STEP BY STEP MAKE A CUTAWAY FOR ILLUSTRATION
01 MODELLING OR SCULPTING
Nomad Sculpt is a great alternative to Zbrush, and much cheaper too! While it doesn’t have the tools for manipulating geometry by component parts like points, edges or faces, it has amazing options for creating complex shapes. In this example we’ll create a cutaway flower. Here you can see the Tube tool being used in order to define the shape of the ovary, found at the back of the flower.
02 BUILD YOUR MODEL WITH A CUTAWAY IN MIND
In 3D we often just create models that look good on camera from the outside. But with cutaways, it’s safe to assume that at some point you’re going to reveal the internal organs or inner workings of the subject. Be sure to build each part with that in mind, and focus on the details that may be revealed later.
03 TRANSPARENCY
As you’re modelling, you can switch the transparency on and off per model by going to the Shader tab in the top panel. Switch any material you have selected from Opaque to Blending. Once you’ve done that, you can use the slider to set the transparency for each model. This gives you a great idea of how the inner workings are looking without deleting geometry.
04 CUTTING AWAY
To cut geometry away there are two options: Split or Trim. Split will separate your model at the area you define based on a shape and ultimately leave you with two separate models. You can then lower the opacity of the cut part. Trim literally deletes the parts you select, leaving a gap based on the shape you want. Remember that using Trim is destructive, so you aren't getting that part back!