Section

This is a special type of shape that generates other shapes based on a cross-sectional slice through a mesh object. The Section shape appears as a bisected rectangle. You simply move and rotate it to slice through one or more mesh objects, and then click a button to generate a shape based on the 2D intersection.

Reference

General Parameters

All spline based shapes share the same General Parameters. See Splines for an explanation of these parameters.

Section Parameters

Create Shape: Click to create a shape based on the currently displayed intersection lines. A dialog appears in which you can name the new object. The resulting shape is an editable spline consisting of curve segments and corner vertices, based on all of the intersected meshes in the scene.

Update Area

Provides options that let you specify when the intersection line is updated.

When Section Moves: When selected, the intersection line is updated when you move or resize the Section shape.

When Section Selected: When selected, the intersection line is updated when you select the section shape, but not while you move it. Click the Update Section button to update the intersection.

Manually: When selected updates the intersection line only when you click the Update Section button.

Update Section: Click this to update the intersection to match that of the current placement of the Section object when using either of the latter two options listed above.

Note: When using the When Section Selected or Manually options, you can offset the generated cross section from the position of the intersected geometry. (As you move the section object, the yellow cross-section lines move with it, leaving the geometry behind.) When you click Create Shape, the new shape is generated at the displayed cross-section lines in the offset position.

Section Extents Area

Specifies the extents of the cross-section generated by the section object.

Infinite: When selected the section plane is infinite in all directions, resulting in a cross section at any mesh geometry in its plane.

Section Boundary: When selected, the cross-section is generated only in objects that are within or touched by the boundary of the section shape.

Off: When selected no cross section is displayed or generated. When this option is chosen, the Create Shape button is disabled.

(color swatch): Click this to set the display color of the intersection.

Section Size Parameters:

Provides spinners that let you adjust the length and width for the displayed section rectangle. This has no effect on the cross section itself, which extends infinitely along its 2D plane.

Length/Width: Set this to adjust the length and width for the displayed section rectangle. This has no effect on the cross section itself, which extends infinitely along its 2D plane.

Note: If you convert the section grid to an editable spline, it’s converted to a shape based on the current cross section.

How to

To create and use the Section shape:

1. Click the Section button in the Create/Shapes/Spline branch.
2. Drag out a rectangle in the viewport in which you want the plane oriented. (For example, create it in the Top viewport to place the Section object parallel with the XY home grid.)

The Section object appears as a simple rectangle with crossed lines indicating its center. With the default settings, the rectangle is for display purposes only, because the effect of the Section object extends along its plane to the full extents of the scene.

3. Move and rotate the Section so that its plane intersects mesh objects in the scene.

Yellow lines appear where the sectional plane intersects objects.

4. Click Create Shape, enter a name in the resulting dialog, and click OK.

A linear shape is created based on the displayed cross sections.