Comp102E ILK Week8 – Part 3

3D Solid Editing
Basic Solid Editing
 Union, Subtract, and Intersect
 Slice, Thicken (Plane surface)
 Grip-Editing 3D Solids – Face, Edge, and Vertex
 New Rotate3D
 New PressPull Command

If you remember, we used the UNION command to “merge” the solid models (New Age Scarecrow). The result is a
single solid entity.

The UNION command combines several solids to form 1 solid.

Remember the umbrella top? We shall attach a center pole for the stand, or a handle.

Again, we will make a profile to make a solid for the handle or

stand.

Load this drawing file, and let’s make the handle/pole profile and
path geometry.

Create this polyline. Set ORTHO ON, switch to FRONT UCS

The pole:
1. Enter POLYLINE
2. Specify starting point
3. Move crosshairs –y direction, and enter 11

The handle:
1. Enter POLYLINE
2. For the starting point, click on the lower endpoint of the first polyline.
3. Move crosshairs –y direction, and enter 1
4. Press A to switch to Angle mode
5. Move crosshairs to –x direction and enter 1.5
6. Press L to switch to Line mode
7. Move crosshairs +y direction and enter 0.5

That is the path of the circular profile.

Now, create two circles anywhere, one with a radius of 0.25,

and the other with a radius of 0.4 

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Then, we will SWEEP the circle along the pole path.

1. Enter SWEEP
2. Select the smaller circle and confirm
3. Select the pole path (the vertical polyline)

SWEEP the circle along the handle path.

1. Enter SWEEP
2. Select the circle
and confirm
3. Select the handle path

We have the pole and handle.

But we need some refinements.

We will use FILLET to smoothen the sharp edges of our handle.

Switch to SE Isometric view, and zoom in to the handle (image on the right).

1. Enter FILLET
2. Click the outside circular edge of the handle at the pole

You are prompted for the fillet radius (2) Select this edge

3. Enter a value of 0.05

4. Enter

The edge is now rounded.

We will also apply FILLET to the other edge but with a larger radius.

1. Enter FILLET
2. Click the outside circular edge
3. Enter a value of 0.2 for radius
4. Enter

We now have rounded edges.

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Next, we join the handle and the pole by UNION, knowing that these are two separate solids.

1. Enter UNION
2. Select the handle and the pole and confirm

Now, we will join the pole and handle to the umbrella top.

Turn OSNAP ON.

1. Select the handle/pole solid

2. Enter MOVE
3. For the base point, select the CENTER on the top of
the pole
4. Move the crosshairs to the CENTER of the top circle
of the umbrella...and click on that location.

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Then you’ll have this geometry:

There is one more thing we need to do: to remove the lower face of the
umbrella top so that it has this canopy form below.

The editing command is called SHELL, which removes a selected face

from a solid, making it hollow.

Set the view so that we can see the lower surface of the umbrella top, such as:

Use the ORBIT tools.

The SHELL 3D editing command converts a solid into a hollow wall or

shell.

1. Enter SHELL  but if AutoCAD launches OS Shell version (cmd), just access the SHELL command through the

menu bar (AutoCAD 2011)

Modify  Solid Editing  Shell

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 or through the Ribbon (AutoCAD 2011):
Home tab  Solid Editing panel  Shell

2. Select the umbrella

Then you are prompted to Remove a face

3. Click on the lower area of the umbrella

Click on this face

4. On the command line, a confirmation

appears: 1 face found, 1 removed

5. Confirm (by right clicking or enter)

You are prompted to Enter the shell offset

distance

6. Enter 0.1
7. Enter (to end SHELL command)

The result of the shelling operation:

Just don’t worry about the ribs. You can always go back here
to put the finishing touches.

So, if you want to convert a solid into a hollow wall, use

SHELL, the 3D solid editing version.

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Let us make a hollow cone, for the ice cream!
We need to remove the top face. I applied material
and texture to the cone 

1. Access the SHELL command

2. Select the cone
3. Select the top face
the top face
selected to
be removed

4. Confirm
5. Enter 0.1 for the shell offset
6. Enter to end the SHELL command

And here’s your ice cream cone, the hollow version.

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Let’s have another UNION command example. Make a 4×4×4 box, and a sphere with a diameter of 4 (units), anywhere
in the space.

Now, what we are going to do is, to move the center of the sphere to
the Northeast top corner of the cube... (you know where that is, right?)

If you look at the UCS icon, we are on WORLD or TOP UCS, so

orient yourself with the ordinal direction, based on the top surface.
NE top
corner

Set OSNAP ON.

