Just about everyone knows what a mess Booleans can make and a lot of people avoid them all together but I've found them pretty useful over the years. I was wondering if anyone else has any other uses, or tips and tricks for working with them?

Example:
Lets say you need to create some decorative wall panels
Create a spline (probably from an edge selection)
Create a profile shape (simple closed spline), sweep the profile over the spline.
Then ProBoolean the new shape into the surface of the panel.

If you make sure each piece is added as a reference you can go back to any of the spline shapes and edge the panel details. This is good for creating insanely high poly wall panels, then using the same pieces to quickly create an optimized version. It can also help in making quick changes or variations.


- On the left is a spline with the sweep modifier applied to it, it references the profile shape in the center.
- The right is a box with ProBoolean applied to it, that references the swept object on the left.

Moving the Operand forward and back in the proBoolean effects the final detail with little effort.
Adjusting any of the splines adjusts the final output on the panel.

You can add points to the splines to make it more complex or take them out. You can change the overall shape of the spline/swept object on the left to add rounded corners or scoops around outlets.

The same profile shape (lower center) can be used to transfer the same pattern to other panels. You can use this idea to add trim around doorways, windows, arches ect...

Very fast, very flexible very efficient, IF you can step around the landmines.


Helpful Scripts:
http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/sweep-profile
A library of helpful profile shapes

http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/sc...vertex-cleaner
Helps clean up and optimize messy verts

Every tool in the box has its strengths, weaknesses, and uses.
Its getting to know the tools that can be painful.

this is a good use methinks.

I'd rather say that booleans are evil.

Originally Posted by Vailias

Every tool in the box has its strengths, weaknesses, and uses.
Its getting to know the tools that can be painful.

this is a good use methinks.

this^
Booleans offer a great way of quickly blocking out Hardsurface shapes. You can block a complex shape really fast with a few primitives and ProBoolean. I use them and extruded splines a hell of a lot to block my models.


This is just a load of ProBooleans cleaned up and turbosmoothed

depends on how clean ther result is... if you have to spend more than 5-10 mins cleaning up the results then forget it. however that said i've just start dipping my feet in groboto. if i can learn how to do even half of what's shown in the lastest videos i'll be a happy chap.
www.groboto.com

I use the regular booleans that have been in max since the dawn of times and they work very well.

All you have to do is make sure your meshes are closed, and you shouldn't have any problems with it.

Originally Posted by 3devo

depends on how clean ther result is... if you have to spend more than 5-10 mins cleaning up the results then forget it. however that said i've just start dipping my feet in groboto. if i can learn how to do even half of what's shown in the lastest videos i'll be a happy chap.
www.groboto.com

I suppose it depends on what takes you the most time. Personally I spend more time getting the shapes right than I ever do on topology. With a boolean compound object you can freely move the cutters about, scale, add more segments to cylinders.. and so forth with scant thought about topology.

Most of the time I'm using booleans to cut holes/chunks that aren't perpendicular to the surface. Circular stuff especially. There's always a good bit of cleanup needed, but it's worth it.

I never thought about using booleans for sub-div modeling. I have basically been merging meshes manually.

Cool thread.