Idea for modelling holes without Modifier

Support Modeling
#1

Hello,

I need to make many holes in my mesh, but the way I do it now seems very inefficient to me and is not really fast.

I create a cylinder for every hole and apply a boolean difference modifier to it. Not only the script takes a long time (30 seconds for ~60 holes with 16 segments each cylinder), but also the boolean modifier messes up my mesh with triangles.

I also thought about precalculating all the vertices and build the final mesh directly from the data, but I think this will be a lot of work when the faces must be calculated.

If anyone has a much better idea on doing this, please let me know.
The idea should be feasible for use in Python.

SonLa

#2

it depends on what sort of surface you are adding holes to. could you provide an example screenshot? stay away from booleans. they will always give you bad topology. better is to use retopo ( surface snapping ).

#3

In my opinion the boolean modifier is such an easy to use method, but seems to make many problems (I have read posts from other users before), as you said with the topology.
If you want, I will post a Render when I am back in office tomorrow. The surface is quite flat, because it depends on an extruded 2D-Shape. I want to use this procedure to model a 3D circuit-board.

@BoFZeVampire: Thanks, I will have a look at your method.

#4

It could be useful to select verts in the center of where you want holes, run LoopTools > Circle, then delete the center verts. This relies heavily on the kind of object you’re working with though.

#5

Hi,

I just wanted to update, that I have found a fast solution. Instead of making the holes later, I create a 2D mesh with lots of circles and other shapes. After this it I use the “Beauty-Fill” operation and extrude it after to 3D.

The only Problem is that overlapping Edges mess up this process, this should be avoided.

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