Create Section View in new drawing

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I have a 3D model and I'd like to export a section view from it to a new drawing. I'm hoping to script this in VBA later so it would be helpful if I could do it through the command line. I've had a look through the online help pages and the forums and couldn't find anything but I thought acad probably has this functionality.

Thanks!

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

What version of AutoCAD are you using? Are you aware of Sections, Live Sectioning, Flatshot, Viewbase, SolProf, etc from the Ribbon? Can you give a bit more detail on what type of sections and output you expect for your new file? 2D views, 3D model, or something else?

For the VBA part of htis I suggest we move your thread to the Customization forum.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I am using AutoCAD 2017. I've looked at those commands but they don't seem to output to a new file.

What I'd like to be able to do is take a section view of the object (say by cutting a slice off a cylindrical tube) and then output that section to a .dwg file which is a 2D drawing when you open it.

The reason I'd like to output it to a new file is so I can run massprop on the section view to get the section properties of the section at that point.

Thanks,

Tom

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous

As an example, I created a column. I then added a section plane to cut through it and then used SECTION, selected the plane and created a 3d solid.  This created result can be placed in the current drawing or create a new file. I can then run MASSPROP on it without issue. Is this what you are treying to get to?

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

I am checking back to see if my post helped you with your problem or if you need additional assistance or information. Please add a post with how you decide to proceed and your results so other Community members may benefit.
Please hit the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

When I run sectionplane I then type in two points (say 0,0,1 and 1,0,1) to try and get a cutting plane but it always draws a vertical plane regardless of the view I'm in at the time, whereas I'd like it to use a cutting plane that's horizontal (ie. with constant z=1 everywhere on the plane). I know two points is not enough to define a plane but it only seems to accept two points as an input. 

I know I could use the orthographic option to align my plane to the top plane and move it by hand but I'd like to be able to do the whole process from the command line as this lends itself to VBA scripting well.

Sorry if that all seems a bit muddled, basically I'm trying to get a cutting plane with z=1 from the command line using sectionplane but can't seem to do it.

Thanks, Tom

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

How about if you try this to see if it works for your process:

Start

• Sectionplane
• Type
• Plane
• Orthographic
• Top

Does that do what you want?

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

I am curious if you tried playing with a script with the command sequence I suggested in my last post?  If that didn't work, then there are other options but I think you will need to post in the customization forum for suggestions.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Hi, sorry for the delay, I've been working on something else for a couple of days.

That method works but I think you have to drag the section plane up and down to adjust its position whereas I was hoping to do it all from the acad command line.

I'll try asking in the VBA forum as they're might be a simpler way to code it.

Thanks,

Tom