Knife cut
Draw cuts on editable mesh faces to add edges where a regular loop cut is not suitable.
Before you start
Select an editable mesh and enter mesh edit mode in the modeling workspace. Work from a view where the intended face and cut endpoints are visible.
Use the operation
Place a custom edge path across existing faces.
- Press K with the modeling viewport focused to start Knife.
- Click the start and subsequent points on the mesh. Inspect the displayed path after each point.
- Hold Shift when an edge midpoint is the intended target. Use Backspace or Delete to remove the last placed point.
- Press Enter to commit the path or Escape to cancel, then inspect the new topology.
Controls and choices
| Controls | What changes |
|---|---|
| Cut points | Define the route across the visible mesh. A valid route needs enough points to form a cut. |
| Midpoint snapping | Shift requests edge-midpoint snapping while positioning a cut point. |
| Confirm / cancel | Enter commits the current path; Escape abandons the active cut. Backspace removes only the last point. |
Try it in your scene
Make a short cut across one visible face, confirm it, and inspect the resulting edges before making another cut.
Check the result
Inspect where the path enters and exits each face. Very short segments and intersections near existing vertices can produce difficult topology. Do not assume a visible cut automatically passes through the back of the object; inspect the opposite surface separately.
Practice in Show3D
Open the editor and follow the steps with your own scene.