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Boolean cuts

O

ohdoc

Messages
11
Help, :banghead:

Is there anyone with a great deal of patience that could walk me through boolean cutting to make windows, doors etc.? I have tried to follow tutorials and suggestions written so far but there seems to be a fundemental piece of information I am missing with each tutorial.
Where I seem to fail is after the boolean operation has taken place I do not understand exactly which pieces should be deleted as some authors state or deselected as others state, and which parts to keep. I seem to be really dense in understanding this concept. Are there any takers? :scratchch
Tom Valley
 
Tom
This may or may not help but I have done some cutting with the boolean in FSDS v3. IF you go to the help files on cutting a wheel out it seems a little clearer. here is what it says.


Select both parts (click on Select in the Edit menu). Then select Part | Boolean Operation. This cuts out the desired shape from the lower half of the wing-section. The operation produces several new parts: the section cut away by the tool, an inner rim section, a new wing-section with the wheel well cut out and a disected tool part.

The original tool and wing section also remain intact. Here's a list of the parts after the operation:



Delete those parts that you no longer need for the model and then save the FSC file. In our case, we delete the two original parts (tool and Wing: left) as wel as tool_bool1, tool_bool2 and wing: left_bool2.

the key I think is that after you do the cutting and it says to delete the parts that you dont want you have to take the unselected parts and move them over to the selected parts and then delete all of the parts leaving just the new part with the hole in it. If you just read the help file it may explane it better. any way hope this help you.

woody
 
Hi ..I keep my own beginner tutor I made for an e-mail request..for FSDSv3 in a saved txt on the boolean...This is for FSDSV3.. I used to think this daM thing would never work..Butt!! :D

Boolean Starter tutorial

This tutorial is a (step by step) to the letter to make a hole through a tube object,Using (meters)as
the preference..
1 On top toolbar click (Part/add/tube/OK)
Now you have a tube 20 meters long and 2 meters wide ..Now lets cut a window hole in it..
2 Click (Part/add/tube) Wait!! dont click OK yet
In the radius box change it to .5 instead of 2..NEXT (Check) the box (CloseLeft/Bottom/Front)..This
is important to check that box as it needs to be completely closed to work..
3 Now click OK..Now you see a smaller tube within the bigger one on your work screen that is lit bright blue...This smaller tube will be the cutter tool for the larger tube..
4 Right click your mouse and a box appears..Scroll to -(Current Item Properties) and left click it..
A new bigger box appears..At the top of it under (Part name) it says (Tube.1)
Change the name from (Tube.1) to (tool) ..now this new name activates this smaller tube as a cutter object..(IMPORTANT) it must be re-named to tool
NEXT..in this same box look for the (Rotation) section..In it are X,Y and Z boxes..all say 0
Change the Z box from 0 to 90..now it reads X:0 Y:0 Z:90...Click OK
Now you see the smaller tube is 90 degrees within the larger one..and its ready to cut a hole..
Now for the CAREFULL to the letter part!! Selecting and cutting..If this is not followed correctly it will not work!! so I am just going to list a step by step..
5 On your screen you will see the smaller tube is bright blue in work window..this means that (IT) is currently selected..In order to start the cutting operation the (Bigger) tube (which will eventually be your aircraft fuselage OR your Holy scenery Pole object) Needs to be selected FIRST..before cutting..
Do this..Press the (N) key on your keyboard..Now the bigger tube is selected and is bright blue in the work windows..Now lets do the cut..
6 Press the spacebar/press the N key again/Press the spacebar again..Now its all set..You will notice the parts changed to a bright green or yellow..
7 On the top toolbar click (Part) then scroll down at the bottom and you will see (Boolean Operation)
Click it...(THE CUT IS MADE) But WAIT!! Dont click ANYTHING or move..Dont even Breath!!there is a lot more...And must be done right..
8 Now that the cut is made we need to delete the (Tool) out of it..The tool is now broken up into a few seperate parts..(DO NOT UNSELECT ANY PART)
9 Click (Edit) in the top toolbar and click (Delete)
10 Click (Edit) again and click (Delete) again
11 Click (Edit) again and click (Delete) again
12 Click (Edit) again and click (Delete) again

GOOD...You clicked Edit and deleted 4 times..and that deleted the cutting tool and now the Big tube has a hole in it...But this is only one hole!! What if we want lots of window holes??

ADVANCED
MAKING MULTIPLE CUTOUTS

This method will make a clone of the tool to cut out a row of 5 holes..This is Lots easier and more precise for making window rows for an aircraft fuselage..

