Boolean

 

 

 

This function performs Boolean operations among several shapes: union, subtraction, and intersection.

 

Creation Stages / Use:

 

Click the icon or select Shape> Boolean... from the drop-down menu (or Modeling > Local Shapes > Boolean in the assembly document).

 

  1. Select the shape to modify.

  2. Select the type of Boolean operation to perform on this shape:

 

 

 

 

 

Original shapes

 

 

Union:

 

Union of the 2 shapes

 

 

Subtraction:

 

Substraction of the cylinder

 

 

Intersection:

 

Intersection of the 2 shapes

 

  1. Select tool shapes for boolean operation

  2. Validate by clicking .

 

Available Options:

 

 

This option allows to hide the selected elements (it can helps to the selection of other shapes that could be hidden by the shapes already selected).

 

 

When you choose the subtraction mode, you can define a clearance value that will be applied on all the faces of the tool shape. In such case, the tool shape is parallelized with the clearance value in all the direction and this shape is subtracted to the shape to modify.

 

Example of subtraction with clearance

 

 

The Direction to through option allows you to extend the tool according to the given direction:

 

Example of subtraction with clearance and direction to through along the X axis

Example of subtraction with clearance and direction to through along the Y axis

Example of subtraction with clearance and direction to through along the Z axis

 

 

 

 

 

This option allows you to add, on final result, a fillet on every intersection edges between the shape and tools.

 

 

 

This option allows you to use only some shape or tool areas.

 

  • Shape faces: In some case, it is necessary to select some shape to define a boolean operation limitation. In the example below, union of the cylinder with the U will be made regarding U upper face (in green). By including, or excluding a face, edge or vertex from tool (magenta) , result will be different.

 

Selected shape face (in green) and selected tool edge (in yellow)

Result with mode: Include

Result with mode: Exclude

 

 

  • Tool faces: In some case, it is necessary to select some shape to define a boolean operation limitation. In the example below, the shape is the cylinder (in cyan), the tool is the U (in magenta) and the 2 faces from selected tool are in pink.

 

Faces from selected tool (in pink)

Result

 

  • Faces, edges or vertex from tool to include or exclude: Select tool faces, edges or vertex and choose if they must be included or excluded from boolean operation.

 

Slot to create on the blue angle by using yellow shape.

Select yellow edge to include to be able to remove the complete tool section on the other side of the angle.

Result with include mode

 

 

Check this option to check faces. If this option is not checked, calculation will be faster, but can generated some invalidities.

The Optimize coincidences option allows to better resolve tangency (coincidence) problems between faces of the part to modify and the tool.

A tolerance value can be given, it will influence the search for the tangent faces to optimize.