1. Select the sphere

2. Enter MOVE
3. For the base point, select the center of the
sphere
4. Move the crosshairs to the destination corner
and click on that location.

MAKE A COPY OF THIS GEOMETRY somewhere in the drawing area.

To combine the two solids, you have to issue UNION.

Now, go ahead with that UNION operation, and you’ll end up with only one solid, a cube and sphere merge.

WARNING: Once solids have been combined through UNION, they cannot be separated to their original forms. Some
solids may or may not be un-merged as they are, without other editing commands.

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To scrutinize, we’ll switch our visual style to WIREFRAME (synonymous to “x-ray vision”)

The merged solids after UNION: Before UNION:

the outline of the solids

are still unchanged

Let’s try the SUBTRACT command – the opposite of UNION.

We will try to SUBRACT the sphere from the cube...(this could never be done with algebra, you know). When we use the
SUBTRACT function, first we define the solid that we SUBTRACT FROM. Second, we define the solid(s) that we will
subtract. Make sure that these solids are intersecting each other, at least a part of their cross-sections or profiles, are
overlapping.

SUBTRACT

Combines selected 3D solids or 2D regions by subtraction.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Solid Modeling tab Boolean panel Subtract

Menu: Modify Solid Editing Subtract
Toolbar: Modeling

Summary
With SUBTRACT, you can create a 3D solid by subtracting one set of existing 3D solids from another, overlapping set.
You can create a 2D region object by subtracting one set of existing region objects from another, overlapping set. You can
select only regions for use with this command.
Note

Using SUBTRACT with 3D surfaces is not recommended. Use the SURFTRIM command instead.
Select the objects that you want to keep, press Enter, then select the objects that you want to subtract.

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Objects in the second selection set are subtracted from objects in the first selection set. A single new 3D solid, surface, or
region is created.

You can only subtract regions from other regions that are on the same plane. However, you can perform simultaneous
SUBTRACT actions by selecting sets of regions on different planes. The program then produces separate subtracted
regions on each plane. Regions for which there are no other selected coplanar regions are rejected.
You cannot use SUBTRACT with mesh objects. However, if you select a mesh object, you will be prompted to convert it to
a 3D solid or surface.

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

Select objects (to subtract from)

Specifies the 3D solids, surfaces, or regions to be modified by subtraction.

Select objects (to subtract)

Specifies the 3D solids, surfaces, or regions to subtract

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And for our next operation, subtracting the sphere from the cube.

Adjust the viewing angle through constrained orbit or free orbit, like so:

1. Enter SUBTRACT (or SU)

2. Select the cube, and confirm
(the solid we will SUBTRACT FROM)
3. Select the sphere, and confirm (the solid TO SUBTRACT)

Then you will have this new composite solid: the sphere took a “chunk” from the cube. Now we have a box with 10
corners (usually, a box has only 6 vertices)

But if we have subtracted the cube

FROM the sphere, this could be the
result:

Adjust the viewing angle through constrained orbit or free orbit so you’ll see the cube corner that was subtracted from
this part of the sphere.

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INTERSECT
Creates a 3D solid, surface, or 2D region from overlapping solids, surfaces, or regions.

Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab Solid Editing panel Intersect

Menu: Modify Solid Editing Intersect
Toolbar: Modeling

Summary
With INTERSECT, you can create a 3D solid from the common volume of two or more existing 3D solids, surfaces, or
regions. If you select a mesh, you can convert it to a solid or surface before completing the operation.
You can extrude 2D profiles and then intersect them to create a complex model efficiently.

The selection set can contain regions, solids, and surfaces that lie in any number of arbitrary planes. INTERSECT divides
the selection set into subsets and tests for intersections within each subset. The first subset contains all the solids and
surfaces in the selection set. The second subset contains the first selected region and all subsequent coplanar regions.
The third subset contains the next region that is not coplanar with the first region and all subsequent coplanar regions,
and so on until all regions belong to a subset.

From our cube and sphere junction, if we create the region/solid of their intersection

1. Enter INTERSECT
2. Select the cube and the sphere

The region shared by the

cube and the sphere:

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The intersection of two spheres:

Intersection of a cone and a sphere...

The SLICE command

SLICE
Access Methods

Button

Ribbon: Home tab Solid Editing panel Slice

Menu: Modify 3D Operations Slice

Summary
The cutting plane is defined with:
2 or 3 points,
by specifying a major plane of the UCS,
or by selecting a surface object (but not a mesh).
Either one or both sides of the sliced 3D solids can be retained.

