Releases: nickberckley/bool_tool
v2.0.0
Important
Bool Tool v2.0 comes with updates exclusively to Carve tools. Everything mentioned below refers to those tools.
Added
- Surface Alignment - cutters can be drawn on mesh surfaces.
- Manual depth option - control the extrusion of the cutter during the modal.
- 3D Cursor & Grid alignment.
- Advanced settings for surface alignment in the "Shape" dropdown menu.
- The display type of the cutter can be changed on the tool level in the "Cutter" dropdown menu.
- Bevel Profile property in tool settings.
- Property for choosing the cutter's origin point in the "Cutter" dropdown menu.
Changed
- Bevel & Array are now non-destructive (added on the cutter as modifiers). Found in the new "Effects" dropdown menu.
- All three tools are now non-destructive by default.
- Improved behavior of setting rotation, bevel, and array gap during modal.
- Circle Carve tool now creates perfect circles by default (fixed aspect and center origin).
- More accurate auto depth and 3D cursor depth.
- "Auto Smooth" is no longer destructive and adds a "Smooth by Angle" modifier on the cutter.
- Destructive mode applies modifiers based on the "Apply Order" add-on preference.
- Created cutters keep their rotation unapplied.
- Improved tool settings UI in Properties editor and 3D Viewport's sidebar.
- Status bar displays icons instead of just text.
- Having objects selected is now required for the tool to initialize.
Removed
- Snapping to grid with
Ctrlwas removed. It will be replaced with more complex snapping options in future versions. - The "Closed Polygon" option for the Polyline tool is removed. It's always closed now.
- Array rows and columns use the same "Gap" property now, instead of separate ones.
- "Direction" properties for array rows and columns removed. It's automatically set now.
Known Issues
- Array columns and rows might go in the wrong direction. Try drawing the shape from a different direction if that happens.
- Rotation changes the cutter position if the Circle Carve tool uses "Edge" origin.
- If "Fade Inactive Geometry" is enabled in edit mode, the cutter overlay is much darker red.
See full release notes at: #57
It is recommended to get the add-on from the extensions platform, or from inside Blender if you have online access enabled (Preferences -> Get Extensions). If you're already using the Bool Tool, you should be able to update to a new version from Blender's preferences.
v1.1.5
- Blender 5.0 support.
- New add-on preference "Faster Destructive Booleans": 30-50% faster, but doesn't support material transfer.
- Performing a destructive Boolean with multiple cutters at the same time is more optimized.
- New confirmation window for applying modifiers on objects with shape keys (wasn't allowed before).
- "Pin Boolean Modifiers" and "Apply Order" preferences now affect slice objects as well.
- Improved poll messages for disabled operators.
- 5 bug fixes.
It is recommended to get the add-on from the extensions platform, or from inside Blender if you have online access enabled (Preferences -> Get Extensions). If you're already using the Bool Tool, you should be able to update to a new version from Blender's preferences.
v1.1.4
Update for Blender 4.5 LTS
- Option for Manifold solver for Boolean operators (in add-on preferences), and Carver tools
- Curves that have evaluated mesh from geometry nodes modifiers can be used as cutters (they're converted to mesh)
This version doesn't support older Blender versions, as it uses the new API introduced in 4.5 LTS. From now on, main add-on development will not be compatible with 4.4, 4.3, and older versions. However, 4.2 LTS will still receive maintenance as long as it's supported by Blender and will receive critical bug fixes if they arise.
It is recommended to get the add-on from the extensions platform, or from inside Blender if you have online access enabled (Preferences -> Get Extensions). If you're already using Bool Tool, you should be able to update to a new version from Blender's preferences.
v1.1.3
- Blender 4.4 support.
- Instanced object handling: When applying modifiers to objects with instanced data pop-up will appear where users can confirm whether to make objects single-user or cancel (previously it was throwing an error).
- Add-on operators now have Online Manual links (right-click menu, or F1 when hovering).
- Boolean cutters are now excluded from grease pencil line art by default.
- Modifier keys for Carver tools are now written in status bar (instead of toolbar).
- 9 bug fixes.
It is recommended to get the add-on from the extensions platform, or from inside Blender if you have online access enabled.
If you're already using Bool Tool you should be able to update to a new version from Blender's preferences.
v1.1.2
Changes:
- Automatic collection for cutters is now user preference, as well as collections name.
- Boolean operators now have redo panel, in which user can specify solver options, such as material transfer mode.
- 4 bug fixes.
