Better method of booleaning....

Is there any way to boolean out a section WITHOUT it deforming the object and moving it out of place? I've been booleaning via the collapse function...and lets just say I only do that when its ABSOLUTELY necessary. PLEASE tell me that there is a better method to do this!


btw, I'm using MAX R2.5

Vert, I don't understand what you're trying to do. Why are you moving and deforming the mesh to do a Boolean?

You mis-understand. The boolean function CAUSES objects to deform and resize. I want to know a better way to boolean so I won't have to keep fixing parts of a mesh after booleaning out a section.

See, I'm trying to boolean out some windows for my latest model...but lets just say its a pain in the ass to re-size and re-orient parts of the mesh to where they originally were.

Boolean TOTALLY sucks in Max r2.5. It ain't much better in latter versions. Its Max's weakpoint.

Use shapemerge for windows. Its alot better for that.

I was afraid of that....

ohh well.

I don't understand "Booleaning via the collapse function" .. I always use the boolean under the create tab (create/complex objects/boolean).

Boolean operations have never resized an object for me.

THAT

Ok ... that explains why you are having problems then ... IMO I don't think collapse should be used until you are completly finished with your mesh/part.

Use Max's boolean operations under the create tab, they are much more versitile. I have a screen cap out of MAX V3.1, but if I remember it was very close to the same in 2.5 ... I hope it helps

Shape merge is infinitely better for making windows. It don't mess up. And it won't deform a mesh like boolean.

Follow it with a face extrude modifier (with a negative value so it goes in and not out).

Boom instant window.

Whilst were on the subject of booleans.

Im redoing a ST ship for the ASDB. I originally did it in Truespace which whilst crappy with booleans never gave me th ejip that MAX 3 has.

OK, Its a saucer, I want to cut out 2 rings right through the saucer so it will eventually be in 3 circular pieces from the centre to the edge.

No when I cut them out it makes the mesh full of holes, I do a quick STL, then a cap holes function. And I still have holes.


Any ideas, I dont think that using a shape merge will do the trick??

If its symetrical all around the saucer, then wouldn't you want to make the detail part of a spline before lathing the spline?

A spline can have several non connected "subsplines" (I forget the exact terms).

Or wouldn't that apply? I'm having trouble picturing what the problem is exactly. But I think that's what you mean.


OR:

for the outer pieces set a cross section like spline where you want the ring to be, then lathe. If you set the lathe axis in the center of the saucer the shape will lathe out a ring.

I never thought of using 3 seperate splines [splines were not very good in TS2 ] .

Imagine it to be like a spiders web with the rings, I did not mention that there also some lines comming from the near centre to the outside edge. Id have to show you a pic

I think if I do the seperate splines I could then shapemerge the lines??

Now you have no idea what Im going on about

if you could post a pic that would help.

But if you want the hull to sweep inwards like section of a spiderweb, you could create spline cross-sections and then skin a surface over them.

Does that sound like it would help?

btw just as an example of what splines can do, here is an unfinished model I made of a mothership UFO. Its made of only one spline, lathed, with texturemaps. that's it. Just one spline lathed is the whole mesh.

image1
image2

The object Im doing is a the bottom of the page [Zodiac 5].
The lines on the saucer are cutouts.

Going of your pics its similar in design, me think I will go with th splines, Id still have to sort out the segments later.

http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/asdb/sketches.htm


This is all because of Truespace 2 and it s rubbish splines

Thanks thomas

BTW whats the '7g' for???

That should have read Zodiac #6

sorry, last week was very busy

7g is cause I don't want to be thomas12713

And loosely cause I liked a movie about a computer operator called Garland Operator 7g.

That clears thing up

My first email address I couldnt get anything lower than a 80.

Very lucky to dave-s, cant get it on any other ISP

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Originally posted by EBOLII
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