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338 Chapter 5: Creating Geometry
• Vertex—Outputs the vertices defined by the
spline of the shape.
Display/Update rollout
Display group
Determines whether the shape operands are
displayed.
•
Result—Displays the result of the operat ion.
•
Oper ands —Displays the operands.
Update group
These options specify when the display is upd ated.
Typically, you use them when you ’ve animated the
merged shape operands and the viewport display
is slow.
•
Always—Updates the display at a ll t imes.
•
When R enderi ng—Up dates the display only
when the scene is rendered.
•
Manually—Up dates the display only w hen you
click the Update button.
Update—Updates the display when any option
except Always is chosen.
B ool ea n Compou nd Obj ect
Select an objec t. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound
Objects > Object Type rollout > Boolean
Select an objec t. > Create menu > Compound > Boolean
A Boolean object combines two other objects by
performing a Boolean operation on them.
Operand A (left); Operand B (right)
These are the Boolean operations for geometry:
Union—The B oolean object contains the volume
of both original objects. The intersecting or
overlapping portion of the geometry is removed.
Intersection—The Bo olean object contains only
the volume that was common to b oth original
objects (in other words, where they overlapped).
Subtr action (or di ffer ence)— The B oolean object
contains the volume of one original object with the
intersect ion volume subtracted from it.
The two original objects are desig nated as operand
AandB.
Beginning with version 2.5 of 3ds Max, a new
algorithm computes the Boolean operation. This
algorithm produces more predictable results and
less complex geometry than earlier 3D Studio
Booleans. If you open a file that contains a Boolean