Settingacutplaneforcontouring

Postprocessing of Continuum Analysis > Visualizing Scalar Data by Contours > Setting a cut plane for contouring

Setting a cut plane for contouring

As described in the previous sections, the contours may be displayed on userdefined auxiliary planes such as a cut plane, cross planes, or parallel planes. These planes should be defined prior to contouring on them. "Cut plane", "Cross Planes" and "Parallel planes" items in the object type popup menu of "Contour Display" dialog become enabled only when the corresponding auxiliary planes are defined before opening the dialog.

A cut plane is a kind of volume visualization aid and can be used either as an auxiliary plane for contouring, or as a plane splitting the selected object(s). This section describes how to define a cut plane and how to use it as an auxiliary plane for contouring.

> Activating the cut plane setting mode

The cut plane setting mode should be activated in order to start defining a cut plane. This can be done by the following steps.

	1) Start the volume selection tool by pressing button.
	The program is now ready to select volume object(s) in the model.
	2) Select object(s) in which the cut plane is to be defined.
	Select one or more object(s) which form a continuous volume which will contain the cut plane.
	3) Start the cut plane setting tool by pressing button.
	Get into the cut plane setting mode by clicking button in the tool palette. Then, a rectangular box will surround the selected object(s). The initial state of the cut plane is also shown within the box. At the same time, menu appears on the menu bar. This menu has items for cut plane setting and other related functions.

The cut plane setting mode is deactivated simply by activating other tool in the tool palette.

> Setting a cut plane

The initial or the previous setting is shown, when the cut plane setting mode is activated. There are 2 different ways of setting the position and the orientation of a cut plane to the desired state

	Interactive setting by dragging the vertices, edges or face of the cut plane. The position and orientation of a cut plane can be modified by interactively moving the vertexes , the edges, or the face of the cut plane. Click one of the vertexes, edges or face, and drag the selected part. The clicked part moves along with the cursor. Repeat the above steps many times until the plane is set at the desired position and orientation.
	While setting the cut plane interactively, the movement of vertexes, edges or face can be constrained by setting appropriate options in menu. The currently e ffective option is indicated by a check mark in front of the corresponding menu item.
		- "No Constraint" : free movement without constraint.
		- "Normal to X" : Movement is constrained to the direction normal to X.
		- "Normal to Y" : Movement is constrained to the direction normal to Y.
		- "Normal to Z" : Movement is constrained to the direction normal to Z.
	Custom setting by using "Cut Plane Setting" dialog.
	Select "Custom Plane..." item from menu. Then, "Cut Plane Setting dialog appears. The dialog has editable text items for the coordinates of 3 points which are on the cut plane. The position and the orientation of the cut plane are defined by inserting the coordinates in the text boxes.

In order to reset the cut plane setting to the initial state, select "Reset Plane" menu item from menu.

> Contouring on a cut plane

As explained above, the cut plane may be used for contouring. If a cut plane I set immediately prior to opening "Contour Display" dialog, "Cut Plane" item of the contouring object popup menu is enabled and is selected. (Refer to the previous section, "Setting contouring options".) If the selection of this popup menu item is not altered, the contour will be drawn on the cut plane.

There are options for setting the style of the surrounding boundary surface rendering. Refer to "Selecting the style of boundary surface rendering" for more detailed description on this subject.

< Setting the cut plane and contouring on the plane >

> Splitting objects using the cut plane

The cut plane may also be used as a plane splitting the selected objects. The split parts can be separated later for improved visualization of 3-dimensional volume data. Splitting and separating of volume objects can be achieved by the following steps:

	1) Set the cut plane as explained above.
	The cut plane is defined within the selected object.
	2) Split the object by choosing "Cut Object" item from menu.
	The menu is now the right most on the menu bar. Choose "Cut Object" item from the menu. Then, the selected objects are split by the cut plane. If the objects are rendered in shading or contouring, the rendered image is maintained, as before, after splitting. If the objects are re p resented by w i reframe meshes, newly added wireframe meshes will be shown after splitting.
	3) Select one part of the split objects.
	Start the volume selection tool by pressing button, and select one of the split parts.
	4) Move or rotate the selected part.
	Start the object movement tool or the object rotation tool by pressing or tool button respectively. Move or rotate the selected part using the tool. By repeating the movement or rotation of the selected part, the split objects can be separated as desired.

If the objects are rendered in shading or contouring, rendering is updated while moving or rotating the selected part.

< Splitting and seperating objects using plane >