Is there a way to cut one object from another?

[trepan]

Here's a link to one of PuzzledPaul's tutorials:
http://www.geocities.com/paulthepuzzles/aabooleans.html

There's also work being done on a boolean-op plugin...

[puzzledpaul]

There's something very close to what you want here (if I understand your query correctly) - much easier than a boolean-stye approach imo :)

pp


http://www.geocities.com/paulthepuzzles/aascaletopoint.html



Edit
A fleeting thought (for this partic. task) - first method still easier ...

Form a spiders' web of new edges on the face of the cube (inset will be your friend here)
then use Vert | Deform > Inflate (RMB option) to form your spherical curved surface

(you'll have to deflect / move your 'web' edges off the cube face plane to give inflate a 'kick start' btw ... )

You'll need Advanced menus enabled for any / all of this lot (via Edit | Prefs)

[pauljs75]

Here's how I'd do it... Cut the sphere in half. Place it along the face where you want it with bounding box. (Sphere should disappear into the cube except for one face.) If it's going to be placed in an area of multiple faces, then dissolve them. Then count the vertices on the sphere cut section. Check the surface where the cutout will be and count its vertices. Cut edges as needed on the cube's face until the vertice count on the sphere and cube are the same. Invert the sphere. Select the funny surface on the back side of the inverted sphere, select the face on the cube and bridge. It should work.

*Note: This assumes you know how to hide stuff etc. Being familiar with the geometry graph also makes things easier.

[im a fly on the wall]

The best set of tools imho are the connect tool and the intersect tool
the intersect tool is key because it allows you to place the verts and edges directly on the object you wish to boolean

the connect tool is great since it allows you to draw the cuts where you need them
and could even be used to quickly get a rough for a flawed boolean
but it's main use is drawing your edges for use with intersect depending on the detail of geometry this can be very handy

on a lighter note, one of the new developers has plans to add booleans

cheers

[thedaemon]

pp, is there a limit to you finding tricks/workarounds in wings? I think not. I give you a 10/10 for thinking too hard! :)

[puzzledpaul]

fly - certainly agree that Tools | Connect + Intersect are v. useful - dunno if you've had a shufties at the 'booleans' page, linked in post 2, but the approach you describe was also used there - albeit initially written when neither of the above was available (just Clacos' Drawloop plug) :)

I just approached the topic in a similar way to how 'lines of intersection' were constructed in 'the old days' of technical / engineering drawing - before any form of electronically assisted help was available ...

td - thx, but you need to re-arrange << thinking too hard! >> to get a more accurate picture of reality in my case - esp. as the greymatter went thro' (yet) another chronological milestone just yesterday :)

If napert succeeds in producing boolean tools that (also) produce clean mesh (the 'holy grail'?) - then it'll be a considerable achievement and v. useful addition, imo - and many ppl will welcome their arrival.
I just hope the absolute basics aren't forgotten in (modelling) situations where the same result could be achieved by other methods.

I wish him well and all success with this and certainly wouldn't bet against it - if what code he's already written is anything to go by ...

pp


ps - anyone else been using bend for lathing?

pps - am still hacking this about, but may be of use in current form to somebody

http://www.geocities.com/paulthepuzzles/aabend.html

[nemyax]

anyone else been using bend for lathing?
I use Mirror.
To be exact, I:
- make a cube
- split the top face in two
- subdivide the resulting edge as necessary and create an outline from it
- lift the shaped face from the cube edge
- loop cut the resulting segment off the cube
- mirror mirror mirror
- loop cut to get an object sliced in half
- dissolve the edge along the axis
- mirror the resulting half

[trepan]

PP, thanks for writing the bending tutorial. I've
been rather delinquent in my documenting (never
did finish the PDF I had started). Adding an example
that produces a 3D spiral might be a nice touch...

Finishing booleans isn't a matter of luck :-) As it
seems to be one of the only features that's actually
desired from my list, it's already half done. My first
version will simply produce edgeloops around the
intersection seams. The user can then cut, invert,
delete, and weld as needed to do unions, differences,
intersections, subtractions, etc... Some users may
even find the seams useful without any of the CSG
operations.

[puzzledpaul]

<< thanks for writing >>
You're welcome - the least I can do, as I can't add anything useful from the code pov - together with others (like Fonte Boa's, atm) it might help ppl get more, rather than less from your efforts.

<< Adding an example ... >>
As with your 'list', something like this is on mine (together with other stuff ...) but we've all got to start somewhere ... but time'n'tide etc ... :)

<< produce edgeloops around the intersection seams >>
Sounds like a logical (and excellent) start ...


n - Yes, the 'draw shape' / lift / mirror workflow is one I've also been using - although I usually extract the required face from cube before using lift to create a wedge to be mirrored / welded.

Looking at other possibilities is rarely (imo) a wasted experience tho, as one can sometimes come across something quite useful - even if it has nothing to do with what the original task / problem / issue was. (Wasa's Doo Sabin, recently implemented by DanG may well have been born this way, for all I know) :)


pp

Edit
<< As it seems to be one of the only features that's actually desired from my list >>
It might be one that's had the highest profile interest (also in the past) - but some of the other items on the list would (imo)also be v. useful additions. Many's the time I've wanted equal distance insets (and resorted to maths to get'em) and the edgeloop tools - (esp) equispace would save having to use other approaches.

[Fonte Boa]

<<anyone else been using bend for lathing>>
Hi, PP! I am using this for lathe: very useful imo! Since you prepare in a adequate way the original mesh. :)

<<As it seems to be one of the only features that's actually desired from my list>>
Hi, Napert! Your list is fantastic and, in my particular case, i am waiting with anxiety yours
face slide, edge loop circularize/equidistant, info window (specially the volume calc) (oh man! if it would be possible to copy this data to paste in tab info windows) and deform by equation! It is a lovely list! Thank you very much!

<<My first version will simply produce edgeloops around the intersection seams.>>
Wow, Napert! Great! I cant wait to put my hands in this! :bounce:

[im a fly on the wall]

pp yes i've had a look several times, doosabin is nice isn't it? :)

cheers

[puzzledpaul]

<< doosabin is nice isn't it? >>

No idea, haven't tried it ...

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