modeling-app/docs/kcl/subtract.md

title, excerpt, layout

title	excerpt	layout
subtract	Subtract removes tool solids from base solids, leaving the remaining material.	manual

Subtract removes tool solids from base solids, leaving the remaining material.

Performs a boolean subtraction operation, removing the volume of one or more tool solids from one or more base solids. The result is a new solid representing the material that remains after all tool solids have been cut away. This function is essential for machining simulations, cavity creation, and complex multi-body part modeling.

subtract(
  solids: [[[Solid](/docs/kcl/types/Solid)]](/docs/kcl/types/[Solid](/docs/kcl/types/Solid)),
  tools: [[[Solid](/docs/kcl/types/Solid)]](/docs/kcl/types/[Solid](/docs/kcl/types/Solid)),
  tolerance?: [number](/docs/kcl/types/number),
): [[[Solid](/docs/kcl/types/Solid)]](/docs/kcl/types/[Solid](/docs/kcl/types/Solid))

Arguments

Name	Type	Description	Required
solids	[Solid]	The solids to use as the base to subtract from.	Yes
tools	[Solid]	The solids to subtract.	Yes
tolerance	number	The tolerance to use for the subtraction operation.	No

Returns

[Solid]

Examples

// Subtract a cylinder from a cube using the stdlib functions.


fn cube(center, size) {
  return startSketchOn(XY)
    |> startProfile(at = [center[0] - size, center[1] - size])
    |> line(endAbsolute = [center[0] + size, center[1] - size])
    |> line(endAbsolute = [center[0] + size, center[1] + size])
    |> line(endAbsolute = [center[0] - size, center[1] + size])
    |> close()
    |> extrude(length = 10)
}

part001 = cube([0, 0], 10)
part002 = cube([7, 3], 5)
  |> translate(z = 1)

subtractedPart = subtract([part001], tools = [part002])

// Subtract a cylinder from a cube using operators.
// NOTE: This will not work when using codemods through the UI.
// Codemods will generate the stdlib function call instead.


fn cube(center, size) {
  return startSketchOn(XY)
    |> startProfile(at = [center[0] - size, center[1] - size])
    |> line(endAbsolute = [center[0] + size, center[1] - size])
    |> line(endAbsolute = [center[0] + size, center[1] + size])
    |> line(endAbsolute = [center[0] - size, center[1] + size])
    |> close()
    |> extrude(length = 10)
}

part001 = cube([0, 0], 10)
part002 = cube([7, 3], 5)
  |> translate(z = 1)

// This is the equivalent of: subtract([part001], tools=[part002])
subtractedPart = part001 - part002