If you want to modify the shape of a plate that was added by the component Plate, you can insert a modification component called Plate cut. One plate can be modified by one or more plate cuts.
To Cut
In the first category of the "Component settings", you can define the plate to be cut, followed by the type of cut. There are four types of cuts: By plate, By member plate, By member, and By auxiliary plane. A more detailed description of particular types of cuts can be found below. The last row determines the reference object governing for the modification process.
Cutting Settings
The input details differ in some respects, depending on the type of cut.
By Plate
The first line of additional settings for the By plate type of cut controls the Cutting method. The first of the two available methods is the Plane, within which the cut is guided by the closest surface of the reference plate. The latter method, Surface, cuts off only the intersection parts of both plates.
By choosing Plane, two more options appear. Firstly, the Remaining part needs to be specified, with the possibilities comprised of Front and Rear.
Furthermore, you can choose which Cutting plane is the controlling one, whether it is Closer or Farther from the subjected plate side. The default status is Closer as it is the more common case.
For both cutting methods—Plane and Surface—it is also possible to set an Offset of the cut, in which the actual cutting takes place. Both positive and negative values are allowed.
When using the cutting method Surface, it may happen that the cut plate is split into two parts. In that case, you have to specify the remaining part. To do so, the additional setting includes a new line where the remaining part can be chosen by a number that is displayed in the graphics. This possibility can be seen on the left image below for the reference plate Plate 1 when the cut plate is Plate 2. By comparison, you can see the same setting for the Surface cutting method in the image to the right; only the cut plate and the reference plate are switched. In that case, the cut plate stays in one piece. So there is no need to define the remaining part.
By Member Plate
The type of cut By member plate is similar to cutting By plate. The difference is that the reference plate has to be a part of a member.
Additional settings for this type of cut are almost the same as for the By plate type of cut; only the cutting method is left out. The first decision you have to make is whether the Front or the Rear part should remain.
The second option is to define the cutting plane; either the Closer or Farther face of the reference plate.
Even for this type of cut, it is also possible to set an Offset of the cut in which the actual cutting takes place, where both positive and negative values are allowed.
By Member
Plates can also be cut via a member. In that case, the cutting method is only by Surface, with the only additional setting being the Offset of the cut. In a case when the cut plate is split in two parts, a new line appears to define the remaining part (just as in the case of the By plate type of cut).
By Auxiliary Plane
The cutting plate By auxiliary plane is similar to cutting by member plate. As the auxiliary plane has no thickness, the option Cutting plane is left out and only the Remaining part is to be specified. The possibilities are again Front and Rear.
For the By auxiliary plane type of cut, you can also choose an Offset of the actual cut from the auxiliary plane by entering positive or negative values.
Welds
In cases where the cut creates a contact between plates, you can define a weld in the Welds category. The definition contains a checkbox controlling whether the weld should be used, a weld type combo box, and for the fillet weld option, the weld thickness.
