Power Booleans (PowerBoolTree) Quick Help

Before (top) and After (bottom) Boolean

This tool allows you to perform Boolean operations using multiple objects.  Follow the following steps to create a Boolean operation:

1) Select base object
2) Choose type of Boolean operation 
3) Click on the "New Operation" button - the new operation will be added into the Boolean History Tree
4) Select one or more Rhino objects to participate in the operation
5) You may repeat operations 3-4 to create a tree with many different boolean operations
6) Click on the "Update Boolean" button to view result

Usage Notes:
1) The Power Boolean Tree dialog can be docked.
2) The in "Preview Mode" the command is still active and the results are "Frozen" until the "Update Boolean" button is pressed.
3) You can string together multiple operations of different types resulting in a single object.
4) You can also create a new root and have multiple independent trees.
5) If you have multiple independent trees, they may be joined together using the Tree A <boolean op> Tree B operation.
6) Slice With and Split Both usually produce multiple Rhino Objects.
7) You can specify fillets to be applied automatically to the intersection edges, operand or operator edges for each Boolean operation.
8) Booleans work for both NURBS and Polygonal objects.
9) You can force Polygonal Booleans instead of NURBS Booleans using the "Meshing Dialog".

Standard:  Hides the base object from the display and shows only the Boolean result
Cookie Cutter: This mode uses the operands to remove portions of the original object. The result usually is a solid with one or more holes in it.
Imprinting:  Imprints the operand onto the faces of the base object.  Imprinting doesn't remove or add any faces, it just splits the
faces and adds new edges where the operand intersects with the base object.

New Operation:  Creates a new Boolean operation (using the "Operation" option chosen).  The new operation will also be entered
into the Boolean History Tree.
Remove Operation:  Delete selected Boolean operation (selected in the Boolean History Tree).
Add Objects:  Adds selected objects to the Boolean operation
Remove Object:  Remove selected object from the Boolean operation
Reorder Operation:  Changes the order of the Boolean operations in the Boolean History Tree.  The selected operation is moved
to the place in the order specified by this field.  Note also that the Boolean History is evaluated in the order that it appears in the 
tree, so changing the order will also potentially change the result.
Automatic Fillet:  This option allows the user to create fillets with the Boolean operations.  It is a convenient tool for filleting the intersection edges
of Boolean operations, or filleting all of the edges on an object.  View Automatic Fillet help.  Note that you can also use the Power Fillet  
command to fillet selected edges (the Power Fillet command gives greater control over filleting).
Meshing:  This option allows control over the meshing results of the Boolean.  You can, for instance, choose a mesh result from a NURBS
Boolean in order to generate a mesh result to send to an STL file.  For help with the Meshing button.
Tree A:  This option only needs an entry when one of the Tree Boolean operations (i.e. Tree A Union Tree B) is selected.  This entry will
specify the Tree A to work with.  It is a numerical reference to the tree entry in the Boolean History Tree view.
Tree B:  This option only needs an entry when one of the Tree Boolean operations (i.e. Tree A Union Tree B) is selected.  This entry will
specify the Tree B to work with.  It is a numerical reference to the tree entry in the Boolean History Tree view.

Medium:  Uses 5 digits of accuracy for the shelling operation
Low:  Uses 4 digits of accuracy
High:  Uses 6 digits of accuracy
Very Low:  Uses 3 digits of accuracy
Very High:  Uses 7 digits of accuracy

Hide Original Objects:  Hides the original object from the display and shows only the Boolean result
Show Original Objects:  Show the original object (along with the resulting Boolean operation)
Delete Objects & History:  Delete the original object (and the related history)
Change Layer of Originals:  Put the original object on a different layer
Lock Original Objects:  Freeze the original object from future editing