Cut-Out

Mod-Roof > Cut-Out

This command allows you to cut out holes and parts of existing roof planes.

You would commonly use this to cut out the second storey shape from the first storey roof. You can however use this command at any time to cut out sections of roof planes.

The Cut-Out defaults dialog is first displayed, from which you set the method of defining the cut-out shape and how you want to select the plane to cut-out.

You can define the cut-out area as follows:

Digitising the Cut-out Allows you to digitise around the required outline, normally by “Snapping” to existing wall outline.
Tracking the Cut-out Allows you to track around the required cut-out shape.
Auto-Tracking the Cut-out Will only work if a closed polygon or series of connecting lines exist as defined around existing line work, e.g. second storey wall outline. By selecting the first line of the required outline, the outline is automatically generated around remainder of closed outline.
Rectangular Area allows for the automatic specification of a rectangular cut-out shape of a given area.  Once the user has entered the required area, they can then specify whether the rectangular shape area should be calculated on the roof pitch or the flat.

Once [OK] is selected, the user then simply drags the rectangle shape over the required roof plane and the rectangle orients itself on that roof plane based on the roof pitch.  Function keys F1 to F4 can be used to make the rectangle wider or higher, depending on the requirements.

This function is going to be of considerable benefit to solar tile specifiers who can calculate an area of a roof to place solar tiles within and have the area maintained and changed to Shingle or Shake plane type so that solar tiles can be estimated at the same time as normal tiles.

You can select the roof planes as follows:

Using Visible Roof Planes

Will automatically select and cut out any visible roof plane within the cut-out boundary.

Selecting the Roof Planes to Cut-out

This option allows you to manually select the roof planes to cut out.
Note that only the planes within the cut-out boundary will be cut-out.

Selecting the Storey to Cut-out

This option allows you to select the specific storey(s) to be cut out during the actual ‘cut out’ phase of the process from a list in the dialog box (as shown here).

If you set the command to ‘Select the visible roof planes”, you can use Tools > Set-Display to change the screen display (eg turn off second storey roof and first storey walls), so only the required roof planes are displayed, that is, the ones that will be cut-out.

You can choose what you want to happen to the new roof planes within the cut-out boundary. That is, you can choose to delete them to create the cut-out, or you can choose to keep them. You would keep them if they were useful in forming new roof geometry.

After you select click [OK], you then digitise, track or auto-track around the cut-out shape. After you close the outline, you then need to confirm that you want the visible roof planes cut-out. Select the planes or storey(s) to cut. When you do, then all the selected roof planes are tested against the cut-out shape. The parts of the roof planes within the cut-out area are deleted. This diagram shows a complex hip roof with the cut-out shape drawn dotted. You can see in the after result that the line work (and roof planes) have been clipped to the cut out shape.

You can see in this isometric view how the cut out shape tracks along the roof line .

Note: You may also type U/D/R/L and an exact measurement in the required direction and use C to close the outline square while in this command.