The Open University of Hong Kong Tutorial 1

AMVE A206F Animation Production

Tutorial 1: Understanding Autodesk Maya Interface
Name: Class Number: Class: JS9014
Learning Outcome:
Upon completion of this tutorial, students should be able to:
1. Explore and analyze the creative possibilities and technical issues of each process in
animation production.
2. Apply appropriate skills and tools with professional judgment to express content.

Creating a Project
 To open the Project Window, select File > Project Window
The Project Window lets you create new Maya projects, set the location of project files,
and change the names and locations of existing projects.

Projects are the way Maya manages a scene’s assets. A file and folder structure
keeps your files organized according to projects. You will want to create a new project for
this new exercise. The top level of this organization is the project folder. Within the project
folder are numerous file folders that hold your files. When you set your workspace to a
project folder (or when you create a new project), Maya will know where to look for
elements and folders for that project. The two most important types are the Scenes and
Images folders. The Scenes folder stores your scene files, which contain all the
information for your scene. The Images folder stores images you’ve rendered from your
scene.

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Don’t Forget to Always Set Your Project First!

You should make sure to set your project before continuing with your work. The exercises
in this book are based on projects, and you’ll need to set your project whenever you start
a new exercise. Otherwise, the scene may not load properly, or your files may not save to
the proper locations
for that project. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Every time you set a new project, a workspace.mel file is created. The workspace.mel file is a
project definition file that contains a list of MEL commands that associate data types with the
specified folders. It is overwritten every time you update anything in the project.

Change projects
You can change the current project you are working on by "setting" a project (File > Set
Project). When you change projects, Maya will start saving your project data to the newly set
project locations. For example, if you change projects, and cache your current scene, the
cache is now saved to the data folder of the set project's primary file location. See Organize
files into projects.
To change projects

1. Select File > Set Project.

The Set project window appears.

2. In the Set project window, browse to the location of the project you want to open.

3. Click Set.
If the directory you want to set as the current location does not already include
a workspace.mel project definition file, Maya asks you to choose a different directory or
create a project definition file for the specified directory.

4. Do one of the following:

 Click Select another location, and then browse to a directory that contains a
project definition file.

 Click Create default workspace to create a workspace.mel project definition file

in the specified directory.
Creating a project definition file in this manner does not automatically create project
locations such as primary and secondary project locations. This means that the set
project is more of a project placeholder than a proper Maya project. It is strongly
recommended that you open the project in the Project Window, by selecting File > Project
Window, review the settings, and accept them. See Create a new project.
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Reset Maya to Default

In some instances, Maya will not start or strange issues inside the UI will occur like
missing menus or slow performance in the UI when moving objects in vertex mode, due to
corrupted preferences.

Refresh the preferences by using the following steps:

Mac:
1. In the Finder, click the Go menu and then click "Go to folder..."
2. Type /Users/USERNAME/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/VERSION/
3. Click "Go"
4. Find the prefs folder and rename it to prefsOld
5. Restart Maya and if prompted to select the option to create default preferences.
Windows:
1. Rename the prefs folder found in the following location to something like prefsOld:
 Windows 64-bit: C:\Users\USERNAME\My Documents\maya\VERSION\
 Windows 32-bit: C:\Users\USERNAME\My Documents\maya\VERSION\
2. Restart Maya.
3. If prompted to, choose the option to Create Default Preferences.

Keyboard and Symbol Conventions Used in

This Book
The following terms are used throughout this book:
Click and LMB+Click These actions refer to a mouse click with the
primary (left) mouse button.

RMB+Click This refers to a mouse click with the right mouse button.

MMB+Click This refers to a mouse click with the middle mouse

button.

Shift+Click This indicates you should hold down the Shift key as you
click with the primary (left) mouse button.

Shift+Select This indicates you should hold down the Shift key as
you select the next object for multiple selections.

The ❏ Symbol This, next to a menu command, indicates you should

click the box (❏) next to the menu command to open the options for
that command.

