Boolean Problem - yea I know...

[3darchitect]

Yea, I know this is another boolean thread, but I have a specific questions. For some reason, whenever I try to draw a shape using splines or improrted splines from ADT, and then extrude then, the boolean function doesn't work. It only seems to work with the shapes you draw right in 3ds (I'm using 3ds 8). But I'm more confused b/c I've done this sort of thing before at it has worked. Are some of my settings messed up or something? This is pretty important b/c the project I'm working on is coming from ADT and I really don't want to draw the whole thing by hand in 3ds when I can just import most of it. Thanks!

[Virgil Johnson]

I saw your other thread and probably like many others let it lie.

Booleans are a nasty business as far I am concerned and I avoid them.

 

Ted Boardman (tbmax.com) has a bit of information in his "mapping" tutorial and it might help.

 

Other thought is are the splines (shapes) coming into Max valid?

There might be gaps or crossovers that you may not be aware of.

(Shapecheck under Utilities>more>shapecheck) may help.

 

Are vertices welded?

 

Maybe you have to subdivide some places?

 

With booleans I try to make it as simple for Max as I can.

 

Maybe break the walls into separate objects and try to find a problem on a simpler level?

 

I also don't like to have too many compound boolean operations. Things go wrong fast.

 

Are you at UW-M?

 

virgil

[Tommy L]

When you do a boolean operation you have to collapse the mesh straight after, or you head into unchartered waters (at least, that was the case when I last used them in Viz 2004 or something).

My advice, learn another way of modelling. In your last thread you were asking about making windows etc. This is the worst way to model the basics. Usually, Booleans are a last resort.

[3darchitect]

I'm a freshman at UW Milwaukee studying architecture. My internship has "forced" me into rendering - I love it, but figuring everything out on my own is difficult. I'm actually just using a box with lots of divisions for the core of the building and its work out so far. The thing w/ the boolean is that I'm still not sure why it doens't work any more. Even if I don't use imported splines and just draw some splines directly from 3ds and extrude them, it still doesn't work

[Tommy L]

Listen man, just dont use booleans. When you understand how max geometry works, they will make more sense and you will know why not to use them. Right now they will just annoy you into not wanting to use them. It seems like youve opened a toolbox, picked up a wrench and said "how do I make this turn a screw" and when the mechanic says "use a screwdriver" you've said "but how does the wrench turn a screw"

Does this make sense?

[Virgil Johnson]

Liked UW-M myself. Did graduate work there in the early 70s so I suppose things have changed a bit.

 

First. Try out Ted Boardmans videos on compound shapes. Helps avoid booleans.

 

I go along with Tommy L's way of thinking.

 

On problems.

Are you trying the operations that fail in a new drawing or the existing not- working drawing?

Sometimes the drawing contains a problem that does not appear in a new drawing.

 

Maybe it might be time for a reload of Max to get things working.

 

Just guessing at this point of course.

 

Virgil

[richmondlu]

I do 3d work in milwaukee i could help you out a bit if needed i am a maya user but i know max, carrara, cobalt and they are all usally the same. Actually we will be down there for the whole job fair thingy looking for an architect.

Where you interning at?

[3darchitect]

OMG that would be awesome!! sorry....I've been looking for someone in my area for while now to help me. I asked at UWM, but they said since it isn't taught there, that its just random if they get a student that knows 3ds. I really just need someone who can work w/ me on specific problems one-on-one. Send me an email through CGarchitect and we can talk more - thank you so much in advance! And yes, I've pretty much given up booleans

 

PS - I realized I don't have any contact info on CGarchitect, so send an email to lkholdmann@gmail.com - thanks!

[wda]

I'm a freshman at UW Milwaukee studying architecture. My internship has "forced" me into rendering - I love it, but figuring everything out on my own is difficult. I'm actually just using a box with lots of divisions for the core of the building and its work out so far. The thing w/ the boolean is that I'm still not sure why it doens't work any more. Even if I don't use imported splines and just draw some splines directly from 3ds and extrude them, it still doesn't work

 

Hey Luke,

 

Ya booleans generally are to be avoided....but they should work. Are you using Boolean or ProBoolean...there is a "procedural difference" between the two that might one think 'Pro' is brken compared to the standard Booleans

 

....more folks from the Milwuakee area. Move to Dallas and the Milwaukeans start appearing in the forums ;(

 

Wax

[Brian Smith]

I for one still love booleans. When used in conjunction with lofts, i still believe it's the best and fastest way to get the job done on numerous types of objects.

[redzuan3828]

I for one still love booleans. When used in conjunction with lofts, i still believe it's the best and fastest way to get the job done on numerous types of objects.

 

I agree with you Brian especially when I done my wall line and opening setting in autocad. For my opinion it much faster for me.

 

My workflow for modeling

 

1) cleanup autocad drawing By redraw back line wall and put in one layer call

3d wall. (it fast because i'm daily use autocad)

 

2) draw rectangule in every window and door opening. put different window &

door in different layer because it easy to handle in 3ds max Window and

door. Job done in Autocad.

 

3) Go to 3ds max and import file. Select wall line in 3d wall layer and exture

it (3600mm).

 

4) Select rectangle line done in Autocad before, give height (300-900mm) for

every type of window then exture

 

5) finally boolean wall and opening then convert to editable mesh. Job done

for wall and opening.

 

 

what do you think Brian:confused:

 

I'm not go through big project yet... I try this workflow base on my own research then use my imagenation. I also have done editable spine technic but i think this want faster because i'm take advantage on my Autocad 2d skill knowleage.... take time to clean up line in Autocad before export to 3ds max

 

or somebody can share their opinian:)

 

thanks

 

redzuan

[mnemeth]

redzuan, did you know that you can combine the window & door splines with the wall spline and extrude all at once? The window & door holes will be there, and if you just add an edit mesh modifier rather than convert to editable mesh, you can go back to the spline level, move any of the window or door splines and voila, the change will be made cleanly & easily. Sometimes this keeps less faces than adding or joining with booleans.

[redzuan3828]

redzuan, did you know that you can combine the window & door splines with the wall spline and extrude all at once? The window & door holes will be there, and if you just add an edit mesh modifier rather than convert to editable mesh, you can go back to the spline level, move any of the window or door splines and voila, the change will be made cleanly & easily. Sometimes this keeps less faces than adding or joining with booleans.

 

 

yeah...good idea i don't no that. I will use edit mesh modifier better thanks mnemeth i love this forum:D

[batteryoperatedlettuce]

if you cut holes by attaching one spline inside another, you still get nasty diaganol lines radiating from the corners of the windows when you convert to poly. Sometimes these appear on a rendering.

 

Be safe and do it my way. I trace the bit of the plan which makes the wall, adding vertexs at the window openings, extrude, copy it and stick one bit out of the way somewhere.

 

Then I connect the verticies on either side of the opening, and extrude the bits surrounding them, slap the other bit on top and delete the coplanar faces then weild it all together.

 

you need about twenty keyboard shortcuts to do it quickly, but it keeps the models nice and clean.

[Alan Hymes]

I most often convert a shape (Door/window) to a poly and extrude. Go back and cap the one end and then boolean. Boolean are a little finicky sometimes.

Objects closed, verts welded, faces unified help things a lot before the operation. I like "refine" rather tahn A-B. Try using that.

[Brian Smith]

We'll be doing a Visualization Insider article on this very subject shortly, in case you're interested.

[redzuan3828]

We'll be doing a Visualization Insider article on this very subject shortly, in case you're interested.

 

that was good brian... more technic I know, more flexible I'm to model the building. thanks guy:D