Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Differences between Boolean operations
Although the results may look somewhat similar between some of the Boolean
operations, notice what happens to the wireframes in the following screenshot.
They are vastly different. Let's cover these one at a time:
The four basic Boolean types.
Top-left
: add,
Top-right
: subtract,
Bottom-left
: union,
Bottom-right
: difference
Boolean add
Believe it or not, this feature does not exist in Maya. There is a reason for this—using
a Boolean add is like using the
group tool
. It simply adds all the geometry together.
No actual changes are made; it simply makes one object created out of two objects.
The result looks like the top-left part of the preceding screenshot. All points and
polygons remain intact; they are all now just part of one object instead of two objects.
Boolean subtract
A subtract operation is a lot like the
vaporization tool
that we mentioned previously.
With this tool, you use one object to cut a shape out of another—a stencil, if you will.
In some software, the original cutting tool disappears after the operation completes
(as seen in Maya). The top right image of the preceding screenshot is the result of a
subtract operation. This is what you will use to make the body of your salt shaker
hollow (
don't do this yet, we still need it whole to make our shaker top
).
