# How do I break up a body for printing?

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [December 2, 2025, 4:59pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895 "2025-12-02T16:59:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shane2011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Shane2011](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Shane2011)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 4:59pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/1 "2025-12-02T16:59:04Z")

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Hello,

I am new to CAD although have tried many times to learn before. I guess my brain just isn’t wired for this to be intuitive. Anyway, I’ve created a ring with 24 holes spaced equiangular about it. I want to break this up into 6 “segments” if you will so I can print them. I attempted to sketch some alignment tabs to be the break points and then tried Split Body. Needless to say, it failed miserably. Will try to post a photo to better show what I’m after (one segment shown with alignment tabs in Red). I drew the alignment tabs and spaced them equally around the ring. When using split body, I chose the 3 lines/semicircle of the alignment tabs. When executed, it seemed to work as the alignment tabs now show to run through the body but at the other end, Shapr seemed to add it’s own straight line cut and the only way to remove that cut was to delete the entire split body action. I was unable to move the new “segment” from the whole ring so am thinking I didn’t actually execute a split body. I apologize if this isn’t clear as I’m still learning the terminology etc. I see options for using a plane or another object to create the split body profile but what I’m trying to do is draw the shape of the tabs and use that. I could simplify the tabs to just be a 2 line “arrow head” but I don’t believe that will solve my inherent problem. I appreciate fully any advice/help you can lend as searching videos/web didn’t yield much that I could follow/comprehend.  
Thank you!

 ![Image 12-2-25 at 9.57 AM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/6/0/601f34829ec3f94cf7af950f776073a6b1c6ec85.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![Xdrakosha](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/xdrakosha/32/24881_2.png) [@Xdrakosha](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Xdrakosha)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 9:25pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/2 "2025-12-02T21:25:30Z")

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In my opinion, the best way to split it is to design it split from the very beginning 🙂

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/8/2/826aec7946dc829cd11914fe38147f1201a53ae7.png)  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/8/2/82a4e288b054e4a19fa2bad940115f57fca1be29.png)

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**Author:** ![TigerMike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/tigermike/32/32650_2.png) [@TigerMike](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/TigerMike)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/3 "2025-12-02T23:03:46Z")

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I’ll show you how to do what you want. What is the outer and inner dimensions of the ring? Is it your intention to merely index the 6 pieces to form the finished ring? As in gluing them together? Or, is it your intention to interlock the pieces like with a dovetail or puzzle design?

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**Author:** ![Shane2011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Shane2011](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Shane2011)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 12:11am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/4 "2025-12-03T00:11:06Z")

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The inner concentric circle is 380mm in diameter. The outer is 424mm.

The only reason for the interlocking tabs is to align them. They won’t be glued together but instead will be used as a spacer between metal assemblies so there is a bit of wiggle room here. I could instead of having the rounded “tabs”, go with just a \> at each end if that makes sense. They will be interlocked flat in the circle with bolts through metal above and into metal below.

Thank you so much!

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**Author:** ![Shane2011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Shane2011](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Shane2011)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 12:12am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/5 "2025-12-03T00:12:30Z")

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How did you do that? I started with a circle and added my holes, etc, so as to have even pieces. To design just one, I’d probably have to break out the calculator….haha.

Thank you!

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**Author:** ![Xdrakosha](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/xdrakosha/32/24881_2.png) [@Xdrakosha](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Xdrakosha)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 12:14am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/6 "2025-12-03T00:14:42Z")

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> [@Shane2011](#):
>
> How did you do that?

Circular pattern 🙂

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**Author:** ![TigerMike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/tigermike/32/32650_2.png) [@TigerMike](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/TigerMike)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 1:26am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/7 "2025-12-03T01:26:13Z")

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I realize that you are new to CAD and there are many ways to achieve what you want to do. I took your model as initially shown and created a construction plane, rotated it 90° vertical then rotated it 360/48° horizontal so that the split body would occur between holes.

The rest of the video speaks for itself. Note that I subtracted .15mm from the female dovetail end to compensate for 3D printing. All you need to do is import one circle segment into your slicer then make 5 additional copies….then print.

Let me know if any questions.

[https://youtu.be/WWCHY1BpFgs](https://youtu.be/WWCHY1BpFgs)

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**Author:** ![TheBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@TheBum](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/TheBum)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 4:25am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/8 "2025-12-03T04:25:53Z")

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If you’re using Orca as a slicer, it might be easier to do the split in the slicer. Orca supports dovetail joints in its split tool.

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**Author:** ![Xdrakosha](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/xdrakosha/32/24881_2.png) [@Xdrakosha](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Xdrakosha)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 9:47am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/9 "2025-12-03T09:47:30Z")

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I still believe the best way is to draw the correct sketch from the very beginning 🙂

Fully defined sketch:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/a/3/a3da01699b318a203b56c0c61299e8a718b6349f.jpeg)

Joint:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/f/d/fd8c0ca6b2e986a3edc1a6c776ea41df6d104bbe.jpeg)

Full result in 4 history action:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/c/c/cc19b3c8b6f56fcba535d0eef2800c46e7473f26.jpeg)

With tolerance:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/2/c/2c0d6abcd9a4e1c461e4df7e4f778452ea53fa7a.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shane2011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Shane2011](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Shane2011)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:26pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/10 "2025-12-03T14:26:06Z")

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Mike, thank you so much for this! Really appreciate the video as I can follow along and learn from it. I realize there are multiple ways to skin a cat but given this is my first cat, I’m following your tutorial. Thanks again!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shane2011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Shane2011](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Shane2011)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/11 "2025-12-03T14:27:17Z")

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Something to keep in mind. New to 3d printing too so slowly learning that. Using Bambu’s slicer.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shane2011](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Shane2011](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Shane2011)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:30pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/12 "2025-12-03T14:30:00Z")

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I think this was my original approach. Drew it all up in sketch with the alignment tabs but couldn’t figure out how to split the bodies at their junctions. It was doing some wierd things so it’s possible I had other underlying sketch issues.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Xdrakosha](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/xdrakosha/32/24881_2.png) [@Xdrakosha](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Xdrakosha)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-i-break-up-a-body-for-printing/39895/13 "2025-12-03T14:44:02Z")

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> [@Shane2011](#):
>
> but couldn’t figure out how to split the bodies

You don’t need to split. Just select part you want to extrude and extrude it.