Original subtitles

In this video, I'll show you how to use

the Boolean modifier in Blender. And

then after I show you how to use the

Boolean modifier, I'll show you how to

use a built-in Blender add-on called

Bool Tool, which will allow you to

quickly add the Boolean modifier to

objects. And there's some cool shortcut

keys in it can speed up your workflow

when you're adding Booleans to objects.

Now, the Boolean modifier is used for a

few different purposes, but the main

purpose of the Boolean is to cut out a

mesh using the shape of another mesh.

So, for example, I have these two cubes

here and I'm going to overlap these two

cubes. They're on top of each other.

Now, I want this object to cut into this

mesh, so I'm going to add the modifier

to this mesh. So, I'll select this cube

here. I'll click on add modifier and I

can search for the Boolean modifier.

Now, here on the object, you want to

choose the other object. So, you can

just click on the eyedropper and then

you can select the other object. So,

there's a few different types here and

I'll be going over this later in the

video, but the default one is

difference. This is probably the main

one that you're going to use. And if I

go into wireframe, you can see what it's

doing by looking at the wireframe of the

mesh. So, this object is actually

cutting into the other object and so

it's making that cubic shape right

there. And I can select the object and

move it and the Boolean modifier is

going to adapt in real time. Now, if you

want to see what this is looking like

better, you can select the other object

and press the H key to hide it and you

can see this is what the Boolean is

doing. So, it's cutting into the mesh.

However, if the other object is hidden,

you're not able to edit the Boolean. So,

another cool way to edit the Boolean is

to select this object and you can go

here to the object data properties and

on the viewport display, you can turn

the display as to wire. And this way,

you're still able to edit the mesh, so

you can go into edit mode. You can scale

it and move it around, but you're better

able to see what's happening to the

other object. Now, if I select this

object again and go back to the

modifiers, there are three main

different types. So, difference is the

one that we're using here on default and

so this is using the other object to cut

into the mesh. Now, if you change this

to union instead, this is going to join

both of the objects together. So, when

you apply the modifier, both of the

objects will be joined as one object.

And if I go here inside the mesh,

they're actually going to be joined

together, so you can actually see each

cube through itself. Now, if I change

this to intersect, it's only going to

keep the part of the mesh where both of

the objects are overlapping. So, I've

duplicated these three times, and this

one is set to difference, this one is

set to union, and this one is set to

intersect. And I'll click on the

drop-down and just apply the Boolean, so

you can see what it's actually doing

once you apply it. For example, if you

wanted to go ahead and edit this mesh,

if you go into edit mode, you can see

because it's just a modifier, it's not

actually affecting the actual geometry

in edit mode. So, you need to go back to

object mode, and then apply the

modifier. And now if I go into edit

mode, you can see it's actual geometry

now. Let's go to the next one here. So,

this one was union. So, if I move this

out of the way, I can delete this other

Boolean object. I don't need it. And you

can see if I go into edit mode, it is

joining both of the objects together.

And if I go inside here, there aren't

any faces in between where it was

overlapping. And then the last one here,

if you apply the modifier, I will just

delete the Boolean object. And if I go

into edit mode, you can see what it's

done. So, it's cut out the mesh and

added those vertices there. So, the

Boolean modifier can be especially

useful if you want to cut into a mesh

and make it a very specific shape, but

it's a little bit hard to model by hand.

