3D Crop

[Kevin McAllister]

I think that a way to crop in a 3D model would be immensely useful. Either directly in a model or in a 3D design layer viewport. Essentially creating a 3D masking shape and doing the equivalent to a Solid Subtraction. I often find myself wanting to experiment with options that involve cutting away to add new design elements. The crop would want to be able to be turned on/off via classes.

(I guess ultimately the behavior would be like objects that cut holes into walls.)

KM

[Thomas Wagensommerer]

Yes, I agree.

A 3D Crop could be part of a more powerful set of commands like Subtract/Intersect/Add/Crop solids that also works on groups of objects.

Some very similar wishes are:

Design Layer Section Viewports

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=27253&Number=132531

and

Non Vertical Sections

[mike m oz]

Design Layer sectioning like SketchUP has is an absolute need.

[AndiACD]

Forgive me if i have missunderstood, but surely, if you extrude a rectangle with the desired hole shape removed from it, then subtract it from the whole(3D object)you will obtain a 3D Crop.

You are going to have to draw the shape of the Crop even with a dedicated tool, so perhaps you already have what you need, just didn't realise it . . . . .

[Kevin McAllister]

Imagine that the existing shape you want to crop is a complete model that is referenced in or an existing symbol that you want to crop part of away without actually editing the symbol.

As you say, there are work arounds that actually involve working directly with the object you want to crop. I am suggesting a bigger picture sort of approach. One could always crop Sheet Layer Viewport items on a Design Layer by masking them, but most people wouldn't choose too.....

The more I think about it, it is somewhat like an interactive 3D section or cutaway.

KM

Edited December 17, 2009 by Kevin McAllister

[Thomas Wagensommerer]

Look at the "Cut 3D Section" command. It is there since 20 Years or more. Why nobody bothers to rework the user interface of that command a little, is one of those things I will never understand about VectorWorks. This would be the almost perfect "3D Crop" command.

There is not even a VectorScript equivalent to "Cut 3D Section". (I gave up begging for that many years ago.) If there were, I think, even I could script an "Intelligent 3D Crop Object" in a few hours.

I dont think it would be very difficult for the Vectorworks programmers

[Thomas Wagensommerer]

It is there since 20 Years or more.

Correction: I wanted to say more than 10 years.

[Kool Aid]

By this time one would expect the "Cut 3D Section" -command eg. to recognise solids as solids??

[trashcan]

Sort of solved by Clip Cube but can't find a solution to actually crop or trim a complex 3D object in a design layer (not just a sheet layer).