Hi Michael ...

A tool like Sketchup's 'Section Plane' would be most handy for architectural work. Is this a possibility?

cheers,
eric

A simple line + Boolean Diff don't make the same ?

A simple line + Boolean Diff don't make the same ?


Not really, it's a bit destructive.

I use the section plane on sketchUp to provide an idea of internal spaces to clients, check headroom at key points, detailing internal finishes (windowboards, cornices, etc) and for checking the integrity of the model. It doesn't mean I want to carve the thing up..

Ctrl Z for rebuild ;)

but...

I see : you want a moving plane with top/bottom or sides hidden

but we have not yet transparency on the objects so not sure that was first on the list ;)

This would be a very useful tool for architectural stuff.

Not sure that it would involve transparency though - when the plane is visible, all objects are displayed as though a boolean diff had been carried out, when hidden the boolean is ignored. I imagine that's a simplistic explanation for something fiendishly complicated..

Hi eric,

> A tool like Sketchup's 'Section Plane' would be most handy
> for architectural work. Is this a possibility?

It's definitely a possibility for the future but it's hard to say exactly when though, the list of stuff for v3 is already pretty packed.

If you haven't already, please add it to the "top 5 feature request list" thread over here:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=3628.1

The stuff that's requested frequently in that thread will tend to be higher on the priority list.

So if I understand properly you're talking about something that's more of a "display mode" that alters appearance temporarily and not something that modifies or creates geometry is that correct?

- Michael

Yes, that's a good interpretation. One creates a transparent plane that will move forward and backward, cutting a structure like a boolean difference but just in a display mode. It may do more than that, I don't really use Sketchup but this can show a section through any portion of, say, a building to take a client through on the fly.
Thanks for considering it.
cheers,
eric

Hi Eric,

If it helps you can place a plane in your model and generate an intersection curve using the Isect command 'Construct > Curve > Isect' then enable History on the Plane and the intersection curves, in that way when you move the Plane the section will update also.


Cheers

Thanks Danny,
That's helpful. I have not used Isect before. A good tool.
eric

DannyT, can you walk me through this? I can't seem to get the section to update.

Hi beanworks, it's actually the section curves that need to be set to have history update on them, then they'll recalculate when the inputs that made them are edited.

To enable history updating on the section curves, select them and run the Edit > History command and click the "Enable update" button.

- Michael

Thanks Michael.

-

ok, got it. Thank you!