Using Boolean Function

Using Boolean Operations

If you want to "cut" a mesh of one object with the mesh of another, you can use the Boolean Operand to do this with. A good example of using this, would be cutting open a door or window in a wall. A much larger example would be to cut a large ocean mesh so that your island will fit it.

In my simple example here, I have a plane that is my wall and I want to cut a circle out of it:

http://assets.openuru.org/wiki/andy/MaxTutPics2/Boltut1.jpg

I create the mesh I am going to use to cut with, a cylinder:

http://assets.openuru.org/wiki/andy/MaxTutPics2/Boltut2.jpg

I then move the cylinder so that it completely intersects the plane:

http://assets.openuru.org/wiki/andy/MaxTutPics2/Boltut3.jpg

I then go to the Create tab, and select Compound Objects from the drop down menu:

http://assets.openuru.org/wiki/andy/MaxTutPics2/Boltut4.jpg

Then I click on the Boolean button:

http://assets.openuru.org/wiki/andy/MaxTutPics2/Boltut5.jpg

Since I have the cylinder selected, it is already Operand A. We want to make the Operand "B - A", which means "Subtract Mesh A, from Mesh B"

http://assets.openuru.org/wiki/andy/MaxTutPics2/Boltut6.jpg

We now need to pick what object is going to be Operand B, which is the plane. We click on the Pick Operand B button, and in the 3D window, click on the plane:

http://assets.openuru.org/wiki/andy/MaxTutPics2/Boltut7.jpg

As you can now see, we have a nice round hole cut out of our plane:

http://assets.openuru.org/wiki/andy/MaxTutPics2/Boltut8.jpg

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Copyright (C) 2011 Andy Legate.

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