Using Boolean on Subpatched objects

[bethel]

Hi, does anyone know how to use boolean on subpatched objects? When I tried using boolean on a subpatched object, it doesn't work, or it created a lot of displacements.

[ercaxus]

Lightwave's subdivision surfaces can not handle polygons with more than four points (or less than three), and booleans create a lot of those. You will have to manually fix them.
LW9 will probably be able to do this, but I am pretty sure it will need some sort of manual tweaking to make the subd surfaces look right.

[Sande]

Booleans may not be the best technique to work with subdivision models even if they would work. Like Ercaxus said, polyflow would at least need to be tweaked manually after the operation...

You could also freeze the model and then apply booleans on it. I usually try to avoid booleans myself and use bevelling, rounder and other modelling tools to achieve the result - although it is slower, you usually get cleaner model and less smoothing artefacts by doing so... :)

[bethel]

Thanks for the quick response. What would be the best way to create 2 oval holes in a subpatched object without boolean or the drill tools? Thesse holes have to go all the way through the objects, so bevel is out.

[Sande]

There are many ways to achieve this and I guess the best way depends how dense your cage is and which tools you are most familiar with.

If your hole goes all the way through the object, then I think using bridge-tool to make that hole is convenient. Before that you can define the ovalshape for bridge using cut-tool (which is very handy for quickly adding local detail and keeping your mesh all quads) and welding/dragging some points, or you can for example lay the points on the surface using solid drill->stencil, tweak, merge one ovalshaped polygon to the both sides and then use bridge (for drilling, not jumping!) :)

[Chilli]

Try this, take your polygons you want boolean and subpatch weight map them 100%.
then invert your selection (") and press the tab key to subpatch your model.
then try your boolean. it should work. for more control you could insert a couple of zero shift bevels

[hrgiger]

Generally, I will unsubpatch, boolean, and then manually fix the area so that it is comprised of three and four point polygons. Then I will re-apply subpatch. It just takes a little pre-planning.

If you look at this old thread, I describe the technique with some screenshots:

http://www.newtek.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11372&page=2&highlight=mosquito