Hi, anyone got experience of boolean models from C4 into Poser? Do they import ok? I'm using Silo for this & having a nightmare!

Hello Brian, I've had good luck with that. What kinds of boolean shapes are you making? I could create one and give it a test. Mark

Hi Mark, I'm working an a pool & using a cube that I've placed other primitives into to boolean out the shell. Brian

Not a problem here. As a rule though, booleans are problematic for all 3D programs. Even if the shape looks right, sometimes the normals and texture mapping bites you. If you can, modeling the shape is usually the safest. Mark

Thanks Mark, I know, that's my problem, it's ok if you boolean & stick to using the resulting model in the program it was built but I'm trying to speed up the process by finding a modeller that exports a trouble free booleaned mesh....was hoping it was Carrara as I quite fancy buying it anyway.

Well, have you tried Amapi? Amapi Designer 7 comes with Carrara 4 Pro. Booleans don't always work as expected (you might need to use a union where you'd expect a cut, or something weird like that), but I think it works pretty well. There's always a risk of getting some ugly triangulation or otherwise badly done polygon creation when working with booleans though.

No, haven't tried it but worth looking into. I seem to have solved the problem with my particular project for now anyway.

From Carrara basics and Wings to Lightwave and Maya Complete, virtually every 3D program, no matter the cost, has problems with booleans. The reason, I'm told, is that they are all "Surface modelers". Do enough booleans on the same object and something will start going crazy after a while. Form-Z is the exception, it is a "solids modeler" and I watched the Form-Z guys demo their program at Siggraph as it not only did mega booleans and not break a sweat but they actually could go back and move booleaned areas later on. I talked briefly with one of their programmers later and he told that it was because Form-Z worked with solids.

Aha....at last, thanks robert, I knew there had to be something out there!

shame about the price though :O(