# Using gmsh to draw mesh and import it into FreeFem results in an error

**URL:** <https://community.freefem.org/t/using-gmsh-to-draw-mesh-and-import-it-into-freefem-results-in-an-error/3539>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [October 9, 2024, 6:00am UTC](https://community.freefem.org/t/using-gmsh-to-draw-mesh-and-import-it-into-freefem-results-in-an-error/3539 "2024-10-09T06:00:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![yongheng](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f04885/32.png) [@yongheng](https://community.freefem.org/u/yongheng)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 6:00am UTC](https://community.freefem.org/t/using-gmsh-to-draw-mesh-and-import-it-into-freefem-results-in-an-error/3539/1 "2024-10-09T06:00:35Z")

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Hello, I am a newcomer to using FreeFem. I would like to know why when I export my 3D mesh, which I drew in Gmsh, in the （.msh） format, and I choose ASCII 2 with the other two options unchecked, the result in FreeFem only shows the surfaces that I defined with physical groups? Why is that? Thank you very much for your answer.

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**Author:** ![localhost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@localhost](https://community.freefem.org/u/localhost)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 8:20am UTC](https://community.freefem.org/t/using-gmsh-to-draw-mesh-and-import-it-into-freefem-results-in-an-error/3539/2 "2024-10-09T08:20:10Z")

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you can try .mesh format

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**Author:** ![yongheng](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f04885/32.png) [@yongheng](https://community.freefem.org/u/yongheng)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 8:29am UTC](https://community.freefem.org/t/using-gmsh-to-draw-mesh-and-import-it-into-freefem-results-in-an-error/3539/3 "2024-10-09T08:29:53Z")

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Thank you very much for your answer. However, I have two more questions: When using the .mesh format in FreeFem, do I still use the gmshload3 function to import it? And can I still use the surface physical groups that I set in Gmsh in FreeFem?

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**Author:** ![localhost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@localhost](https://community.freefem.org/u/localhost)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 1:06am UTC](https://community.freefem.org/t/using-gmsh-to-draw-mesh-and-import-it-into-freefem-results-in-an-error/3539/4 "2024-10-10T01:06:28Z")

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th = readmesh3(MeshFileName);

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**Author:** ![yongheng](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f04885/32.png) [@yongheng](https://community.freefem.org/u/yongheng)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2024, 9:21am UTC](https://community.freefem.org/t/using-gmsh-to-draw-mesh-and-import-it-into-freefem-results-in-an-error/3539/6 "2024-10-10T09:21:40Z")

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“Thank you very much for your answers, I have resolved this issue.”