Clip planes are a  X3D 3.2 feature, so viewers written for the 3.0 specification don't show them. Octaga does though and the Xj3d development snapshots do.  There may be more.

But yes, for now, you should give up on the idea of printing a clipped model.

    -- Greg

On 05/13/2010 05:44 PM, Daniel Gurnon wrote:
Thanks Greg. I viewed the file with BS Contact and it was fine; Adobe 3D reviewer is the problem. For clip planes, you suggest X3D, but clip planes don't seem to work for that format either. Even if it works, the Zcorp printer does not read X3D- only VRML, PLY, 3DS, and ZPR.  Should I give up on the idea of printing a clipped model?

On Thu, May 13, 2010 at 2:35 PM, Greg Couch <gregc@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
On 05/13/2010 11:18 AM, Daniel Gurnon wrote:
Hi all,
I'm thinking of the 3D printing of physical models, and how informative clipping planes can be....would it be feasible to add capped-clip planes to vrml output?


Alas, VRML does not support clip planes, you have to use X3D.  Does Adobe 3D reviewer have X3D support?


I also ran into a problem when I exported a surface to vrml and tried to view it with Adobe 3D reviewer. The color information didn't transfer. This isn't a problem when saving ribbons or bonds as vrml.
Dan

Double check that the surface displays correctly in a VRML viewer, eg., BS Contact, Octaga, etc.  And if it does (and I predict it will), then the bug is in the Adobe 3D reviewer's VRML import code.

   - Greg




--
____________________________

Daniel Gurnon, Ph. D.
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
DePauw University
Greencastle, IN 46135

p: 765-658-6279
e: danielgurnon@depauw.edu