Create cross sections to show interior details
of 3D objects.
With
the SECTIONPLANE command, you
create a section object that acts as a cutting
plane through solids, surfaces, meshes, or regions. Then turn on live sectioning to
move the section object through the 3D model to reveal its inner details
in real time.
You can align a section
object using several methods.
Show Me: Create and Rotate
a Section
The animation shows how
to create a section object by specifying two points. Once created,
and with live sectioning turned on, it is repositioned in different
areas of the model resulting in real-time sectioning.
Click the Play arrow
to start the animation.
Align the Section Plane
to a 3D Face
One way to set the section
plane is to click the face of an existing 3D object. (As you move
the cursor, a dotted outline indicates the side of the plane to be
selected.) The section plane is automatically aligned to the plane
of the face you select.
Section object aligned
to face
Create a Straight Cutting
Plane
Pick two points to create
a straight cutting plane.
Add a Jogged Segment
The section plane can
be a straight line or it can have multiple or jogged sections. For
example, a section containing a jog is one that cuts away a pie
slice-shaped wedge from a cylinder.
Create a section line
that has jogged segments by using the Draw Section option to pick
multiple points throughout the 3D model.
Section object with
jogged segment
Create Orthographic Sections
You can align section objects to a specified
orthographic orientation of the current UCS, such as front, back,
bottom, top, left, or right.
Orthographic section
planes are placed so that they pass through the center of the 3D
extents of all 3D objects in the drawing.
Create a Region to Represent
the Cross Section
With the SECTION command, you
can create a 2D region object that represents a planar cross section
through a 3D solid object. You do not have live sectioning capabilities
when you use this legacy method to create cross sections.
Define the plane of the
cross section using one of the following methods:
Specify three points.
Specify a 2D object such as a circle,
ellipse, arc, spline, or polyline.
Specify a view.
Specify the Z axis.
Specify the XY, YZ,
or ZX plane.
The new region that
represents the cross-sectional plane is placed on the current layer.
NoteBefore
you apply hatching to the cross-sectional cutting plane, align the UCS
with the cutting plane.
Procedure
To create a section object
by selecting a face
Click Home
tabSection
panelSection
Plane. At the Command prompt,
enter sectionplane.
Click to select a face on your model.
A section object is created on the plane of
the selected face.
Click the section line to display its
grips.
Select a grip to move the section plane
through the 3D object.
A section object is created in the Section Plane
state. Live sectioning is turned on.
To create a section object
by specifying two points
Click Home
tabSection
panelSection
Plane. At the Command prompt,
enter sectionplane.
Specify the first point of the section
object.
Specify the endpoint.
The section object is
created between the two points. Live sectioning is turned off.
To create a section object
with jogged segments
Click Home
tabSection
panelSection
Plane. At the Command prompt,
enter sectionplane.
At the Command prompt, enter d (Draw
Section).
Specify the start point of the section
object.
Specify a second point to create the
first jogged segment.
From this point, you
cannot create segments that intersect.
Continue specifying segment endpoints,
then press Enter.
Specify a point in the direction of the
sectional cut.
A section object with
multiple segments is created in a Section Boundary state. Live sectioning
is turned off.
To create a section object
on a preset orthographic plane
Click Home
tabSection
panelSection
Plane. At the Command prompt,
enter sectionplane.
At the Command prompt, enter o (Orthographic).
Select an alignment option.
The new section object
intersects the center point of the 3D extents of all 3D objects
in the drawing. It is placed on the selected orthographic plane.
Live sectioning is turned on.
To create a region that
represents the cross section of a 3D solid object
At the Command prompt, enter section.
Select the object to
cross section.
Specify three points
to define the cross-sectional plane.
Show Me: Create and Rotate
a Section
