Knife Tool¶

Reference

Mode

Edit Fashion

Tool

Toolbar ‣ Knife

Hotkey

One thousand or Shift-Grand

The Knife tool can be used to interactively subdivide (cutting up) geometry by cartoon lines or airtight loops to create holes.

Usage¶

Drawing the Cut Line¶

When using Knife, the cursor changes to an icon of a scalpel and the header changes to brandish options for the tool. You can draw connected straight lines by clicking LMB, marked with small green squares. Red squares are already defined cuts. Surrounding red squares mean that there is a cutting already in that very position, and then no additional vertex will be created (besides the kickoff one).

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_line-before.png

Mesh before pocketknife cut.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_line-active.png

Knife cut active.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_line-after.png

Later confirming knife cut.

Options¶

Pocketknife selection Shift-K

Activates the pocketknife with another set of options so just selected faces are cut and Cut through is on past default.

New cutting Eastward

Begins a new cut. This allows you to define multiple distinct cutting lines. If multiple cuts have been defined, they are recognized every bit new snapping points.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_multiple-before.png

Creating multiple cuts.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_multiple-after.png

Result of starting new cuts while in the tool.

Midpoint snap Ctrl

Hold to snap the cursor to the midpoint of edges, significant that all cuts volition be performed at the exact centre of each cut edge.

Ignore snap Shift

Agree to make the tool ignore snapping, unlike the default where mouse cursor snaps to near edges.

Cut through: Z

Permit the Cut tool to cutting through to obscured faces, instead of only the visible ones.

Angle constrain C

Constrains the cutting to 45 degree increments.

Shut loop: double-click LMB

This is a quick way to shut the loop you are currently cut.

Draw a continuous line: LMB drag.

Then you tin draw a complimentary-hand line over a surface, points will be created at border intersections.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_angle-before.png

Constraining cut angle.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_angle-after.png

Result of constraining cut angle.

Confirming and Selection¶

Pressing Esc or RMB at whatever time cancels the tool, and pressing LMB or Return confirms the cut, with the following options:

Return will leave selected every edge except the new edges created from the cut.

Knife Project¶

Reference

Mode

Edit Mode

Menu

Mesh ‣ Pocketknife Project

Knife projection is a non-interactive tool where you can use objects to cookie-cut into the mesh rather than hand drawing the line.

This works by using the outlines of other selected objects in Edit Manner to cut into the mesh along the view axis, resulting geometry inside the cutters outline volition be selected.

Outlines can exist wire or boundary edges.

To use Knife Project, first while in Object Style, select the "cut object" then add to that selection with Shift-LMB the "object to be cutting". At present, enter Edit Mode and press Knife Project (establish in the Toolbar).

Examples¶

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_project-text-before.jpg

Earlier projecting from a text object.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_project-text-after.jpg

Resulting knife projection.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_project-mesh-before.jpg

Before projecting from a mesh object.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_project-mesh-after.jpg

Resulting knife projection (extruded after).

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_project-curve-before.png

Before projecting from a 3D curve object.

../../../../_images/modeling_meshes_editing_subdividing_knife_project-curve-after.jpg

Resulting knife projection (extruded after).

Known Limitations¶

Duplicate Vertices¶

If you lot experience problems where indistinguishable vertices are existence created by cuts, this is often acquired by too large a almost/far clipping range.

Attempt increasing the Clip Start to avert this problem, meet Depth Troubleshooting for details.

Unconnected Cuts¶

Cuts that begin or end in the heart of a face, volition be ignored.

This is constrained by the kinds of geometry Blender can represent.