split into independent solids

Tom Foster

After a Subtract operation that leaves a solid as visually two separate parts, they still act as one. How can they be split into two independent solids?

A Slice operation does it, but not it seems if the slice plane passes through the empty space between the 2 parts - it must be on the end plane of one of the 2 parts - but that end may not be planar and you may chop bits off one part, leaving them still as part of the other.

Explode then Stitch does it, but long winded.

Louis_Verdonck

 Dear Tom

The BODY > SEPARATE option of the SOLIDEDIT command does the job. A tool that launches this option sits on the 3D Solid Editing toolbar.

Tom Foster

Thanks Louis, that works, but just to point out that in Help it says
"This option does not work on bodies created through Boolean operations (Union, Intersect, Subtract)."
(but it does)

Knut Hohenberg

I don't know what help wants to tell us here... solidedit / body / separate always worked reliably for me.
But since most users will not discover all the functionality squeezed into solidedit anyway, it would probably do no harm to let DMSIMPLIFY split disjunct solids automatically.

Louis_Verdonck

@Tom Foster:

"This option does not work on bodies created through Boolean operations (Union, Intersect, Subtract)."
(but it does)

The wording is somewhat misleading indeed. It should be understood as follows: "This option cannot be used to reverse the result of boolean operations." I will adjust the description of the Separate option thr Help accordingly.