The image shows pillar09 from the Column Kit. The middle pillar is as imported into Bryce with a wood texture added.
 

The left two pillars are duplicates of the middle one. After selecting both,  I clicked on the "U" box to ungroup them (Shape Magic objects have 5 parts: a top and bottom face and 3 segments. When imported into Bryce, all 5 parts are combined into one group).While still selected, I typed the letter "p" to make them boolean positive. I then created a box and positioned it to partially cut away part of the two pillars. While the box was selected, I typed the letter "n" to make it boolean negative. For the first pillar, I selected all parts and clicked on the "E" box, then clicked on the "Solid When Boolean Rendering" so the check mark appears. Finally, I selected all parts of the two pillars and the box, then clicked on the "G" box to group them. This allows the negative box to cut away part of the positive pillars.

The image shows what you get.The first pillar shows the 3 segments and the end faces interfering with each other. Not good! Compare this to the last pillar on the right which shows the box correctly cutting away the pillar (I"ll tell you how in a moment). If  "Solid When Boolean Rendering" is not turned on, everything is OK. One gets the hollow cut-away one would expect (the second and fourth pillar are identical). So for hollow objects, nothing special needs to be done but for solid objects, you have to edit the .obj file.

How to edit? I use Wordpad to open  filename.obj. Use the find option and look for the letter "g". Each time you find it, delete the line it is in (for example, "g bottom_end_face"). This removes the grouping. Save the file.

Now import the modified file into Bryce and make a duplicate. After selecting both pillars,  type the letter "p" to make them boolean positive. Create another box and position it to partially cut away part of the two pillars. While the box is still selected, type the letter "n" to make it boolean negative. For the second pillar, click on the "E" box, then click on the "Solid When Boolean Rendering" so the check mark appears. Finally, select both pillars and the box, and click on the "G" box to group them. This allows the negative box to cut away part of the positive pillars. The image shows what you get. The last pillar shows that the interferences are now gone, just as we want.
 

This image shows how one can make a cage using this technique. Pillar 13a and 13b were used from the .smg Column Kit. The left pillar shows them superimposed over each other. The right pillar shows the same except a negative cylinder was used to cut out the middle with "Solid When Boolean Rendering" set on.

 These models were made with Shape Magic - Learn more at www.shapemagic.com

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