Basic modeling problem - "convert" booleans into object?

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 01:41:33 GMT

Hi there.
My problem is I think vary simple, but hard to search (after few hours of googling I am positive about that). To be understood - as a noob - I recorded this small presentation of the problem. I will appreciate any help in this matter. I'm after few hour of basic modeling tutorials, and my goal is I think very basic also, but... I'm stuck 😞

Here is the link to the video, and below is the summary of the problem depicted in the video:

This is a problem whose solution is probably very simple (or it does not exist - I don't know really), but for a beginner is one of those problems that is very difficult to solve with the help of google because of the difficulty in formulating a search phrase that gives precise results.

So.

I downloaded this locomotive model from turbosquid.com. As you can see in the "outliner" the entire locomotive model is a set of primitive objects. And I like it because I can group these objects and move them comfortably.

I am interested in this particular element - a cube with a hole. Now I want to make a wagon for this train, which - like a locomotive - will have a window. And even three windows.

I try to achieve this by using the "Boolean" function. But first - I duplicate the locomotive and remove everything except the wheels. I create a cube that will be the body of my wagon. Then I create another cube, then I scales it and place it where the first window should be. Then I duplicate this object and move it. And once more. Now I go to "mesh> booleans> difference" and - voila, I have a wagon.

But the problem comes later when I try to move the wagon made in this way. It is not a collection of primitive objects, like a locomotive, but - as you can see in the "outliner" - ... a collection of strange elements, which unfortunately, as a beginner, I can not name properly. When I group these objects, in the hope that I will be able to move them, like ordinary primitives - strange things happen.

My question is: is there any way to somehow convert, bake, flatten (or how to call it) this set of magical elements into one primitive object - an ordinary cube with three "windows"? Like this box in a locomotive that looks NORMALLY in the "outliner" and which I understand.

Re: Basic modeling problem - "convert" booleans into object?

mspeer — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 03:09:21 GMT

Hi!

These strange elements are the "hidden" input objects for you Boolean operation which are still part of the history.

What you are searching for is:

Edit -> Delete by Type history (for selected object), or

Edit -> Delete All by Type history (for all objects)

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Basic modeling problem - "convert" booleans into object?

Re: Basic modeling problem - "convert" booleans into object?