Boolean subtractons

[ENOCH ARYEE]

Hi all.
Here is a little mystery:
I want to drill multiple holes in a box primitive.
So I placed two or more little cylinders inside the box.
Next invoke (activate) the boolean subtract tool.
I click on one cylinder....then I click on the box.
Voila...the first hole is cut (punched out}. Beautiful.

Now the mystery.
I repeat the same operation on the same box, but this time, using the second cylinder.
A second hole is cut out, but..... the first hole closes.
I have tried over and over to get two holes..in the box, but no luck. The previous hole always closes. Only the last hole remains in the box.

I am using Cheetah 2.2. .... and loving it a lot.
I am sure there is a way of punching multiple round holes in a single square box...using boolean subtract
or other methods that I am not aware of.
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks. Enoch

[RandyWang]

Try using Make Editable (bound to command-option C on my machine, possibly by default) on the Boolean after you've performed the subtraction, and before performing the second one. It'll give you a fairly massive polygon count (it doesn't appear to be very efficient), but it'll allow you to subtract from the same object multiple times.

Hope this helps.

[frank beckmann]

Hi Enoch Aryee.
I discovered, that it can be useful to boole (connect) the holes (drills) first.
For Example: Boolean tool set to "A uniting B", put in two cylinders and doubleclick the result (the boolean tool), so that it will be transformed in a single mesh. Again choose boolean tool, set to "A+B"; throw in first boolean mesh and the last cylinder. Doubleclick the tool. Now all your drills are connected to one piece. Choose once again the boolean tool; set "A minusB). Throw in your meshed holes first, than the thing you want it divided from (excuse my english, please)
Done.
This method comes with a reward of less polygons in the resulting mesh. (See row A to B). In this case 4688 polygons (all triangled) instead of 5291. Dividing one by one, will end sometimes in unexpected output. (See row C and D; red circle)
Hope this was not too academic.
bye frank

[Martin]

Hi,
the boolean creator object only substratcs on object at once. If you want to substract two cylinders for example you have to make something like the on the attached screenshot.
First substract one cylinder from the box. Than take the result from the boolean creator object and substract the other cylinder from it.

But I should probably change that behaviour so that it is possible to substract more than one object at once.

By,
Martin

[ENOCH ARYEE]

Hi,
Randy, Frank, and Martin.
Thanks for your various suggestions.
My problem is solved.
I can now punch as many holes as I want into a box.
Thanks again...........Enoch