So, for example, like an object like

this, let's say that I want to cut some

cylinders through the cube. So, on this

object here, I'll add modifier, I'll add

the Boolean, I will choose the object

here and choose the cylinders, which is

one object. And then if I just apply the

modifier and delete this, you can see we

now have these cool cuts here. And this

would be a little bit tedious to model

by hand. So, using the Boolean can

really speed up the workflow. Now, the

Boolean modifier doesn't always do the

best job with the geometry. So, after

you apply the modifier, you could go

into edit mode and you can fix up any of

the geometry if there's some issues. So,

for example, this here isn't really the

best geometry. So, if you want to fix

this and have there be only four

vertices per face, you could select this

vertex, double tap the G key and push it

in here. You could also select this

vertex, double tap the G key, push it

over there. And then because we have

overlapping vertices, you can select the

entire mesh, you can press the M key,

and you can merge by distance. So, now

the geometry is a bit better because it

removed those extra vertices. Now,

there's also this solver type here, and

there is an exact one and a fast one. If

you have the exact type chosen on a very

high poly object, then the Boolean might

be a bit laggy. So, I have these two

spheres here and they're both very high

resolution. So, this object is cutting

into the other mesh, but you can see if

I move this object around, it's kind of

acting laggy in the viewport because the

object is so high poly. So, in a case

like this, you could select this object,

go to the Boolean settings, and you

could change it to fast instead. And so,

this is going to solve the Boolean in a

different method, and so now you can see

it's much faster in the viewport and it

isn't quite as laggy. So, this can be

helpful if you are using very detailed

objects with lots of geometry. Now,

let's say that you want to add many

Booleans to this object to cut out the

mesh at different areas. Well, you could

just click on add modifier, and you

could add another Boolean modifier, and

then here on the object, you could just

choose the next object. And so, it's

going to work just like the modifier

stack, so it's going to do the first

Boolean and then the next Boolean. So,

you could do it that way, but an easier

way to do it with multiple objects is to

use the collection type instead. So, I'm

going to delete this other Boolean, and

what I'm going to do is select these

three objects because these are the

objects that I want to cut into the

mesh. I'm now going to hit the M key,

and I will click on new collection, and

I'll just call the collection Boolean

and click on okay. So, now these three

objects are in their own collection in

the outliner. So, now if I select the

cube, instead of choosing object, I can

choose collection instead. And then on

the collection type, I will choose

Boolean. And this way it's going to add

the Boolean with all the objects because

all these objects are in the collection.

So, if I just apply the modifier, move

this out of the way here, and go into

edit mode, you can see it's added three

different Booleans to the object at

once. Now, there's a really cool

built-in Blender add-on that you can use

to speed up the process of the Boolean.

So, I will click on edit, and I'll go to

the preferences, and here on the add-ons

tab, if you search for BoolTool, you can

enable this BoolTool add-on, and it's

built into Blender. And then you can

click on save preferences, so it's

always turned on in your future

projects. So, now to use the add-on,

you're first going to select the object

that you want to cut into the other

mesh, then you'll hold down the shift

key, and you'll select the other object

last. So, I'm now going to press control

numpad minus. So, hold down the control

key, and then the minus on the numpad,

and this is automatically going to add

the Boolean to this object, and then it

will add this object as the source

object. And you can see it's set to

difference. So, the next shortcut key is

to select this object, shift select this

object, and you can press control numpad

plus. And this will do the same thing,

so it'll add the Boolean, but it'll set

this type to union instead. And then if

I press control Z to undo that, if I

select this object, shift select this

object, if I press the control asterisk

on the numpad, which is the little star

icon, that is going to do the other one,

so it'll add the Boolean, but it'll

change it to intersect. So, if you want

to quickly add lots of Booleans to your

objects, you can learn the shortcuts and

memorize the shortcuts, and it'll really

speed up the workflow. Now, you can even

speed up your workflow even faster if

you want to apply the modifier as well.

So, if I just want to quickly cut this

mesh into the other mesh, and then apply

the modifier, I'll select this object

first, and then shift select the other

object last, and then instead of

pressing control minus on the numpad,

you're going to press control shift

minus. So, you can see that it

automatically adds the Boolean, and then

applies it. And the same thing applies

for the other shortcuts. Control shift

plus is going to add the union, and it

will apply the modifier. And then also

control shift asterisk on the numpad,

it's going to add the intersect and

apply it. So, I hope you found this

video helpful, and thank you for

watching. And if you'd like to watch

more of my Blender Quick Tips, then

definitely check out my Blender Quick

Tips tutorial playlist. Link to that is

in the description, and it's right up

there in the end screen. But, I hope you

found this helpful, and thank you for

watching.