How To Use The Knife and Bisect Tools in Blender

Writer
Updated on: November 28, 2022

In Blender, there are incredible tools that help you to transform and edit your model in a very neat way. However, when modeling turns a little complex, you may need to do something less accurate and more on the fly. For that kind of situation, you can use two tools. Do you want to know which are and how to use them? Then you’re ready to know about the Knife and the Bisect Tool.

Knife Tool

When you go to Edit Mode, you can unlock some options in the toolbar on your right, but let’s focus first on the Knife Tool, represented by a cube with edge cuts.

Image 52.1

To enable this tool, click on the icon or press K on your keyboard. Once you turn it on, notice that your cursor will become a little knife with a blue square. This tool allows cutting a mesh in a freeway, which means you can choose any point of your model; you only need to click and hover over the mesh as often as you consider and press the Enter key when you’re done to double-check.

Image 52.2

Note: Even if you don’t click on an edge, The knife Tool enables you to make vertices in faces.

Image 52.3

Bisect Tool

You probably won't find the Bisect tool when you go to the toolbar. So the way you can access it by going to the Knife Tool icon, clicking and holding, then dragging the selection down to Bisect. After that, the toolbar will show you the Bisect icon.

Image 52.4

Once you enable it, click and drag whatever point or edge of your model you want to start from, and you will see a line form that shows you a preview of where you will make a cut. Finally to fix the slice, just click again.

Image 52.5

Something remarkable about this tool is that even if you double-check, you can adjust and manipulate the slice you made on the fly. So, notice that after clicking, appear an icon composed of three elements:

  1. The big blue circle can change the cut's orientation, allowing you to rotate it if you want to.
  2. The yellow arrow changes the position of the cut from the very beginning.
  3. The inner yellow circle combines the two options above.
Image 52.6

Note: Remember that if you select a tool from the toolbar and not using a shortcut, you will need to go manually to the selection mode to disable the device you chose before.

Another fantastic thing about the Bisect tool is that it is going to make a slice only in the faces and edges you choose and that, sometimes, it could be more functional than a loop cut affecting your whole model.

Image 52.7

Anyway. You can use these tools in your model to create something more advanced and crazy. Amazing, right?

Lorena M. Rodas leverages her experience across film, writing, and production to make complex tech concepts accessible through storytelling. With a background spanning sci-fi, AI, and emerging tech, Lorena translates her depth of knowledge into engaging, educational content. She is an expert at decoding high-level topics to reach broad audiences.
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