Cutting mesh structures in Blender

Introduction

3D rendering of a mouse pancreatic β cell showing the complete nucleus (white), all microtubules (red), and cut-outs of insulin secretory granules (light orange), the mitochondria (blue), the Golgi apparatus (green), and the plasma membrane (transparent).

The dataset shown in this tutorial originates from the same publication.

Preparation

Converting volumetric data into meshes

Intro to modifiers in Blender

• Non-destructive operations
• Calculated in the rendering process, but can also be applied to become permanent modifications

Add shape which will be removed from the dataset

Steps:

1. Add a cube, sphere, or any shape that represents the area you want to remove from the dataset.
2. Position the object over the part of the mesh you want to cut.

Use boolean modifier with shape

Boolean Modifier: Used for cutting, union, or intersection operations between meshes.

Steps:

1. Select your mesh object.
2. In the Modifiers tab, add a Boolean modifier.
3. Set the operation to “Difference” and select the cutting object.
4. Apply the modifier to perform the cut permanently.

Hide shape and render

Final Steps:

1. Hide or delete the cutting shape (if you applied the modifier).
2. Render the scene to reveal the internal structures of the mesh.