Cut plane

Menu: Geometry->Cut plane

Here you can cut and divide volumes, surfaces and transform cuts into true meshes. A cut of a volume mesh results in a cut plane. The cut is done for all the meshes, even those that are switched Off. When cutting surfaces, a line set will be created. Here only those surfaces that are switched On are cut.

The difference between cut meshes and surface or volume meshes is that only the mesh is stored in memory, together with some interpolation information, and each time the user selects a result to visualize, this result is interpolated to the cut mesh, saving memory space. When the user converts cuts to surface meshes, then all results of the analysis are interpolated for the transformed cut meshes and stored in memory.
Saving a cut mesh, merelly saves the cut plane, or sphere, used to create it. But saving a converted cut mesh will save a true mesh with the results interpolated over it.

Another feature is that a cut can be deformed, if meshes are also told to do so (see Deformation). A cut of a deformed mesh, when changing to the original shape, will be deformed accordingly.

When dividing volumes/surfaces, only those elements of the volumes/surfaces that are switched On and which lie on one side of a specified plane will be used to create another volume/surface.

Several dividing options can be found by right clicking on the graphical screen when the options 'cut' or 'divide' are selected.

Cutting spheres will result in a mesh of circles.

Toolbar:
Do cut plane:

• 2 Points: the plane is defined by two points and the visual direction orthogonal to the screen.
• 3 Points: the plane is defined by three points. When choosing the points, the nodes of the mesh can also be used.
• Succession: This option is an enhancement of Cut Plane. Here you specify an axis that will be used to create cut planes orthogonal to this axis. The number of planes is also asked for.

Note: pressing the Alt key while selecting the second or third point will tie the dynamic line horizontally, vertically or aT 45º angle.