Adding Sections to Clipping planes

[kim]

If the clipping plane tool could create a 'temporary' section which would create snapable points to objects that are intersected as well as define a reference plane on which objects could be placed/edited etc.

 

A quick example:

If you had two objects and you wanted to add to the one and create a slot in the other.

 

By selecting the clipping plane and moving it into the location where you wanted it to work and selecting a box titled 'Section" the clipping plane would basically cut a section through all objects it passed through and place a reference plane in that position.

 

The objects are in fact 'cut' allowing you to work on them using Boolean, Fill and cut tools.

 

 

Once done and you deselect the 'section' box the objects are returned back to their original state with latest modeling additions.

 

[Alan Cooper]

Another, perhaps better way this could be implemented would be to have, in addition to the existing guide lines and guide points: 'guide planes' which enable snapping with edges of objects which intersect with the guideplane and can show points to snap to. Custom workplanes seem to me to be a bit lacking in the snapping department. Workplanes and guideplanes aside, it would also be nice in axonometric view to be able to snap the first point of a rectangle or line onto the intersection of an edge of one object with the face of another. Also to force the initial 2d beginning of an object to happen on a locked workplane eg z to be fixed, yet snap the x and y to something which already exists, maybe I just haven't worked out how to do that in an axonometric view.

 

Limiting visibility to what is on and below the guide plane could still be done by use of the clipping plane as you say, very useful!, but I'm suggesting that the intersection snap would work according to the 'guide plane', in this case, co-planar with the clipping plane. I say this because slightly visible guide planes would also have more general usefulness, and the clipping plane could be moved at any time without affecting the guide plane. Even better, if the guide plane could have the option to be non flat, to follow a terrain for example. The particular characteristic of the guide plane compared to a transparent surface would be that it cannot itself be selected apart from by its control points, and it does not cause any normal obstruction.

 

If what I have suggested of 'guide planes' is actually possible already using 'custom workplanes' please correct me.