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3D coordinates

The most basic visual entity is the point. The point has no size, but it has a location.
To determine the location of points, we first establish an arbitrary point in space as the origin.
We can then say a point’s location is so many units left (or right) of the origin, so many units
up (or down) from the origin, and so many units higher (or lower) than the origin.

These three numbers give us the 3D coordinates of the point in space. For example, a point 7
units right (x), 4 units down (z), and 3 units above (y) the origin has the XYZ coordinates
(7,4,3).
To specify points on the opposite side of the origin, we use negative numbers. In the example,
a point at (-5, -2, -1) would be 5 units left of the origin, 2 units up, and 1 unit below.

In computer graphics, we don’t really say the point is “left/right”, “up/down”, or “higher/lower”.
Instead we call the three dimensions the X axis, the Z axis, and the Y axis.

Y-up and Z-up

In animation and visual effects, the tradition is to use Y as the “up” or elevation axis, with X
and Z as the “ground” axes. However, some other industries traditionally use Z as the up axis
and X and Y as the ground axes.
In Maya, you can switch the up axis between Y and Z.
Select Windows > Settings/Preferences > Preferences, then clickSettings in the left pane. For
more information, see Settings preferences.

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A Quick Screen Roadmap

Let’s get to the basics of how Maya is laid out (see Figure 2-1). Running across the top of
the screen, right under the application title bar, are the UI elements: the main menu bar,
the Status line, and the Shelf. On Mac OS X, note that the main menu bar runs across the
top of the screen, above the application title bar.

Figure 2-1 shows the major parts of the UI. In the middle of the interface is the workspace,
which is host to your panels (or Scene windows) and their menu options (known as views
or viewports in some other 3D packages). This is where most of your focus will be.

Click inside the large Perspective view panel (named persp) with the mouse to activate the
panel, highlighting its border slightly. Press the spacebar to display a four-panel layout,
which gives you top, front, and side views, as well as the perspective view. Press the
spacebar in any of the panels to display a large view of that panel.

Figure 2-1: The initial Maya screen

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To the right of the panels is the Attribute Editor/Channel Box/Modeling Toolkit. This is
where most of the information (attributes) about a selected object is displayed and edited.
Also, this is where you access the Modeling Toolkit suite of polygon tools. Simply click any
of the tabs to access these functions. Furthermore, pressing Ctrl+A toggles between the
Attribute Editor and the Channel Box.

In short, the Attribute Editor gives you access to all of an object’s attributes, whereas the
Channel Box is a quicker display of the most commonly animated attributes of the
selected object.

Viewing the scene

By adjusting settings for the camera, view panels, object display, and other elements, you can
make it easier to view and develop a scene.
Watch the video below for information on how to set up the view panel in different ways,
including using the default cameras and customizing the look of the view panel.

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2016/ENU//?guid=GUID-59D87B3C-5E1B-4CEE-
A63B-6EE44EDCFE69

This section is a brief summary of the main Maya interface. Numbered headings below refer to
the numbered interface elements in the figure.
 If you can’t find the menu you’re looking for, it may be that the correct menu set is not
open - see Menus and menu sets. You can also choose Help > Find Menu and enter the
name of menu or command you're looking for.
 You can show or hide elements (panels) in the main window using the Windows > UI
Elements menu.
 You can hide all the interface elements to maximize viewing space and instead use the
quick command features: thehotbox, Maya Hotkeys, and Marking menus.
 You can resize most panels by dragging their edges when a double-headed arrow
cursor appears.
 You can rearrange the panels to suit your preferences by docking them in different
areas of the Maya window. For more information, see Rearrange the interface.

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1. Menu Sets
Menu sets divide the type of menus available into categories: Modeling, Rigging,
Animation, FX, and Rendering. Maya's first seven menus on the main menu are always
available, and the remaining menus change depending on the menu set you choose.

2. Menus
The menus contain both tools and actions for working in your scene. The main menu is
that the top of the Maya window. There are also individual menus for the panels and
option windows. You can also access the menus in the main menu in the hotbox, which
you can open by holding down the space bar in a view panel.