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 The sliced objects retain the layer and color properties of the original
solids. However, the resulting solid or surface objects do not retain a
history of the original objects.

Objects that Can Be Used in a Slice Operation

Objects that can be sliced Objects that can be used as cutting planes
3D solids Surfaces

Surfaces Circles

Ellipses

Circular or elliptical arcs

2D splines

3D polyline segments

List of Prompts
The following prompts are displayed.

Objects to slice
Specifies the 3D solid or surface object that you want to slice. If you select a mesh object, you can choose to
convert it to a 3D solid or surface before completing the slice operation.
 Start point of slicing plane
 Planar object
 Surface
 Z axis
 View
 XY
 YZ
 ZX
 3points

Start point of slicing plane

Sets the first of two points that define the angle of the slicing plane. The slicing plane is perpendicular to the XY
plane of the current UCS.
 Second point on plane. Sets the second of two points on the slicing plane.
 Point on desired side
 Keep both sides

Planar object
Aligns the cutting plane with a plane that contains a selected circle, ellipse, circular or elliptical arc, 2D spline, or
2D polyline segment.

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  Select a circle, ellipse, arc, 2D-spline, or 2D-polyline. Specifies the object to use for
alignment.

Surface
Aligns the cutting plane with a surface.

 Select a surface. Specifies a surface to be used for alignment.

NoteYou cannot select meshes created with the EDGESURF, REVSURF, RULESURF, and
TABSURF commands.
 Point on desired side
 Keep both sides

Z axis
Defines the cutting plane by specifying a point on the plane and another point on the Z axis (normal) of the
plane.

 Specify a point on the section plane. Sets a point on the slicing plane.
 Specify a point on the Z-axis (normal) of the plane. Specifies a point that defines the axis that
is perpendicular to the slicing plane.
 Point on desired side
 Keep both sides

View
Aligns the cutting plane with the current viewport's viewing plane. Specifying a point defines the location of the
cutting plane.

 Specify a point on the current view plane. Sets a point on the object to start the slice.
 Point on desired side
 Keep both sides

XY
Aligns the cutting plane with the XY plane of the current user coordinate system (UCS). Specifying a point
defines the location of the cutting plane.

 Point on the XY-plane. Sets the location of the slice.

 Point on desired side
 Keep both sides

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YZ
Aligns the cutting plane with the YZ plane of the current UCS. Specifying a point defines the location of the
cutting plane.

 Point on the YZ-plane. Sets the location of the slice.

ZX
Aligns the cutting plane with the ZX plane of the current UCS. Specifying a point defines the location of the
cutting plane.
 Point on the ZX-plane. Sets the location of the slice.
If a single object is sliced into more than two objects, one solid or surface is created from the
objects on one side of the plane and another solid or surface is created from the objects on the
other side.

3points
 Defines the cutting plane using three points.

Point on desired side

Uses a point to determine which side of the sliced solids your drawing retains. The point cannot lie on the cutting
plane.

Keep both sides

Retains both sides of the sliced solids. Slicing a single solid into two pieces creates two solids from the pieces on
either side of the plane. SLICE never creates more than two new composite solids for each selected solid.

In SLICE, we only need the solid to slice, and the cutting plane.

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There are so many ways to define your cutting plane, as explained above. The commonly used method of defining the
cutting plane is to select 3 points that lie on the cutting plane, and using a plane object.

Example: Let us have another sphere...

We will place a cutting plane that passes through its center, or along the equator.

a plane surface that

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intersects the center
of the sphere

If we want to cut through the sphere, the plane surface may contain an object which can be considered as the cutting
plane, or we can define any three (3) points that lie on this plane (coplanar points).

Another setting:

Instead of a plane surface, we can construct two perpendicular lines passing through the center of the sphere. We can
use their endpoints (or midpoints, etc.) to define the cutting plane.

this line intersects the

center of the sphere

Let us try these two methods to slice our solids. For more clarity, switch to
Conceptual visual style.

SLICING THE SPHERE – through the center

3-POINT OPTION for Cutting Plane

1. Enter SLICE
2. Select the sphere and confirm (or the object(s) you want to slice)

You are then prompted with cutting plane options...we will use the 3points option, which is the default

3. Confirm (again, to accept the 3points option)

4. Now, select the three endpoints of the two perpendicular lines, in any order.
5. Confirm (to slice)

You are prompted to Specify a point on desired side or [keep Both sides] <Both>

6. You can confirm to retain both sides, or click on the part you want to retain. In this example, both
sides are retained, and later, delete the northern hemisphere.
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After a successful slice, you will notice an “equator” is defined, showing that the “cutting plane” has sliced through it, and
the sphere is halved into two hemispheres.

