Loop Slice

Loop Slice is a powerful tool that lets you slice additional edge loops into your geometry. Loop Slice is found in the Model layout Toolbox, under the Mesh Edit sub-tab. It is also found in the Topology layout, under the Tools sub-tab. In addition, you can also activate it by choosing Geometry > Slice > Loop.

Usage

To use, simply select two adjoining polygons to define the loop, and activate the tool by clicking the button then clicking in the 3D viewport. When active, a purple bar appears toward the top of the viewport, which you can manipulate to modify the slicing. The small yellow triangle is the currently-active slice when modifying. The far end dots can be dragged to change the size of the input bar. In addition, you can enable the Select New Polygon option for better visibility of the polygons, which you are manipulating.

Click the image below to view the animation.

Loop Slice Properties

Edit

Defines what function the mouse plays: Move repositions the slice within the loop by hauling in the viewport or dragging on the slice indicator, Add creates additional slices when clicking on the indicator bar, and Remove deletes them.

Mode

Defines how Modo creates and positions slices: Free allows any position along the indicator bar, Uniform evenly spaces the slices within the loop, and Symmetry mirrors the loop slices over the 50% position.

Current

Denotes which slice is the active slice for editing. Slices are numbered sequentially left to right in the input bar.

Count

The total number of slices added to the loop.

Uniform

Clicking this button automatically repositions Freely spaced spans evenly across the width of the loop.

Position

Slice position expressed as a spacing percentage in relation to the loop width. 50% is the center.

Length

Controls the length in pixels of the purple slice input bar in the viewport.

Slider X/Y

Controls the position of the input bar in the viewport.

Slice Selected

Restricts the slice to only the selected portion of the mesh, rather than using the selection to simply determine the loop to cut. This setting respects corners as well.

Keep Quads

Forces all new polys to be quadrangular inside the sliced area.

Slice N-gon

When this option is enabed, Modo attempts to continue a loop slice across polygons with more than four sides. For better control over how Loop Slice slices across the N-gon, select the loop as you wish it to be sliced and enable the Slice Selected option.

Reverse Direction

If this option is enabled, the 1D profile is evaluated from top to bottom.

Reverse Inset

If this option is enabled, Inset is reversed.

Keep Aspect

Automatically sets the Inset value based on the aspect ratio of the profile.

Preserve Curvature

The new position is computed along a curve through the edges to maintain the overall curvature or surface continuity. Once enabled, the Tension setting becomes available, controlling the tightness of the curvature preservation.

Tension

Determines the strength of the curvature preservation. The default value of 100% calculates the curvature similar to a spline generated along the edge's length, placing the new vertex appropriately, where a value of 0% would be like disabling the Preserve Curvature option. Negative values inset the curvature and higher values further offset the vertex out from the curve's position.

Inset

Specifies the offset amount of X direction of 1D profile.

Select New Polygon

When enabled, provides better visibility to see the selected polygons. A guide color is displayed for the slicing edges of the selected polygons.

Split

When the Split option is enabled the resulting 'loop' split the surface, producing two distinct overlapping edges, rather than a single connected edge.

Cap Sections

When using the Split option, the Cap Sections option can be added to create a single polygon "cap" connected to the two resulting edge loops, in effect closing off the two new edges.

Gap

When splitting surfaces, the Gap option defines a width around the split line, in effect thickening the width of the resulting cut by the defined value.

Profiles

Profile

A mini Preset Browser for viewing various profiles. Works the same as the standard Preset Browser. You can simply click on a profile to load that particular shape as a Loop Slice cutter. Has the effect of what a router does when cutting in to and engraving a wood panel.