Which Pathfinder operation would you use to split overlapping shapes into separate pieces?

Which Pathfinder operation would you use to split overlapping shapes into separate pieces?

• A. Unite
• B. Divide
• C. Subtract
• D. Intersect

Answer: (B)

When you want to break overlapping shapes into separate pieces, you need an operation that cuts along every intersection point so each resulting region becomes its own piece. That’s what Divide does: it splits the shapes at their boundaries where they cross, producing multiple independent pieces you can select and edit separately. Unite would merge the shapes into a single form, so you’d lose the separated pieces. Subtract removes the area of one shape from the other, not a collection of pieces. Intersect keeps only the overlapping region, usually creating a single piece. Divide is the one that yields all the individual regions formed by the overlap.

When you want to break overlapping shapes into separate pieces, you need an operation that cuts along every intersection point so each resulting region becomes its own piece. That’s what Divide does: it splits the shapes at their boundaries where they cross, producing multiple independent pieces you can select and edit separately.

Unite would merge the shapes into a single form, so you’d lose the separated pieces. Subtract removes the area of one shape from the other, not a collection of pieces. Intersect keeps only the overlapping region, usually creating a single piece. Divide is the one that yields all the individual regions formed by the overlap.