To save typing...From above DO STEPS 1 -4 (STOP) and then return to here

Ok..welcome back..Now the smaller cutter tool should be in the middle of the bigger tube like before
1 Right click mouse and set under (Axis Location) the Y to (Y:-8) Click OK.. this will lower the tube to the bottom of the bigger tube..
2 Next click (Part) and scroll down and click (Clone)...the Clone box appears
3 In the clone box set the (Distance to 3) and change the (Along Axis) radio button to (Y Axis)..the small black dot now is in that.. -- CLICK OK
4 Boom! now there are 5 more cutter tools equaling a total of 6..
5 NOW in order for this multiple operation to work we must (JOIN) all 6 of these small cutter tools..To do that...step by step =
6 Press spacebar/press N/Press spacebar/press N/Press spacebar/press N/Press spacebar/press N/Press spacebar/press N/Press spacebar/....This now Has all small cutter tubes selected..
7 Click (Part/Join Selected) WAIT!!! NEXT IS EXTREEMLY IMPORTANT
Guess What..--after joining all the cutter tubes its name got changed..SO if you try to use it now It will NOT work..This was where I got bugged out and all mad and everything,,SO here's what to do..
8 Right click and select (Current Item Properties) and you will see the name is (tool.5) instead of (tool) So backspace that thing and change the name back to (tool) click OK
NEXT (AS BEFORE in first single hole operation) select the Main (bigger tube) first (N) key/then-spacebar/N key again,,/then spacebar...Now all is ready..
Now Click (Part) and then click (Boolean Operation) Boom!!
9 REMEMBER (DO NOT UNSELECT ANYTHING)
10 Click (Edit) in the top toolbar and click (Delete)
11 Click (Edit) again and click (Delete) again
12 Click (Edit) again and click (Delete) again
13 Click (Edit) again and click (Delete) again
GOOD...You clicked Edit and deleted 4 times..and that deleted the(Joined) cutting tool and now the Big tube now has 6 holes in it..

Now you can rotate your tube 90 degrees/texture it ect
Shaping it is beyond this tutorial for aircraft,,This only covers a how to do the boolean in an (AS IS) part
You may want to try and shape it first/then do the boolean..the errors can get long..I have not been down that road to make an aircraft or a scenery using it yet..But there are help files in FSDSv3 to (FiX) surface normals after you cut shaped parts..Study that!!
Once again this covers a tube shaped cutting tool..You can also make a square one or an oval one..ect..ect and try those..

Quick Reference
This is a no Bared Quick Reference on making a one hole cut..as per the first tutorial

1 On top toolbar click (Part/add/tube/OK)
2 Click (Part/add/tube)
3 In the radius box change it to .5 instead of 2..NEXT (Check) the box (CloseLeft/Bottom/Front)Click OK
4 Right click your mouse and a box appears..Scroll to -(Current Item Properties) and left click it..
A new bigger box appears..At the top of it under (Part name) it says (Tube.1)
Change the name from (Tube.1) to (tool)
5 NEXT..in this same box look for the (Rotation) section..In it are X,Y and Z boxes..all say 0
Change the Z box from 0 to 90..now it reads X:0 Y:0 Z:90...Click OK
6 Press the (N) key on your keyboard..
7 Press the spacebar/press the N key again/Press the spacebar again
8 On the top toolbar click (Part) then scroll down at the bottom and you will see (Boolean Operation)
Click it..
9 Click (Edit) in the top toolbar and click (Delete)
10 Click (Edit) again and click (Delete) again
11 Click (Edit) again and click (Delete) again
12 Click (Edit) again and click (Delete) again

DONE..a hole in one!
 
Woody, :)

Thanks for the response, but I had already read and re-read that tuturial and it escaped me as to what needed to be selected and unselected.

Noshades,

This is exactly what I have been looking for. Now I can actually see what the pieces are and what operations are needing to be deleted. As you know most of the existing tutorials tell you to deselect everything and then delete the pieces. I noticed one thing however, if you delete only 3 times you have a very nice looking interior to the cut which gives a 3D effect, but you cannot do multiple cuts if you keep this one operation intact. Now maybe I can go back to the house building tutorial, and see if I can't try to figure what they are talking about in making the windows and rooms by somehow reversing the axes of the hole that is formed by the cuts.
Your tutorial is definitely a keeper many, many thanks. By the way have you got to designing any buildings/Hangers etc? YOU ARE the :teacher:

Tom
 
thanks noshades

A great tutorial. I have always had a hard time doing a boolean cut. I have to try this and see what it does. sounds like just want I wanted to do. I am trying to make See thru windows and I think this is just what I have to do to make them work. I will get back to you and let you know.

woody :wave:
 
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