Hollow / Solidify a Mesh (Without Intersecting Faces) The solidify modifier creates new geometry normal to the surface of a base mesh.  This works well in many applications but creates intersecting faces for many geometries beyond a critical thickness.



Are there any straight-forward, reliable methods of creating a more desirable internal mesh?  There are two acceptable outcomes: 


Preserve the detail of the base mesh
Simplify the geometry (beyond a critical thickness)




There are manual methods of addressing the problem but this does not scale well; achieving a uniform wall thickness across any non-trivial mesh presents quite the undertaking.  

This problem crops up frequently in the world of 3D printing where solid parts are needlessly resource-intensive.
Yes.  Depends on your definition of straightforward.  Using python and MetaBalls.  MetaBalls are volume based so you are guaranteed a manifold outcome with no self intersections.  However detail preservation will only be to the resolution of your offset and to the detail of the volumetric isosurface calculation with the metaballs.  I use several methods

1)  Add a metaball at every vertex of radius R = offset
2)  Add a metaball at every vertex and a meta elipse at the center of every face (circumscribed by the face)

I pre-process a copy of the mesh to have vertex density such that distance between metaballs is about 1/2 the desired offset.

Works great.  If you want code.  It's going to be a bear to read because it's part of an enormous dental project.

https://github.com/patmo141/d3guard/blob/master/meta_modelling.py

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih4_wb1tegE