Here you can download 3D models of the Enneper surface, including Enneper surfaces of higher dihedral symmetry (of higher order).

The Enneper surface looks very similar to a saddle, i.e., it is formed by bending a disk into a saddle surface (as shown in the image positioned in the top left, whereas the other two images show Enneper surfaces of higher order (3-fold symmetry (order 2) and  4-fold symmetry (order 3)), obtained through symmetrization of the Enneper surface).

 

Enneper 3d surface
3D CAD software used for modeling

K3DSurf (MathMod software)

Available NURBS and BREP file formats

Surface 3D models: .igs (Standardized 3D graphic exchange file format) and .3dm (Rhinoceros software native file format)

Available polygonal mesh file formats

.obj and .blend

Mesh - Quads and triangles in center; Mesh topology supports multiple subdivisions; 3D model without texture and materials

 

If you ask mathematicians, the Enneper surface is ‘a self-intersecting minimal surface’, and if you ask laymen, it represents ‘one of the visually most beautiful mathematical surfaces’. This family of surfaces includes several more ‘members’, and all of them are extremely interesting in visual terms. Enneper surfaces are mainly used (besides mathematics) for modeling visually interesting and creative 3D shapes in computer 3D graphics, architecture and art.

 

Submitted by Ceh Jan