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Old 29th January 2004, 11:12 AM   #1
aza
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Default Boolean not working very well?

Hi all,
i'm still considering buying AC3d as a quick lowpoly modeller (i use Lightwave for the rest)

and was checking it out at a buddy of mine who has a registered version.
I tried to do some simple boolean substraction and run into some troubles.
Hopefully you can help me.

- i make 2 boxes called box1 and box2
- i pick the boolean substract option.
- in the first inputfield i "set" it to box1
- in the second i "set" it to box2
- now i pick substract B from A in (other words substract box2 from box1)
- When i click "ok" the box1 is substracted from box1?!?! ***PROBLEM 1 !!!***

An other prob is that when boxes are substracted from eachother 4 new sides are created (just think of a box with a square hole through it).
these 4 sides can be created with 8 faces ( 1 square side is made out of 2 triangular polies)

When the substarction is doen however i get, instead of 8 new faced many MANY more!!!

So do i not understand this feature or is it just not well implemented...yet?

Looking forward to an answer/sollution
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Old 29th January 2004, 01:51 PM   #2
Thaellin
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Default Re: Boolean not working very well?

Hi aza,

The first problem you describe doesn't sound right at all, and may just be an interface issue. I tried to provide a fair amount of flexibility in how objects are chosen for an operation, but this may have been at the expense of clarity.

For your first error scenario, please try creating your boxes and then:
- Launch the boolean operations dialog
- Set 'object' mode in the AC3D inteface (group should be fine, too)
- Select one of your boxes and press the 'set' button in the boolean dialog
- Select the other and press the other set button.
- choose your operation and okay it.

This is the easiest way to do what you expect to do. You can also enter the object name and then press 'set' to confirm it. The plugin logic /should/ notice if anything was changed or if you've entered a value without having pressed set. If you can get me the exact steps you followed, I can make sure it gets fixed next go.

The problem with too many surfaces output is a bigger bother, though. It does not yet produce 'optimal' output. The current logic does a lot of triangulation (working with triangles at each step simplifies the internal process quite a bit), which results in a fair number of output surfaces.

You might also check to ensure the latest version of the plugin is in use - some very early versions (which should not be circulating) produced an obcenely unnecessary number of output surfaces. The current release version of the boolean ops plugin is 1.02 and can be verified in the 'Help | about plugins' menu ("CSG plugin vX.XX"). I doubt this is your issue, though.

I'm working on the problem right now, and hope to reduce the scale of the problem with my next plugin release. Creating optimal output will take longer, though.

Quick note: the boolean ops are part of the free plugin pack, and are not produced by Inivis. I work on the project in my free time, so it takes me a while to get fixes implemented - I apologize in advance for delays. Not an excuse, just an explanation.

Thanks for your help,
-- Jeff
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Old 14th February 2004, 02:58 PM   #3
Stiglr
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Default Re: Boolean not working very well?

I'd like to try the Booleans....but there's no mention of where to download them.

What pack are they in?? I downloaded the Plugin-Pack on the main download page, but there's no mention of booleans in them.
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Old 14th February 2004, 04:07 PM   #4
Thaellin
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Default Re: Boolean not working very well?

The "csg.p" and "csg.tcl" files should be part of the plugin pack. After installing the plugin pack, you will have a 'Boolean operation...' item on your tools menu.

-- Jeff
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Old 29th March 2004, 01:07 PM   #5
Stiglr
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Default Re: Boolean not working very well?

Where can CSG v1.02 be found? I have 1.01 in my AC3D dialog, and it came with the package of tools.

Booleans are being routinely IGNORED, which is aggravating.

I am in object mode.

I select Boolean Intersection.

I select the two objects and populate the boxes.

I check Delete, so as not to leave the two operands.

I select OK.

NOTHING happens. Neither of the original operands is deleted and I get no intersection.

I get this cryptic message in the dialog,

"incorrect number of args for jsd_csg_go (should be 1, got 2) - usage: <function> <operand A> <operandB> <delete A <1 or 0>> <delete B <1 or 0>>"

Note in that first <operandB>, that is not a typo, there is no space there...perhaps that's the problem in the code? dunno...

I did get the Boolean to work once on two objects but how I dunno. I don't think I did anything differently than above.
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Old 29th March 2004, 01:21 PM   #6
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Default Re: Boolean not working very well?

This may be because you have spaces in the object names. Please rename the object and try it again. Let us know how you get on.

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Old 2nd April 2004, 12:40 PM   #7
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Default Re: Boolean not working very well?

Still not working.

Here's what I'm doing. I'm trying to cut a passageway opening in a bulkhead in an aircraft. The bulkhead is a section of surfaces on the inside of the "Fuselage" object. The "hole" is an extruded polygon placed to intersect the bulkhead. I can clearly see two sides of the "hole" object out of each side of the bulkhead surface.

Open Tools/Boolean Operation... .

Select the Fuselage. Click into Operand B, and click Set.
Select the Hole poly. click into Operand A, and click Set. Click Delete.

Select Subtraction, B-A.

Click OK to make the operation. I'm assuming A, the Hole will be cut from B Fuselage and that A will be deleted, leaving a hole in B.

All that happens is that A "disappears. B has no hole in it.
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Old 2nd April 2004, 01:22 PM   #8
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Default Re: Boolean not working very well?

Would you be able to send the model (thaellin 'at' virtualplatypus.com) or post a couple pictures so I can more clearly envision what you are doing?

It sounds like you're doing everything correctly...
-- Jeff

(edited to reduce chance of email being reaped by a spambot)
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Old 2nd April 2004, 04:41 PM   #9
Stiglr
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Default Re: Boolean not working very well?

Here's the setup just before hitting OK.

You can see the "Hole" shape jutting through the back wall there.



Just for grins, I went through with the operation. This time, the program appeared to be working on the process, but just stopped displaying; I could get the black DOS window (no error messages or anything appeared), but couldn't get the 4-window interface to appear back. Had to force quit.
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Old 2nd April 2004, 05:03 PM   #10
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Default Re: Boolean not working very well?

Hm. Not good.

I'm not sure what it is that's unique about this test case yet, but I was able to reproduce the failure to remove the surface with a simplified model. I have not yet reproduced the lock-up (which may be specific to your fuselage geometry).

I'll start looking into this tonight, and will let you know how it goes.

Thanks for your help,
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