal orientation to minimize print duration. This block generates a transformation that minimizes the Z-Height of your object in preparation for manufacturing. If you would like a deeper look into the workflow or would like to follow along through the steps below, you can find the nTop file here: [How to use Minimum Height Orientation.](https://files.learn.ntop.com/Support%20Article%20Example%20Files/Knowledge%20Base/Additive%20Manufacturing%20Preparation/Minimum_Height_Orientation.ntop)

![The Minimum Height Orientation block.](https://files.learn.ntop.com/help-articles/additive-manufacturing-prepartion/1500007817581.png)

## Applies to:

* Additive Manufacturing

## Procedure:

**1. Select the body to orient**

Two parts are imported below, a gear (red) and a connecting arm (blue).

<Tip>
  **Tip:** The **Minimum Height Orientation** block only works with Implicit Bodies. If you want to orient a CAD Body, Mesh, etc., make sure to convert it to an Implicit Body first.
</Tip>

![Two CAD Parts that have been imported into nTop. They have both been converted to implicit bodies. ](https://files.learn.ntop.com/help-articles/additive-manufacturing-prepartion/1500007818101.png)

**2. Use the Minimum Height Orientation block**

Convert the Body input in the **Minimum Height Orientation** block into a variable. This allows us to interchange the part we want to orient quickly and makes it easier to use that variable in the last step of the workflow.

![Converting the Body input of the Minimum Height Orientation block into a variable.](https://files.learn.ntop.com/help-articles/additive-manufacturing-prepartion/1500007818281.png)

**3. Generate/display the oriented part**

The output of the **Minimum Height Orientation** block is a transformation. The last step is to use the **Transform Object** block to generate the oriented object. Simply drag and drop the Body to Orient variable we created and the **Minimum Height Orientation** block into the Object and Transform inputs below (indicated by the solid red and blue lines, respectively).

![Insert the Body to Orient variable into the object input of the Transform Object block. Insert the Min Body Oriented variable into the Transform input of the Transform Object block.](https://files.learn.ntop.com/help-articles/additive-manufacturing-prepartion/1500007652022.png)

**Visualizing the Transformation:**

Below is a GIF to help visualize what is happening and the interchangeability of this workflow. The transformed objects are green.

![A gif showing how the orientation of each body changes when inserted into the Body to Orient block. The Transform Object block is visualized.](https://files.learn.ntop.com/help-articles/additive-manufacturing-prepartion/1500007821321.png)

And that's it! You've successfully created a minimum height orientation for further processing.

Are you still having issues? Contact the [support team](https://support.ntopology.com/hc/en-us/requests/new), and we'll be happy to help!

## Download the Example file:

* [Example File](https://files.learn.ntop.com/Support%20Article%20Example%20Files/Knowledge%20Base/Additive%20Manufacturing%20Preparation/Minimum_Height_Orientation.ntop)

## Keywords:

*additive manufacturing height printing minimum orientation 3d orient z*