3. Status Line
The Status line contains icons for some commonly-used commands, such as File >
Save, as well as icons for setting up object selection, snapping, rendering, and more. A
quick Selection field is also available for you to set up for numeric input.

4. Shelf
The Shelf contains tabs that represent each menu set. Each tab contains icons that
represent the most commonly-used commands for each set. The real power of shelves,
however, is that you can create custom shelves, and then make tools or command
shortcuts that are quickly accessed from there with a single click. See Shelves for
information.

5. Sidebar icons
These icons at the right end of the Status line open up tools that you will use frequently.
From left to right, click on each icon to toggle opening and closing the Modeling Toolkit,
the HumanIK window, the Attribute Editor, the Tool Settings, and the Channel
Box (which is open by default and shown here).
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6. View panel
The View panel offers different ways of viewing the objects in your scene with a
camera view. You can show one or several view panels, depending on the layout
you're using. You can also display different editors in the view panel. ThePanel
Toolbar in each view panel gives you access to many of the frequently used
commands found in the Panel menus.

7. Channel Box
The Channel Box lets you edit attributes and key values for selected objects. The
Transform attributes are shown by default, but you can change which attributes are
displayed here.

8. Layer Editor
There are two types of layers that are displayed in the Layer Editor:

 Display Layers are used to organize and manage objects in a scene, such as for
setting their visibility and selectability.
 Animation Layers are used to blend, lock, or mute multiple levels of animation.
In all cases, there is a default layer where objects are initially place upon creation.

9. Tool Box
The Tool Box contains tools that you use all the time to select and transform objects in
your scene. Use the QWERTY hotkeys to use the Select tool (Q), Move tool (W),
Rotate tool (E), Scale tool (R), and Show Manipulators (T), as well as access the last
tool used (Y) in the scene.

10. Quick layout buttons

The Quick Layout Buttons let you switch between useful panel layouts in a single click.
See Panels and layouts for information on other ways to create custom layouts.

11. Time Slider

The Time Slider shows you the time range that is available as defined by the range
slider, below. The time slider also displays the current time, and the keys on selected
objects or characters. You can drag the red playback cursor in it to "scrub" through
animation, or use the playback controls at the right end.

12. Range Slider

The Range Slider lets you set the start and end time of the scene's animation and a
playback range, such as if you want to focus on a smaller portion of the whole
animation.

13. Playback controls

The Playback Controls let you move around time and preview your animation as
defined by the Time Slider range.

14. Anim/Character menus

The Animation or Character menus let you switch the Animation Layer and the
current Character Set.

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15. Command Line

The Command line has an area to the left for inputting single MEL commands, and an
area to the right for feedback. Use these area if you are familiar with Maya's MEL
scripting language.

16. Help Line

The Help Line gives a short description of tools and menu items as you scroll over
them in the UI. This bar also prompts you with the steps required to complete a certain
tool or workflow.

Mouse Controls
Maya requires the use of a three-button mouse, even on a Mac. The clickable scroll
wheel found on most mice can be used as the third button by pressing down to
click with the wheel.

Shortcuts to Navigating

Here’s a rundown of how to navigate Maya. Keep in mind that the Option
key is used on a Mac in place of the Alt key on a PC.

Alt+MMB+Click Tracking moves left, right, up, or down in two dimensions; hold
down the Alt key, press and hold the MMB, and drag the mouse.

Alt+RMB+Click This dollies into or out of a view, essentially zooming the view in
and out. Hold down the Alt key, press and hold the RMB, and drag the mouse.

Scroll Wheel The scroll wheel acts as a middle mouse button when pressed and
can also dolly into or out of a view just like the Alt+RMB+click combination when
scrolling the wheel.

Alt+Click This rotates or orbits the camera around in a Perspective window. To

orbit, hold down the Alt key and the LMB. You can’t tumble your view in an
orthographic panel.

Alt+Ctrl+Click and Drag Dollies your view into the screen area specified in your
mouse drag. Hold down the Alt and Ctrl keys while using the LMB to outline a
window in the panel to execute this bounding box dolly. This action is commonly
referred to as a window zoom in other applications.

