Cutting section out

[PXVCNC]

I hope this post is in the right place…

I scratched out a pattern, larger than I need for CNC cutting, and I would like to cut out a section of this part (I need three difference sizes). What is the best way to do that? The drawings I need to match also require that the parts are pattern sensitive (i.e. I can’t just cut out any random part out to use).

One will be 47 3/16"x20" and another is 86.125x32.

[ateliernab]

Uhhhhh uhhhh… can you show us ? at least a glimpse ?

it could simply be intersect with… but I’m not sure I fully grasped what you need to do

[PXVCNC]

Oh gosh I completely forgot to attach the file…

[ateliernab]

Ok

I see 2 3 ways, solid tools, or intersect faces OR sandbox. they both start the same

let’s say this is your pattern, on top, and bottom is the piece you want to cut. wether you want to make a hole in your pattern or extract a piece of it it’s the same start.

My pattern is a group, first, I’ll make my rectangle a big block. taller than needed, group it, then place it where it’s supposed to be.

Then, 2 solutions :

• if your pattern’s group is a solid group (using solid inspector might help you with that), I can then use the solid tools. I would use the second, “intersection” to extract a part of the pattern, or the fourth, substract, to make a hole in it.
• if your pattern is not a solid group, and you don’t want to be bothered with it, you’ll do the same stuff manually. enter the pattern group, triple click on it, right click, “intersect faces with model” (yes, my screenshot is in french)

at this point, you can delete the big box. if you enter the pattern’s group, you can delete everything extra.

the “intersect faces” created the lines of the box where it touches the pattern.

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other solution that came to mind while typing, the sandbox tools. yep, the ones used to make terrain.

same start, but no need to make a box and group it. Simply place the rectangle on top of your pattern’s group, then in the sandbox tools, use the drape tool. Click on the rectangle, click on the pattern, it will do basically the same as before, you’ll have a pattern with a rectangle applied to it.

then, time to delete what’s extra, and close the sides.

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off course, in theory, the best would be to use solid tools, you take two solid group, they intersect, you keep the intersection in a solid group, bam !
But sometimes you can’t make a solid, you have nested stuff, it won’t work… then you have plan B (intersect faces) and C (sandbox)