--- /dev/null
+
+.. _importing_exporting_meshes_page:
+
+******************************
+Importing and exporting meshes
+******************************
+
+In MESH there is a functionality allowing import/export of meshes in the following formats:
+
+* **MED**,
+* **UNV** (I-DEAS 10),
+* **STL**,
+* **CGNS**,
+* **GMF** (internal format of DISTENE products from the MeshGems suite),
+* **DAT** (simple ascii format).
+
+You can also export a group as a whole mesh.
+
+*To import a mesh:*
+
+#. From the **File** menu choose the **Import** item, from its sub-menu select the corresponding format (MED, UNV, STL, GMF and CGNS) of the file containing your mesh.
+#. In the standard **Search File** dialog box find the file for import. It is possible to select multiple files to be imported all at once.
+#. Click the **OK** button.
+
+.. image:: ../images/meshimportmesh.png
+ :align: center
+
+*To export a mesh or a group:*
+
+#. Select the object you wish to export.
+#. From the **File** menu choose the **Export** item, from its sub-menu select the format (MED, UNV, DAT, STL, GMF and CGNS) of the file which will contain your exported mesh.
+#. In the standard **Search File** select a location for the exported file and enter its name.
+#. Click the **OK** button.
+
+.. image:: ../images/meshexportmesh.png
+ :align: center
+
+If you try to export a group, the warning will be shown:
+
+.. image:: ../images/meshexportgroupwarning.png
+ :align: center
+
+* **Don't show this warning anymore** check-box allows to switch off the warning. You can re-activate the warning in :ref:`Preferences <group_export_warning_pref>`.
+
+Only MED format supports all types of elements that can be created in the module. If you export a mesh or group that includes elements of types that are not supported by chosen format, you will be warned about that.
+
+There are additional parameters available at export to MED format files.
+
+.. _export_auto_groups:
+
+* **Z tolerance** field if enabled specifies distance of nodes from the XOY plane below which the nodes snap to this plane. A default value can be set in :ref:`Preferences <medexport_z_tolerance_pref>`.
+* **Automatically create groups** check-box specifies whether to create groups of all mesh entities of available dimensions or not. The created groups have names like "Group_On_All_Nodes", "Group_On_All_Faces", etc. A default state of this check-box can be set in :ref:`Preferences <export_auto_groups_pref>`.
+* **Automatically define space dimension** check-box specifies whether to define space dimension for export by mesh configuration or not. Usually the mesh is exported as a mesh in 3D space, just as it is in Mesh module. The mesh can be exported as a mesh of a lower dimension in the following cases, provided that this check-box is checked:
+
+ * **1D**: if all mesh nodes lie on OX coordinate axis.
+ * **2D**: if all mesh nodes lie in XOY coordinate plane.
+
+* :ref:`Save cell/node numbers to MED file <med_export_numbers_pref>` preference controls whether node and cell numbers are saved.
+
+**See Also** a sample TUI Script of an :ref:`Export Mesh <tui_export_mesh>` operation.
+
+