The ViewCube The ViewCube is a navigational aid that is not visible by default
when you launch Maya 2016. The ViewCube, when enabled, lets you easily
change your current panel view. To enable the ViewCube in a viewport, select
Renderer from the panel’s menu bar (not the main menu bar) and select either
Legacy Default Viewport or Legacy High Quality Viewport, and the ViewCube will
appear in the upper-right corner of the panel.
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By clicking an area of the ViewCube (shown here), you can switch to other views
inside that panel. Clicking one of the conical axis markers gives you an orthogonal
view from that direction. Clicking the center square gives you the perspective view.
You can toggle the ViewCube on or off in the UI by choosing Display ⇒ Heads Up
Display ⇒ ViewCube.

Mac Keys The Option key on a Mac serves the same function as the Alt key on a
PC. Although a few Ctrl key combinations in Windows are accessed via the
Command key on a Mac, Mac users can use the Mac’s Ctrl key for their key
combinations just like PC users do. In Maya, you press and hold the Alt key on a
PC (or the Option key on a Mac) along with the appropriate mouse button to move
in the view panel. The left mouse button (LMB) acts as the primary selection button
and allows you to orbit around objects when used with the Alt key. The right mouse
button (RMB) activates numerous shortcut menus and lets you zoom when used
with the Alt key. The middle mouse button (MMB) used with the Alt key lets you
move within the Maya interface panels, and the mouse’s wheel can be used to
zoom in and out as well.

Making Selections
Selecting objects in a view panel is as easy as clicking them. As you select an
object, its attributes appear in the Attribute Editor or Channel Box on the right. To
select multiple objects, simply hold the Shift key as you click objects to add to your
current selection. If you press Ctrl+LMB (press the Ctrl key and click) on an active
object, you’ll deselect it. To clear all of your current selections, click anywhere in
the empty areas of the view panel. Remember, when you press Shift+click to select,
Maya adds to the current selection. When you press Ctrl+click, Maya deselects the
object you clicked.

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To select objects

1. Ensure that Maya is in Object selection mode (press F8) - see Selection modes.
2. Pick the Select Tool from the Tool Box and click an object; or, either Shift-click or Shift
+ Ctrl-click to select multiple objects. Shift-click toggles on and off the last selection, while
Shift + Ctrl-click always adds to the selection.
To remove an object from the selection, Ctrl-click.
When you select multiple objects, the last selected object is drawn in a different color from
other selected objects. This is known as the key object. Some tools and actions use the key
object to determine what to do with the selection. For example, when you transform multiple
objects, the transformation uses the key object’s pivot point.
Watch the video below for information on how to select objects in different ways.

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2016/ENU//?guid=GUID-5C5F2B9B-BE16-
4C49-B72B-70EA7CB4C688

Transform objects and components

Topics in this section explain the many different ways to move, rotate, and scale objects with
precise control, or in a free-form manner.
You can find the Move, Rotate, and Scale tools in the Tool Box on the left side of the Maya
window.

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Move objects and components

Moving, also known as translation, changes an object's or component's position in space.
Movement happens in relation to the pivot of the object. If you have multiple objects
selected, they move according to their common pivot point, which is the last object added
to the selection (the key object). For components, the pivot point is located at the center of
all selected components.

Watch this video to see how to move objects and set several Move Tool options.

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2016/ENU//?guid=GUID-ABF1A141-7860-4234-
889B-00278F20B9A3

To move objects or components

1. Select one or more objects or components.

2. Click the Move Tool icon in the Tool Box or press W.

If you want to first change the settings for the Move Tool, double-click its icon to display its
options in the Tool Settings panel.

3. Use the Move manipulator in these ways to change the position of the selected objects:

 Drag the center handle to move freely around in the view.

