Cutting a solid in half

SketchUp
1

Hi,
I tried to use the slice tool to cut a solid in half, in order to create a new solid/geometry that is just half of the original. Although I can use the slice tool to create the section, then I don’t understand how to convert this sliced piece in a new element in the drawing. May be this is not the right way to do it.
Can anyone help?
Best regards

2

The native slice feature just draws edges where faces intersected the plane. You can explode that group, manually select all entities on either side of the section plane and makes it into two groups, and then manually draw the missing faces in the cut plane (by filling in an edge with line tool).

The process can also be automated, e.g. by my own slicer extension:

https://extensions.sketchup.com/en/content/eneroth-slicer

3

Difficult to know exactly what you are after without seeing an example. However, taken at is simplest, let’s say you had a cube and wanted to create a box where one dimension was half the original (2,2,1, instead of 2,2,2, say). In that case, you wouldn’t be using slice at all as that is just a way to visualize a section cut. You would instead use the Push/Pull tool to move one face. Or you could select the face and use the Move tool. Or you could use the Scale tool.

More complex geometry may require other methods. I sometimes create a temporary cutting plane with a simple rectangle, move it to the position I want the cut to occur, invoke Intersect with Model and then delete what I don’t want. A bit cumbersome, but it works.

4

Thanks. For some reason the intersection tools appear grayed out. How can I activate them?

5

Intersect faces is not a tool but a command. You need to select the geometry you want to use it on before calling it.

6

I do but they still appear greayed out…

image
image1366×768 202 KB

7

Those are the solid tools. Intersect faces (which simoncbevans was referring to) is found in the context menu (right click). For solid tools to work you need the different objects to be separate groups/components.

8

you also need Pro for solid tools other than outer shell…

john

9

Thanks, I got it now!..:heart_eyes:

10

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