Modeler

198LightWave 10 - ModelerTo use the Boolean command:Step 1: Make the object that you are going to use as the cutter.Step 2: Place the object to be cut in another layer and put theobject from step 1 in the background.Step 3: Click Construct > Boolean (or use the keyboard shortcutShift B).Step 4: Select the type of Boolean Operation and click OK.Single vs. Double-sided PolygonsSingle-sided and double-sided polygons play a unique role in theBoolean Subtract operation. Imagine that you are a knife blade,slicing through a 3D sphere made of single-sided polygons. Everytime you cut through a polygon layer, you pass from the outside ofthe sphere to the inside. If you passed through only one polygon,you are now inside the 3D sphere. Accordingly, a Boolean knifeblade slicing through a one-sided sphere would leave solidhalves.NOTE: Boolean will usually not operate asexpected if the foreground and backgroundobjects are both double-sided.HINT: Boolean commands such as Subtract willproduce much better results if your objects containplenty of geometry to begin with. If a booleandoes not appear to produce favourable results, or generatesan error when run, then consider increasing the amount ofpolygons with tools such as Multiply > Subdivide: Subdividebefore performing the boolean operation.Now say there are two spheres made of single-sidedpolygons, one sphere being smaller than the other, with thesmaller one inside the other (normals facing in). You passthrough the first polygon — from air to solid — then through asecond polygon — from solid back to air. You would now be insidea hollow core inside the inner sphere. A Boolean knife slicingthrough this sphere would leave a hollow core.Now, if our two spheres were double-sided instead, Modelerwould treat each sphere as if it were constructed with paper-thinwalls (double-sided polygons are just back-to-back polygons).Remember, normally the sphere would be treated as a solid ball.Upon encountering a double-sided polygon, Modeler will thinkthat it has passed through two polygons. In the paper-thin spacebetween the front-facing and back-facing polygon, the Booleanknife blade sliced through air, then solid, then air again.