Cut by Planes

This command allows you to make a graphical cut of the entities by one (or several) planes.

Creation Stages / Use:

Click the icon or select Visualization > Cut by planes... from the drop-down menu.

Select the reference plane.
Enter an offset or select a passing point. In this case, this point will indicate the offset of the cut plane.
Modify the options if necessary.
Validate the dialog.

The graphic cut is not possible when realistic rendering is activated.

In case of offset or passing point, the offset plane used for cut will be parallel to the reference plane.

Available Options:

X Rotation:

Allows rotating, the cut plane around the X axis by the value given.

Y Rotation:

Allows rotating, the cut plane around the Y axis by the value given.

Cut color:

Should the closure display option be active, the cut plane will be in the color specified by the user.

Cut hatches:

Type:

Allows to select hatches to be displayed of the cut faces.

Orientation:

Allows to enter the hatch orientation.

Entities:

This dialog allows you to select the entities concerned by the cut.

All entities: All the entities are cut (default mode), this option is useful when the other modes have been used.

Selected entities: All the selected entities are cut, the other ones are not cut.

Unselected entities: All the selected entities are not cut, the other ones are cut.

Hide: This option allows you to temporary mask the selected entities in order to be able to select the ones located behind them.

Second and third cut:

Allows to define a second and a third cut plane on the same cut, with the same kind of settings (plane, offset, rotation, color, hatches, ...) as upper.

Display cut:

If this option is unchecked, the parallel faces behind the cut plane are not displayed. The parts are hollowed like if they were surfaces. If this option is checked, the 2 options below are ungrayed, and the cut will be displayed with the selected color and hatches.

Use shapes color: If this option is checked, the cut planes color defines upper will not be used. The cut faces color will be the part color.
Automatic hatching: If this option is checked, the hatch orientation defined upper will not be taken in account. Hatches will be oriented ramdomly (very useful in an assembly).

Display cut edges:

When the command is validated, the cut faces edges are thickened to visualize them properly.

Preview cut edges:

During the dynamic preview, the cut faces edges are thickened to visualize them properly.

Enable cut:

If this option is unchecked, by validating this command, the Cuts folder and the cut are created in the entities tree but will not be activated in the graphical area. In this case, to show cut parts, you have to double-click the Cut icon in the Cuts folder of the entities tree.

When we have a big assembly, it is recommanded to uncheck the option : Preview cut edges. This option can slow the system.

To edit the current cut and modify it, use the Edit current cut command by clicking the icon in the graphic area.
It is possible to deactivate a cut by using the Delete contextual menu or by using the icon. in the graphic area.
It is not possible to accumulate several cuts. Activation of a second cut will automatically cause the deactivation of the current cut.
To activate an existing cut, drag it from the cuts folder of the entities tree to the graphic area.

Example with a blue cut color: