FreeCAD Clipping Planes: Inspect Internal Features

Clipping planes in FreeCAD allow you to cut away portions of a 3D model non-destructively to inspect internal cavities, clearances, and hidden geometries without altering the underlying CAD data. This guide provides a straightforward walkthrough on how to activate, configure, and manipulate clipping planes in FreeCAD to perform detailed visual cross-section analyses on your parts and assemblies.

Accessing the Clipping Tool

To activate clipping planes in FreeCAD:

  1. Open the document containing the 3D model you want to inspect.
  2. Navigate to the top menu and select View.
  3. Click on Clipping... from the dropdown menu.

A Clipping panel will appear in the Combo View on the left side of your screen (or as a floating dialog depending on your layout settings).

Setting Up Standard Clipping Planes

The Clipping panel allows you to cut your model along the global coordinate axes:

  • Clipping X, Y, or Z: Check the box next to Clipping X, Clipping Y, or Clipping Z to activate a plane perpendicular to that axis.
  • Adjusting Position: Use the Offset numerical input (or the step arrows) next to the active axis to slide the plane forward or backward through your model.
  • Flipping Direction: Check the Flip box next to an active axis if the tool cuts away the side of the model you want to keep. This inverts the visible side of the cut.

Using View-Based and Custom Clipping

If standard axes do not align with the internal features you need to inspect:

  • Clip view: Check the Clip view option to align a cut plane directly with your current camera angle. This cuts the geometry based on how you are currently looking at the model in the 3D viewport.
  • Combining Planes: You can enable multiple clipping planes simultaneously (for example, combining Clipping X and Clipping Y). This creates quarter-sections or complex box cutaways to reveal nested components in an assembly.

Inspecting and Exiting

While the clipping planes are active, you can still rotate, pan, and zoom around the model using standard navigation controls. You can also measure distances between exposed internal faces using the measurement tools in the Part Workbench.

To return to your normal view:

  1. Uncheck the active clipping plane boxes in the Clipping panel, or simply click the Close button at the bottom of the panel.
  2. The model will instantly restore to its uncut, full visual state without any modifications made to the original geometry.