Learn How You Can Easily Subdivide Faces, Objects, or Profiles in SelfCAD

There are many ways to cut and divide objects in SelfCAD, each with its unique use cases, appropriate for achieving different goals. Unlike other software,  SelfCAD offers certain unique features entirely new for you as well. This article compiles the practical options, descriptions, and visuals that help you Cut objects and Trim profiles in SelfCAD. Don’t be surprised if it piques your imagination and redirects you to experiment! We shall be using the various tools of SelfCAD like Cut with Profiles, Cube selection, Edit details, Resolution, Round Object, Merge & Split, and Stitch and Scoop tools.

So, let’s get going! We’ll start with the differences, methods, and purpose of cutting, dividing, and trimming.

Cutting

Cutting is the process of subdividing the topology of objects. Two techniques can achieve this, and we call them linear and non-linear cutting. As its name suggests, linear create straight cuts across the object. Meanwhile, non-linear cutting allows you to use custom shapes to engrave them into the object’s topology.

1. Linear Cutting

a) Cube Selection

The best option for creating linear cuts is with Cube Selection. A unique tool of SelfCAD, its sole purpose is cutting meshes. It uses the plane cutting technique, which allows you to adjust a position in all dimensions, and cut out the selected cube in the mesh’s topology. Enabling this tool will open a panel with all the available options for cutting, where you can customize them to suit your needs. The yellow cube signifies where it will cut the mesh. The only downside is that you can’t rotate the planes while this tool is active. However, you can easily compensate for that by rotating the mesh before attempting the cut.

b) Edit Details

Edit Details is an amazing tool for subdividing individual polygons and faces of meshes by creating linear cuts. Its default mode, Add, allows you to cut the mesh by adding either Edges or Vertices to the object. Hence the name, Add Details.
 

Cutting the Entire Mesh

So, we’ve learned the options for cutting individual faces of meshes. But what if you want to cut the entire mesh?

Thankfully, we have two separate tools that can achieve just that.

c) Resolution

The first one is the Resolution tool, which will subdivide each face of the mesh. The customization itself is effortless, as all you need is to adjust the Detail Level.

d) Round Object, with Linear option

The second one is the Round Object tool, with the Linear option enabled in the advanced settings. By default, Round Object would do as its name suggests. By enabling the Linear option, it will split the entire mesh into equally shaped faces.

2. Non-linear cutting

a) Cut with profile 

The best option for non-linear cutting is the Cut with profile tool, which allows you to create custom-shaped cuts in the mesh’s topology.

As hinted by its name, it allows you to cut 3D models with the help of a profile, drawn with either 3D Sketch or Freehand. In other words, it engraves the shape of the profile into the object's topology. Remember, for Cut with profile to work as intended, you have to position the profile flat on the surface you want to cut.

Dividing

Dividing, on the other hand, allows you to split meshes or profiles into multiple parts. In some cases, dividing might look similar to cutting, but the difference is that dividing the object will subdivide its topology and its geometry. There is only one option available for Dividing. It works both on meshes and profiles, and it's with the Split tool.

a) Split

To divide a mesh or a profile, you have to select a piece of them first. You can do it with any selection tools, such as Face/Edge selection or even Cube Selection showcased above. Now, all you have to do is use the Split tool found in the Utilities drop-down list. The Split tool will separate the selected pieces and create a new object.

What’s important is that after splitting a mesh, it will cease to be a manifold. To fix it, all you need to do is use the Fill Polygons tool, which, as the name indicates, will close up the mesh.

Trimming

Trimming is the most straightforward of all techniques covered in this article, as it focuses solely on deleting pieces of meshes and profiles.

1. Trim Meshes

a) Edit Details

When it comes to trimming meshes, the Edit Details tool is your best option. Its second mode, called Remove, is designed with this goal in mind.

As its name implies, it allows you to remove pieces of the mesh's topology. When you hover the cursor over the part you want to delete, the green color will signify that you can delete the part. The red one says you can’t.

b) Stitch & Scoop

Stitch & Scoop is the main tool for dividing meshes. Stitch & Scoop is our name for boolean operations. They work exactly the same as in any other software, based on the intersected volume of two 3D models.

There are four different modes in Stitch & Scoop, but not all of them allow you to trim.

Difference will allow you to cut out one shape from the other.

Exclusion will remove the intersected part from both meshes.

Intersection will remove all pieces that are not intersecting.

2. Trim Profiles

Trimming profiles is much easier than that of objects. You can accomplish it by simply deleting some of their edges.

All you have to do is select the edge or edges you want to Trim. Then simply press Delete to get rid of them.

Combining

Combining is nothing more than the process of merging profiles or meshes.

Similar to Trimming, in SelfCAD, you'll find separate tools for merging profiles and merging meshes.

1. Combine meshes

a) Stitch & Scoop

To merge meshes, we have to go back to the Stitch & Scoop tool and its last function, called Union.

As previously mentioned, Stitch & Scoop works based on the intersected volume of meshes. And Union will combine them while removing the intersected volume.

2. Combine profiles

a) Merge Objects

There's a separate tool for merging profiles, called Merge Objects.

The process is much simpler than in the case of Union, as Merge will simply combine profiles. Merge will not delete the intersected volume, as was the case with meshes. It will create cuts where they intersect, but it won't change anything else, leaving you to trim it if necessary. To sum it up, we hope you get to know a comprehensive overview of all the options to Cut and Trim in SelfCAD. If you have any queries or suggestions, let us know in the comments section below!

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