Clip Strings to Wireframe

To access this screen:

  • Digitize ribbon > Tools > Clip Strings > Clip to Surface.

  • Using the command line, enter "clip-strings-to-wireframe".

  • Use the quick key combination "cltw".

  • Display the Find Command screen, locate clip-strings-to-wireframe and click Run.

The Clip Strings to Wireframe screen is used to clip selected string data to loaded wireframe surface or volume data. You can use complete wireframe objects or selected wireframe triangles as the clipping data.

Select the clipping wireframe data and, if an open surface is selected, the plane orientation used for clipping.

To clip string data to wireframe data:

  1. Load the string data to clip and the wireframe data to act as the clipping boundary.

    Note: Data from multiple wireframe objects can be used for clipping, but all clipping wireframes must be either closed volumes or open surfaces. You can't pick a combination.

  2. Select the string data to be clipped (data from any string object can be selected.

    Note: Only selected string data is clipped.

  3. Display the Clip Strings to Wireframe screen.

  4. Review the Strings to Clip. This displays the number of currently stored strings (and the number selected when the screen displayed initially.

    Note: Select string data whilst the Clip Strings to Wireframe screen is displayed and click Store current selection to update the string collection that is clipped when the command is run.

  5. Choose the wireframe data to use in the Clipping Wireframe section:

    • Select Object to use a loaded wireframe object. Select the object from the list.

    • Select Selected triangles to use selected wireframe triangle data. You can use selected triangles with Closed volume(s) or Open surface(s). See Selecting Wireframe Data.

    Note: The Key Field behaviour is unchanged when Selected triangles is selected. The key field is processed using the selected wireframe data only, not the entire object.

  6. Choose if Closed volume(s) or Open surface(s) are being used for clipping.

    • If you are clipping using an open surface (say, a topography), choose the Plane Orientation that will determine which aspect of string data is clipped and which is retained:

      • Horizontal – Clip using a horizontal plane. This is useful for topographies or hangingwall surfaces without significant dip.

      • North-South – Clip using a vertical plane where the surface is clipped in relation to the N-S plane.

      • East-West – As above, but using the E-W plane to determine the clipped region.

      • Use View Plane – Clip using the current view plane in the active 3D window.

      • Pick Face – Click the button, then select a single wireframe triangle in the active 3D window. The plane definition is matched to the selected triangle.

      • 3D Section – Clip using any defined 3D section. Select the section from the list.

      Note: The planar selection, in combination with Keep Mode settings (see below) determines which data is clipped and which data remains.

  7. Choose which data is clipped using Keep Mode settings. The options here depend on whether you have chosen Closed volume(s) or Open surface(s) above.

    • If you are using Closed volume(s) to clip string data, the following inclusive options are available:

      • Keep portion within wireframe – Check to retain the data within a closed volume or uncheck to clip it.

      • Keep portion on wireframe – Check to retain the data at the intersection of the wireframe data or uncheck to clip it.

      • Keep portion outside wireframe – Check to retain the data outside a volume or uncheck to clip

    • If you are using Open surface(s) to clip string data, choose one or more

      • Keep portion behind wireframe surface

      • Keep portion on wireframe surface

      • Keep portion in front of wireframe surface

      • Keep portion out of bounds – If checked, data that doesn't lie directly above, on or below the wireframe surface (according to the planar direction) is retained. If unchecked, it is clipped.

      Note: At least one Keep Mode must be selected.

  8. Choose a numeric Tolerance. Data that lies within this distance of the wireframe boundary is clipped, regardless of the 'side' it lies.

  9. Click Clip.

    Selected string data is clipped.

  10. Save your project.

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