It is recommended to get the add-on from the extensions platform, or from inside Blender if you have online access enabled. If you're already using Bool Tool you should be able to directly update from user preferences.
v1.1.1
Changes:
- Clicking selects objects when Carver tools are active (or drag in case of Polyline)
- Cutters children are transferred to canvas when applying them, or using auto boolean
- Linked objects can no longer be cut or used as cutters
- Objects can not cut objects that are cutting them (avoids cutter/canvas loop)
Fixes:
- Fixed Python errors in the properties panel
- Fixed issues with the Circle Carve tool
It is recommended to get the add-on from the extensions platform, or from inside Blender if you have online access enabled. If you're already using Bool Tool you should be able to directly update from user preferences.
v1.1
Bool Tool 1.1 is released with tons of new features, including Carver tools which were ported from the old "Carver" add-on and adapted, modernized, and enhanced with tons of new features and UI/UX.
Carver
- Three workspace tools in object and edit modes:
Box,Circle, andPolylineCarvers that can create cutter objects and support destructive and non-destructive workflows (currently only view-aligned). - Designed and modeled after modern built-in Blender tools to be intuitive and natural to use for users.
- Support multiple modes; affected by Bool Tool utility operators, share user preferences, and more. You can read all about workflows here.
- You can create multiple shapes in multiple different ways. You can bevel, rotate, and move shapes around. Read more about shape properties here.
- Carver shapes can be arrayed in rows and columns, inside the modal too! Read more about arrays here.
- Carver tools can support multiple hard-surface modeling workflows by allowing modifier pinning, smoothing cutters by angle, parenting to canvas, and more. Read about cutter properties here.
- Carver supports grid snapping, and modal operators play well with existing Blender UX. Read more about modals here.
Check out to ever-expanding Carver documentation for everything all together!
Additions:
- Preference for modifier applying order (restored to 4.1 behavior by default). #doc
- Ability to pin boolean modifiers for brush booleans (in preferences). #doc
- Newly created faces are selected after booleans are applied.
Changes:
- Better handling of objects with shape keys. No more errors. #doc
- Unused data is purged after auto booleans.
- New modifiers can no longer be created for objects that are already cutting mesh.
- Dbl-click to select boolean modifier object now optional, off by default.
Fixes:
- 7 bug fixes.
It is recommended to get the add-on from the extensions platform, or from inside Blender if you have online access enabled. If you're already using Bool Tool you should be able to directly update from user preferences.
v1.0
First release of Bool Tool as Blender extension, for 4.2 and upward.
Additions:
- You can choose boolean solver in preferences. It now defaults to Fast (and hence improving the performance), but you can change it back to Exact.
- Double-clicking on the boolean modifier in Properties editor selects its cutter object.
- Curve and Text objects can be used as cutters if they're beveled or extruded (NOTE: they're converted to mesh in the process and lost).
- Cutters are automatically added to "boolean_cutters" collection, making them easy to find and manage. Collection automatically gets removed by Bool Tool operators if it has no objects in it.
- "Select Boolean Cutters" & "Select Boolean Canvas" operators in object mode > "Select" menu.
- Cutter objects get parented to canvas, so that moving canvas doesn't break the boolean (can be disabled in preferences).
- New boolean modifiers have "Show in Edit Mode" enabled by default (can be disabled from preferences).
Changes:
- Instances of Bool Tool are renamed to Boolean in UI, to make them easier to understand and to comply to Blender's Human Interface Guidelines.
- "Brushes" are now called "Cutters", as it's technically more correct name, used more often by other add-ons and softwares, and avoids confusion with actual brushes in UI and code.
- Slice operations are improved by a lot and work correctly in more edge cases. All utility operators properly take slices into account.
- When cutter is applied with Bool Tool operators it's deleted and it's data is purged from the scene, but only if it's not used by another canvas.
- "Toggle All Cutters" operator that toggles modifiers and wireframes (if they're not used by another canvas) replaces "Hide Bool Objects" checkbox.
- All boolean and utility operators now take all selected objects into account, not just the active one.
Removals:
- Fast Transformation feature was removed for time being. It was hacky, not working properly, and clashing with Blenders built-in tools. It might come back in future with proper implementation.
IMPORTANT: Add-on now uses new, better data-structure that no longer depends on exposed custom properties which were easy to mess up. Because of that if you have files saved with unapplied Bool Tool modifiers you need to enable "Versioning" in preferences to update your files to new version of add-on.