Examples on Usage of the Surface Evolver

Genus-11 Lawson Surface

Make a suitable modular, parameterized object in SLIDE,
adjust parameters to make it somewhat rounded,
save it as .SIF; convert to .FE; and run Evolver.

_
The polyhedral SLIDE object (file) The evolved surface (file)

Genus-5 Cube-Frame

Same procedure as above.

_
The polyhedral SLIDE object (file) The evolved surface (file)

A more efficient way:

Make only a small patch corresponding to the fundamental domain of the cube-octahedral symmetry,
i.e., 1/6th of a cube corner or 1/48 of the whole cube frame.
Add constraints to make three mirror planes on which the patch must terminate with perpendicular surface tangents.
Evolve this single patch -- and then composite the full view in the Evolver with suitable viewing transforms.

___
The initial patch (file) The evolved patch 6 copies form a corner 48 make a cube frame.

The same principle applied to the Lawson surface family:

Make two joined patches that cover a quarter of a hole from the inside and outside.
Evolve that fragment alone and then composite several mirrored and rotated views:

_ _ _
Initial patch (file) 8 copies composited Half optimized genus-3 surface Segments of genus 7 surface

You also have to be careful HOW you are running the Surface Evolver; -- the results can be quite different,
since the Evolver may not get out of flat areas that look like local minima before you run out of patience ...

_A: __ B: __ C:
A: Running the Evolver in "normal" (conjugate gradient off) mode from a spherical double shell with medium-size connecting holes.
B: Running the same surface with the conjugate gradient ON option, results in a quite different shape, which actually corresponds to
C: the Genus-3 Lawson surface which is the supposed bending-energy minimizer.