# DMPlexCreateBoxMesh
Creates a mesh on the tensor product of unit intervals (box) using simplices or tensor cells (hexahedra). 
## Synopsis
```
#include "petscdmplex.h"   
#include "petscdmplex.h"   
PetscErrorCode DMPlexCreateBoxMesh(MPI_Comm comm, PetscInt dim, PetscBool simplex, const PetscInt faces[], const PetscReal lower[], const PetscReal upper[], const DMBoundaryType periodicity[], PetscBool interpolate, DM *dm)
```
Collective


## Input Parameters

- ***comm        -*** The communicator for the `DM` object
- ***dim         -*** The spatial dimension
- ***simplex     -*** `PETSC_TRUE` for simplices, `PETSC_FALSE` for tensor cells
- ***faces       -*** Number of faces per dimension, or NULL for (1,) in 1D and (2, 2) in 2D and (1, 1, 1) in 3D
- ***lower       -*** The lower left corner, or NULL for (0, 0, 0)
- ***upper       -*** The upper right corner, or NULL for (1, 1, 1)
- ***periodicity -*** The boundary type for the X,Y,Z direction, or NULL for `DM_BOUNDARY_NONE`
- ***interpolate -*** Flag to create intermediate mesh pieces (edges, faces)



## Output Parameter

- ***dm  -*** The `DM` object





## Note
To customize this mesh using options, use
```none
  DMCreate(comm, &dm);
  DMSetType(dm, DMPLEX);
  DMSetFromOptions(dm);
```

and use the options in `DMSetFromOptions()`.


## Here is the numbering returned for 2 faces in each direction for tensor cells
```none
 10---17---11---18----12
  |         |         |
  |         |         |
 20    2   22    3    24
  |         |         |
  |         |         |
  7---15----8---16----9
  |         |         |
  |         |         |
 19    0   21    1   23
  |         |         |
  |         |         |
  4---13----5---14----6
```

and for simplicial cells
```none
 14----8---15----9----16
  |\     5  |\      7 |
  | \       | \       |
 13   2    14    3    15
  | 4   \   | 6   \   |
  |       \ |       \ |
 11----6---12----7----13
  |\        |\        |
  | \    1  | \     3 |
 10   0    11    1    12
  | 0   \   | 2   \   |
  |       \ |       \ |
  8----4----9----5----10
```



## See Also
 [](chapter_unstructured), `DM`, `DMPLEX`, `DMSetFromOptions()`, `DMPlexCreateFromFile()`, `DMPlexCreateHexCylinderMesh()`, `DMSetType()`, `DMCreate()`

## Level
beginner

## Location
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/impls/plex/plexcreate.c.html#DMPlexCreateBoxMesh">src/dm/impls/plex/plexcreate.c</A>

## Examples
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/tutorials/ex20.c.html">src/dm/tutorials/ex20.c.html</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/tutorials/ex21.c.html">src/dm/tutorials/ex21.c.html</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/dt/dualspace/impls/lagrange/tutorials/ex2.c.html">src/dm/dt/dualspace/impls/lagrange/tutorials/ex2.c.html</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/field/tutorials/ex1.c.html">src/dm/field/tutorials/ex1.c.html</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/snes/tutorials/ex56.c.html">src/snes/tutorials/ex56.c.html</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/snes/tutorials/ex75.c.html">src/snes/tutorials/ex75.c.html</A><BR>
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/snes/tutorials/ex77.c.html">src/snes/tutorials/ex77.c.html</A><BR>

## Implementations

<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/dm/impls/plex/plexcreate.c.html#DMPlexCreateBoxMesh_Internal">DMPlexCreateBoxMesh_Internal in src/dm/impls/plex/plexcreate.c</A><BR>


---
[Edit on GitLab](https://gitlab.com/petsc/petsc/-/edit/release/src/dm/impls/plex/plexcreate.c)


[Index of all DMPlex routines](index.md)  
[Table of Contents for all manual pages](/docs/manualpages/index.md)  
[Index of all manual pages](/docs/manualpages/singleindex.md)  
