# How to extract points(edges) from a 3D surface model?
**URL:** https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524
**Category:** ParaView Support
**Created:** [October 15, 2022, 7:43am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524 "2022-10-15T07:43:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Chm](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Chm)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2022, 7:43am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/1 "2022-10-15T07:43:24Z")
Dear all,
I have hollow 3D objects and i need to to extract all the points(edges) from their surfuces in order to calculate the mean distance.
How can i extract all these points ?
Thanks a lot,
Chris
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2022, 12:49am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/2 "2022-10-17T00:49:08Z")
Hi @Chm
I’m not sure what you mean by “mean distance” but extracting points is very easy. With ParaView 5.11, you can use “ConvertToPointCloud” filter
Best,
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### Author:  [@Chm](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Chm)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2022, 7:23am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/3 "2022-10-17T07:23:03Z")
Thanks a lot Mathieu,
and after that we select the option " Select Points Through", correct ?
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2022, 7:25am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/4 "2022-10-17T07:25:21Z")
You can use SelectPointsThrough directly if you want to use this feature, no need for the filter.
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### Author:  [@Chm](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Chm)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2022, 7:40am UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/5 "2022-10-17T07:40:22Z")
thanks a lot
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### Author:  [@Chm](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Chm)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/6 "2023-11-22T12:51:13Z")
Dear Team,
Is there any difference between Extract Edges filter and ConvertToPointCloud filter ?
Thanks again
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2023, 12:54pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/7 "2023-11-22T12:54:10Z")
These filters have nothing in common
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### Author:  [@Chm](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Chm)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2023, 1:12pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/8 "2023-11-22T13:12:04Z")
and what is the use for each filter ?
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### Author:  [@mwestphal](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/mwestphal)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/9 "2023-11-22T13:16:44Z")
> The Extract Edges filter produces a wireframe version of the input dataset by extracting all the edges of the dataset’s cells as lines. This filter operates on any type of data set and produces polygonal output.
> The ConvertToPointCloud convert any dataset to a vtkPolyData containing the points and point data of the input and generate either no cells, a single polyvertex cell or many vertex cells. It is more efficient with pointset input.
Found in Help → Reader, Filters and Writer reference.
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### Author:  [@Chm](https://discourse.paraview.org/u/Chm)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2023, 1:26pm UTC](https://discourse.paraview.org/t/how-to-extract-points-edges-from-a-3d-surface-model/10524/10 "2023-11-22T13:26:41Z")
Thanks Mathieu for the detailed description