boolean tool.

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

does anyone know of a better 3rd party boolean tool than the ProBoolean that is included with Max? i am tired of not getting the results i want.

[Chad Warner]

npower makes some boolean tools, but I don't know how good they are.

[Brian Smith]

what cant you do...or what results are you talking about?

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

it seems like about 20% of the time i am booleaning something i won't get the results i am hoping for. it is sad i have to even use the word hoping when i am attempting booleans. i will try to do a intersection, and wind up with only a face on one of the object that should have been deleted, and nothing else. ...or i am trying to do a subtraction, and wind up with no objects at all.

 

often i try to boolen fairly complicated objects. i originally learned to model in FormZ, and became used to relying on its rock solid booleaning for creating certain things. if i had to well built objects, it would boolean them without hesitation. Max tends to frustrate me when it is finicky about booleaning.

 

it seems to be most frequest when i am doing site work. i don't have a ample file off hand. if i get a chance tomorrow, maybe i will post a file when the problem pops up.

[alrawli]

I came from formz originally and at first was frustrated with max's booleans also. I tend to try and use boolean as a last resort now and will try to directly model the object. Theres a useful modifier to use in max when using booleans, one you convert your boolean object back to a poly go to the modifier list and add a 'Turn to poly' modifier onto the object and check the 'limit poly size' button. This remeshes the object and joins up any vertexes that are not attached, saves going in by hand and trying to clean up the object. Give it a shot and see how it goes its helped me when ive had to use booleans.

 

After working in max for 4/5 years now i couldnt go back to formz.

[Eric Sosa]

max standard boolean is a "pain in the but" if you ask me. I always try to avoid it, tho sometimes the deadlines rush make you use them. I always convert the boolean to edit mesh or edit poly.

 

for straigth shapes, I always use rectangulars and outlined and extruded splines.

 

for rounded shapes or natural/animal shapes I always leave it to the very last moment, knowing that I may have to deal with texture problems.

 

extrude by materials is also a tool to avoid the boolean...oohh, booleans how I much I hate them

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

i tend to cut sidewalks and mulch beds via booleans, and sometimes the shape of the piece of ground i am cutting the out of is fairly intricate because it follows the road around turns and such. regular boolean rarely works in these cases, and my problems with proboolean are as stated above. using imprint and applying the shader at face level typically works, old habits always make me feel better when i have to separate objects.

 

thanks for the info on npower Chad. i still haven't located the price for their power booleans. the only thing i found was their upgrade package for $1100. it looks like they do have a demo version, so maybe i will try that tomorrow.

 

http://npowersoftware.com/booleans/pboverview.htm

[Chad Warner]

I have had nothing but issues with Max Booleans, but I have had decent luck with the "cut--split" option that Brian at ATS talks about. Otherwise, I use shapemerge.

[Brian Smith]

it seems like about 20% of the time i am booleaning something i won't get the results i am hoping for. it is sad i have to even use the word hoping when i am attempting booleans. i will try to do a intersection, and wind up with only a face on one of the object that should have been deleted, and nothing else. ...or i am trying to do a subtraction, and wind up with no objects at all.

 

often i try to boolen fairly complicated objects. i originally learned to model in FormZ, and became used to relying on its rock solid booleaning for creating certain things. if i had to well built objects, it would boolean them without hesitation. Max tends to frustrate me when it is finicky about booleaning.

 

it seems to be most frequest when i am doing site work. i don't have a ample file off hand. if i get a chance tomorrow, maybe i will post a file when the problem pops up.

 

you might try reseting the xform...you might try subdividing the mesh first and optimizing/removing edges later...maybe detach all faces of the object to a new object and then do the boolean....collaspe to a mesh or poly before any of this as well

[Eric Sosa]

... Otherwise, I use shapemerge.

yep...great, I just cound't remember: SHAPEMERGE!!

[Guest nazcaLine]

i never use booleans in max. they're right, use shape merge and then you can extrude that polygon, and erait, that way you have your cut. and you can always use the cut tool to retriangulate the polygon (if you are in edit poly) and erase an unwanted edge. i mean, when you have a hole in a polygon, there's always a diagonal edge joining the two borders, the program places it where it wants. if it is in a a place you don't want (always the case), you can cut in other place and then delete the original diagonal. that way you can "clean" your mesh.

Eduardo