Tech Tip: How to Split a Face or a Part without Creating Planes or Sketches

This Onshape Tech Tip teaches you how to split a face or a part with only one feature.

Split Feature

The Split feature is commonly used to improve boundary conditions or patches with poor qualities in surface modeling. It is also used in multi-part design to quickly generate new parts that share common geometry. Usually, a plane or sketch is created and used to split an entity.

In Onshape, this workflow is further simplified by using Mate connectors in the feature for a simple split operation.

RELATED: How to Use Mate Connectors On-the-Fly for Sketch Planes

Splitting a Face

While inside the Split dialog, click the Mate connector icon to select a point on geometry in the graphics area to place an implicit Mate connector. Hovering near any of the points displays the Mate connector icon. Click the point where you want to anchor the Mate connector. Preview the split result. The blue axis represents the normal vector to the plane that splits the face. You can also select multiple Mate connectors to perform multiple split operations, all in one feature.

If the existing Mate connector point does not meet your requirements, click the smaller Mate connector icon next to the selection to bring up additional parameters that adjust the Mate connector’s position and orientation. For example, select Move to adjust the Mate connector’s six degrees of freedom. 

Splitting a Part

You can use the same technique when splitting parts. Use the Mate connector created on the part to be split, or use a Mate connector on another part or on the origin. 

You can use between entities to place the Mate connector in negative space, without having to create a midplane measurement from both faces.

This Tech Tip helped you explore Onshape’s Split feature and how Mate connectors can be used to split faces and parts. Watch the video below for more:

For additional learning materials, explore our training courses and videos on surface modeling and other ways to use Mate connectors in the Onshape Learning Center, Help menu, and in this Technical Briefing.

Interested in learning more Onshape Tech Tips? You can review the most recent technical blogs here.