def from_surface( surf_faces, mesh_in ):
        """
        Create a mesh given a set of surface faces and the original mesh.
        """
        aux = nm.concatenate([faces.ravel() for faces in surf_faces])
        inod = nm.unique(aux)

        n_nod = len( inod )
        n_nod_m, dim = mesh_in.coors.shape

        aux = nm.arange( n_nod, dtype=nm.int32 )
        remap = nm.zeros( (n_nod_m,), nm.int32 )
        remap[inod] = aux

        mesh = Mesh( mesh_in.name + "_surf" )

        mesh.coors = mesh_in.coors[inod]
        mesh.ngroups = mesh_in.ngroups[inod]

        sfm = {3 : "2_3", 4 : "2_4"}
        mesh.conns = []
        mesh.descs = []
        mesh.mat_ids = []
        for ii, sf in enumerate( surf_faces ):
            n_el, n_fp = sf.shape

            conn = remap[sf]
            mat_id = nm.empty( (conn.shape[0],), dtype = nm.int32 )
            mat_id.fill( ii )

            mesh.descs.append( sfm[n_fp] )
            mesh.conns.append( conn )
            mesh.mat_ids.append( mat_id )

        mesh._set_shape_info()
        
        return mesh
Create a mesh given a set of surface faces and the original mesh.