Exterior sectioning lets you divide the front of a product — such as the face of a cabinet — into separate openings. You add a split across the opening to create side-by-side or stacked sections, set the reveals between them, and then generate a door or a drawer box on each section. This article covers how to section an exterior opening and what to do with the sections you create.
Good to know: Exterior sectioning works in the 3D view and the Wall Elevation view. There are two split commands — Exterior split vertical and Exterior split horizontal — and you can start either one from the Tools tab or the command line. |
Section the exterior opening
ENGINEERING has two exterior split commands. Pick the one that matches the direction you want to divide the front:
• Exterior split vertical — adds one or more vertical dividers, splitting the opening left-to-right into side-by-side sections.
• Exterior split horizontal — adds one or more horizontal dividers, splitting the opening top-to-bottom into stacked sections.
Start a command from the Tools tab
1. Open the Tools tab.
2. Under Modify Products, click Exterior split vertical or Exterior split horizontal.
Start a command from the command line
If you prefer the keyboard, type the command name into the command line:
• EOSPLITV — Exterior split vertical.
• EOSPLITH — Exterior split horizontal.
Add the split
1. With the split command active, click the exterior opening on the front of the product you want to divide.
2. ENGINEERING adds the split and creates the sections. The split stays selected so you can adjust it right away.
3. Press Esc when you are done adding splits.
Tip: Starting a command switches selection to exterior openings automatically, so your clicks land on the front of the product. |
Adjust the split
Select a split to open its properties on the right. From there you control how many sections it makes, where it sits, and what divider it uses:
Setting | What it does | Options |
Orientation | Shows the direction of the split. | Vertical or Horizontal |
Part Type | Sets the divider used between sections — choose None for a reveal gap with no physical part. | None, Default, or a specific part type |
Position | Anchors the split to a side of the opening. | Vertical: Left, Right, Center; Horizontal: Bottom, Top, Center |
Offset | Distance from the chosen position. | Enter a distance (hidden when Position is Center) |
Count | Number of sections to create. | Enter a count |
Width | Optional override for the divider width. | Enter a width, or leave blank for default |
Note: Choosing None for Part Type splits the opening with a reveal gap and no physical divider. Choose Default to use the divider defined in the product's construction method, or pick a specific part type. |
Set the reveals
Reveals are the gaps around and between the sections on the front of the product. Their sizes come from the product's construction schedule, not from the split itself — so a single setting keeps every opening consistent.
Open the construction schedule and expand the Reveals section to set each gap:
Reveal | Where it applies |
Top | Gap at the top of the opening. |
Bottom | Gap at the bottom of the opening. |
Left | Gap at the left of the opening. |
Right | Gap at the right of the opening. |
Horizontal | Gap between sections split top-to-bottom. |
Vertical | Gap between sections split left-to-right. |
Good to know: If the construction schedule uses a face-frame construction, this section is labeled Face Frame and sets the stile and rail sizes instead of reveals. |
Generate a door
Once an opening is the size you want, select it and use its properties to generate a door (or any front part) on it:
1. Select the exterior opening.
2. Set Part Type to Default to use the product's default door, or pick a specific part type. Choose Don't generate to leave the opening empty.
3. Set Handing to control which way the door swings: Left, Right, Top, Bottom, or None.
Tip: Handing only appears once a Part Type is selected. You can also rename an opening using its Name and Description fields. |
Generate a drawer box
An opening can also generate a drawer box behind its front. Select the opening and turn on Generate Drawer Box, then set the schedules that define the box and its guides. Leave any field on Inherit to use the product's defaults.
Setting | What it does |
Generate Drawer Box | Turns drawer box generation on for the opening. |
Box Schedule Type | Schedule type used for the drawer box. |
Box Construction Schedule | Construction schedule for the box (matches the box schedule type). |
Box Material Schedule | Material schedule for the box. |
Guides Schedule Type | Schedule type used for the drawer guides. |
Guides Material Schedule | Material schedule for the guides. |
Guides Part Type | Part type used for the guides. |
Note: Drawer box options are available on standalone products. They are hidden when the selected product is a sub-assembly. |
Quick checklist
• Choose Exterior split vertical or Exterior split horizontal — from the Tools tab or the command line (EOSPLITV / EOSPLITH).
• Click the exterior opening to add the split and create sections.
• Set Part Type, Position, Offset, and Count to control the sections and dividers.
• Set reveal sizes in the construction schedule's Reveals section.
• Select an opening and set Part Type plus Handing to generate a door.
• Turn on Generate Drawer Box and set the box and guide schedules to add a drawer box.