“cut through” line after

SLICE; the three endpoints
of the lines defined the
cutting plane

the northern hemisphere

erased.

The Plane Object option.

The image on the left shows a circle coplanar with the center of the
sphere...meaning, the circle (a plane figure) will eventually pass through the center
of the sphere. We will use this object to SLICE the sphere.

1. Enter SLICE
2. Select the sphere and confirm
3. Enter O (to select plane object)
4. Select the circle
5. confirm

SLICE the sphere along its vertical axis.

In this case, we will place our cutting plane, or the perpendicular lines, so that they are COPLANAR with the center of the
sphere.

IMPORTANT; Make sure you have the correct UCS to align your cutting plane with. We want our UCS to flip 90 about
the x-axis (FRONT UCS), so that our cutting plane is “upright”. You also have to turn
the ORTHO ON in order to have two or three perpendicular lines.

1. Switch to FRONT UCS

2. Enter LINE
3. Using OSNAP, select the center of the sphere as the starting point (image on the
right) of the first line
4. Move the crosshairs along the y-axis, it doesn’t matter if it is up or down, or how
long it is, just enough for you to see it. Let’s move it up for now.
5. After a considerable length, click to create the first line.
6. Move the crosshairs along the x-axis, doesn’t matter if it is left or right, to a
considerable length. Say let’s go right.
7. You can add another vertical line.

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For steps 4 to 7. The third line ensures having a clear location of three points on the cutting plane, though its unnecessary.

These are the three (3) points we need to select:

Now, SLICE the sphere from top to bottom, passing through the center using the 3-point
option.

1. Enter SLICE
2. Select the sphere and confirm
3. Confirm (to accept the 3points option)
4. Click on the three endpoints of the perpendicular lines
5. Confirm (to slice)
6. Confirm (to preserve the two halves)

A cut-through line indicates a successful slice:

the “front” half

erased
A successful slice.

The color of the SLICE depends on the color

property you select during slicing.

Lets cut the sphere with a cutting plane inclined at 30 with the horizontal

This could be tricky since we need to rotate either our UCS

or our line/object as cutting planes.

Let us try to rotate the UCS.

First, we will start with the WORLD / TOP UCS.

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Now, we need to rotate the XY plane about the y-axis 30 with the world horizontal. With this action, the x-axis and the
z-axis will also rotate 30 about Y.

To illustrate this, I will draw the WORLD UCS as reference lines, and then rotate the XY plane.

reference axes
for the WORLD
UCS ( I just
created these
three lines...)

To rotate the XY plane 30 about Y-axis:

(That’s counter-clockwise (for positive angle) while “looking down” from the +Y to the origin.)

1. Enter UCS

You are prompted for a new origin or select other options. In this case, we select Y (rotate around Y)

2. Enter Y

You are prompted for the angle of rotation around Y-axis. That’s 30.

3. Enter 30

You will observe the new orientation of the UCS icon, including the alignment of the crosshairs. This UCS setting is
saved in your drawing file. You can access the UCS Manager through UCS II toolbar.

30 rotation from the

original position (see
reference lines)

After that, we can construct our perpendicular lines

constrained to the new UCS.

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 Our three perpendicular lines on the new UCS setting: the first line was started
from the center of the sphere, the second line along the +x (now rotated 30
from the WORLD UCS) and the third line going up +Y. As mentioned, their
lengths are not that important, as we only need their endpoints, three to be
exact.

Now, following the same procedure on slicing using 3point option, we select the three endpoints to define our cutting
plane to slice the sphere. This is the result.

Say, if we move the perpendicular lines (together) along the z-axis, thus changing their elevation (+Z) or depth (-Z). In
this case, we will move them above the origin of the current ucs.

Can you see the difference on their elevation from the first images? let us
proceed with the slicing so we can find out.

Follow the same procedure on using 3points option on slicing, and this will be the output;

the “slice”
line

The cutting plane, defined by the lines, is obviously far from the center of the sphere.

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We have a box, and a cutting plane oblique to the box.

We slice the box:

Remember The Goblet of Gold? We will use a (transparent) cutting plane to cut through it. The object is applied with
AutoCAD material (Foil Gold), and on Realistic visual style. Choose 3points option to SLICE.

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Don’t worry about applying materials to the solid object. We will get to that later.

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