STEP BY STEP USE LIVE BOOLEANS TO SPLIT A MODEL

03 01 PREPARE TO USE BOOLEANS

To use the Boolean function, it's always a good plan to work out where you want to separate the model. I often just paint it where I think the logical split needs to be. You can use the Masking tool and Floor Fill areas to give you an idea of the split lines. Notice in this image the arms come a lot lower than the body, so we need to work that bit out before committing to a Boolean.

02 CUTTING TOOL

You can use any model as the initial Cutting tool. All you need to do is cover one half of the model with the Cutting tool made from basic geometry. Here I'm using a cube. Once I have the initial portion covered over, not including the arms, I duplicate (Ctrl and drag) the cube and cover the rest of the model’s lower half. I then Dynamesh to combine those all into one model.

04 03 TURN LIVE BOOLEAN ON

Hit the Live Boolean button in the top-left of the menu, then go to the Cutting tool Subtool and select the second icon across (the two small circles), which is for the Subtraction operation. This is where you can see if you have any errors. If you do, then move the cutting model around until the removed geometry is perfect for your requirements.

04 MAKE THE CHANGES PERMANENT

You’ll want to make sure the model and Cutting tool are in a folder in the Subtool menu. Click on the gear icon and use Boolean Folder, which will create the finished half. Now go back and use the Subtraction operation again, invert the cube to the other half and make that one permanent too. With that, you’ll now have the two halves of your model split up in exactly the right place.