Boolean Dead Frames

[Helmut]

* I have here a Boolean (a simple box plus an animated isosurface). The Boo operative modus is Intersection.
Whilst this - for most of the recorded take - works perfectly fine, there are intermittent single frames when the Boolean operator constructs an empty object.
Examples are frames #4, #55, #61, #85. And a few more.

I fail to see any good reason why the Boolean intersection fails at these specific frames, but I use Booleans only sparingly and lack the expertise to zoom in on spots of any critical topology.
* Any help or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!

* For anybody curious: I am attempting to model quantum fluctuations in the nascent universe as may have existed just after the Big Bang.

 

[Charless]

to model quantum fluctuations in the nascent universe as may have existed just after the Big Bang

 

[BTT1024]

* I have here a Boolean (a simple box plus an animated isosurface). The Boo operative modus is Intersection.
Whilst this - for most of the recorded take - works perfectly fine, there are intermittent single frames when the Boolean operator constructs an empty object.
Examples are frames #4, #55, #61, #85. And a few more.

View attachment 37829

I fail to see any good reason why the Boolean intersection fails at these specific frames, but I use Booleans only sparingly and lack the expertise to zoom in on spots of any critical topology.
* Any help or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!

* For anybody curious: I am attempting to model quantum fluctuations in the nascent universe as may have existed just after the Big Bang.

Helmut,
I'm not an expert on Booleans and I've only used the Boolean Modifier and not the Boolean Creator - But, in some cases when I've tried to Boolean 2 objects using the Boolean Modifier, I encountered the case where the master object disappears, for which case I have had to slightly adjust the size/scale, or position, or rotation of the object I'm trying to boolean into the master object in order to get the master object to appear again (some cases I've had that issue due to editable objects with bad mesh edits I created). In my case, I'm doing a one time boolean to create a final object.

In your Cheetah3D project the related rotation for the Helix objects are constantly changing (animated), so I think you are running into cases at the frame points you noted where the Boolean solver (algorithm) fails to result in a visible object. In your case and the one time boolean case, I wonder if that's a bug with Boolean in C3D - Though, I've just lived with it, thinking the issue was just with how I had the objects arranged (x,y,z, or rotation)....

Anyhow, I opened your JAS file and went to Frame 4 and then slightly moved the Helix Y object and your master object (Box) appeared and booleaned with the iso-surface helix objects... If I moved the Helix Z Object, I got the same results. Same results with moving one of the Helix Objects on the other frames you noted.

But, that's just a one time fix for Frame 4 and results in the Empty Object issue in frames other than the ones you noted. And since there are 3 Helix objects, where it is either one, two, or all three that are causing the Boolean failure/Empty Object at certain points I think it would be impossible to find a starting position (or rotation, or scale) for all 3, or key-framed position (or rotation, or scale) adjustments over the timeline, that would resolve the Empty Object issue over the timeline....

I'm wondering if there's some sort of way to use a script to identify the situations where the boolean operation fails with an empty object, for which case the script would slightly adjust the position of 1 or all objects and then re-boolean and loop until the boolean operation succeeded with a visible object. Maybe tg_jp (Hiroto) could assist with something like that.

Well, that's about all I could figure out with not being an expert.

Screenshot, Object not visible:

Screenshot, Helix Y moved slightly, object now visible - Frame 4:

Brian T.

 

[BTT1024]

Helmut,
I just took one last look before calling it quits for the night - and found that if I changed the IsoSurface's "Resolution" property to 128 , that playing the timeline for the 120 frames, there weren't any Empty Object occurrences. But, it's related, like the position (rotation, scale) to the values that the Boolean solver is using to come up with a final object... But, I guess the higher resolution (128) isosurface generated from the helix objects provides the boolean solver a better set of data to complete the boolean with the master box object....

Note: the higher resolution significantly slows down my machine, it very slowly got through the 4 second timeline (but not so bad that I got the MacOS time-out spinner).

Maybe Martin knows how all of that stuff works, the algorithm process behind the scenes.

Brian T.

 

[Helmut]

* Thank you, Brian T! Seems like your suggestions solve this problem.
* Rendering time is acceptable, but I still have to add some material and light effects. Apart from that, the lede-in is missing. I have no idea how to represent a gravitational singularity, assuming that was there just after the Big Bang.

Having quantum fluctuations under control, I can now proceed with the creation of the universe. Mind you, this is my first universe, so it may be full of bugs and collapse one day (or expand into an XXL infinity of nothingness).

Greetings to Transylvania!

 

[Charless]

"just after the Big Bang"
@Helmut There was no Big Bang according to THE man in the wheelchair, Whats his name? Steffen Hawkeye?
Servus from The Netherlands

 

[BTT1024]

* Thank you, Brian T! Seems like your suggestions solve this problem.
* Rendering time is acceptable, but I still have to add some material and light effects. Apart from that, the lede-in is missing. I have no idea how to represent a gravitational singularity, assuming that was there just after the Big Bang.

Having quantum fluctuations under control, I can now proceed with the creation of the universe. Mind you, this is my first universe, so it may be full of bugs and collapse one day (or expand into an XXL infinity of nothingness).

Greetings to Transylvania!

Helmut,
You are welcome. I'm not an expert, but just fiddled/fooled around with settings and got lucky finding a potential fix for the issue. Hopefully it works well even if you extend the time-line for your animation.

Brian T.