Boolean Modelling in Modo

Bulletproof boolean modelling - finally!

For years I have struggled to find an effective workflow for boolean modelling. While the promise of quick modelling using simple geometry always seemed alluring, the reality was different. Boolean modelling was unreliable and operations would often fail. And even when things worked as expected, the results were sub-optimal due to the inevitable shading errors that are always part-and-parcel of the boolean approach.

If the benefit of boolean modelling is that you don’t have to worry about topology, the cost is that the results will generally not render well. Sub-optimal topology results in sub-optimal shading. You then have to look into re-topology, at which point it feels like you might as well just model things using traditional quad-modelling techniques, which at least will deliver clean meshes.

However after taking a deep dive into some of Modo’s less-talked-about tools, I have finally developed an extremely effective workflow for boolean modelling. One that is simple, reliable, and that produces shading indistinguishable from regular quad-based geometry.

For me this is a game-changer: I can create complex hard-surface meshes using nothing but simple geometry. In this workflow there is no need to think about topology and no need to stick to quad modelling. You can punch holes anywhere. Combine meshes, subtract one shape from another, and create perfect and controllable bevels wherever you need them.

This means that you can create complex geometry in a fraction of the time compared to the traditional quad-modelling approach. Geometry that was once impossible is now within easy reach. It will revolutionise your hard-surface modelling, and the results can easily be exported to other applications.

This workflow does not rely on Mesh Fusion. It is based on Modo’s procedural modelling tools, which are known as Mesh Ops. With this approach you do not need to rely on the rounded edge shader to create bevels: these are all modelled procedurally with total control over their size and roundness.

If you’ve always wanted a really simple and effective way to create complex hard-surface models quickly, then this is the training you are looking for.

The basic workflow in this training applies to any version of Modo from Modo 10 upwards, although in older versions the Modo layout will be different (and some functions will be hidden in menus rather than exposed in the UI), and some operations such as the select by Previous Operation operator are only available from Modo 11 upwards. The training was recorded in Modo 16, and users of more recent versions of Modo will obviously have the best experience.