 Drag an arrow to move along that axis.
 Drag a plane handle to move along the two axes of that plane. For example, drag the
green plane handle to move along the XZ plane.
 Click an arrow or plane handle to make it active (yellow), then middle-drag anywhere in
the view to move along that axis or plane.
 Ctrl + click an arrow to activate its corresponding plane handle.
 Without any part of the manipulator selected, Shift + middle-drag to move in the
direction you're dragging in the view.

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Rotate objects and components

Rotating an object or component changes its orientation. Rotation happens around the
pivot of the object. If you have multiple objects selected, they rotate according to their
common pivot point, which is the last object added to the selection (the key object). For
components, the pivot point is located at the center of all selected components.
Watch this video to see how to rotate objects and set several Rotate Tool options.

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2016/ENU//?guid=GUID-169906C5-CBC4-45CD-
8DFB-F716D51D6168

To rotate objects or components

1. Select one or more objects or components.

2. Click the Rotate Tool icon in the Tool Box or press E.

If you want to first change the settings for the Rotate Tool, double-click its icon to display its
options in the Tool Settings panel.

3. Use the Rotate manipulator in these ways to rotate the selected objects:

 Drag the rings to rotate around the different axes.

 Drag the light blue outer ring to rotate in screen space to face the camera. The axis of
rotation changes depending on the camera angle.
 Drag in the grey area between the rings to rotate freely around any axis.
Note: Free Rotate in the Rotate Tool settings must be turned on (the default) to do this

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Scale objects and components

Scaling an object or component changes its size. Scaling happens from the pivot of the
object. If you have multiple objects selected, they scale from their common pivot point,
which is the last object added to the selection (the key object). For components, the pivot
point is located at the center of all selected components.
Watch this video to see how to scale objects and set several Scale Tool options.

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2016/ENU//?guid=GUID-09D0E733-74DF-44E2-
937A-C857001E45B2

To scale objects or components

1. Select one or more objects or components.

2. Click the Scale Tool icon in the Tool Box or press R.

If you want to first change the settings for the Scale Tool, double-click its icon to display its
options in the Tool Settings panel.

3. Use the Scale manipulator in these ways to scale the selected objects:

 Drag the center box to scale uniformly in all directions.

 Drag anywhere along the length of the XYZ axis handles to scale along that axis.
 Drag a plane handle to scale along the two axes of that plane. For example, drag the
green plane handle to scale along the XZ plane.
 Click an axis or plane handle to make it active (yellow), then middle-drag anywhere in
the view to scale along that axis or plane.
 Ctrl + click a box to activate its corresponding plane handle, the drag to scale along
that plane.
 Without any part of the manipulator selected, Shift + middle-drag to scale in the
direction you're dragging in the view.

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Use the combined Move/Rotate/Scale

manipulator
The combined Move/Rotate/Scale Tool shows the move, rotate, and scale handles all in one
manipulator. You may find it easier to use than the individual tools when you’re performing a
lot of move, rotate, and scale operations on an object to get it into position.
You can also move, rotate, and scale with one manipulator using the Universal Manipulator.
To use the combined Move/Rotate/Scale Tool

1. Select Modify > Transformation Tools > Move/Rotate/Scale Tool.

This manipulator combines the handles from the Move, Rotate and scale tools in one.
The Move/Rotate/Scale Tool andProportional Modification Tool use this manipulator.
When a move or scale handle is active, the axis rotation rings are hidden. Click the outer ring
rotation ring to show all rotation handles.
Note: Some tools add another handle projecting from the center of the manipulator. Clicking
this handle switches the manipulator axes between world and local space.

The Universal Manipulator

The Universal Manipulator combines the functions of the Move Tool, Rotate Tool, and Scale
Tool. You can also use it to enter precise values to scale and rotate your object directly in the
scene view.
To show the Universal Manipulator, do one of the following before or after selecting an object:
 Select Modify > Transformation Tools > Universal Manipulator.
 Press Ctrl + t.
The Universal Manipulator interface appears around the object.

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Set transformation values to zero

When you transform an object, Maya stores it in a transform node as the difference from its
original (zero) position. These menu items let you control this saved transformation
information for an object.

To... Do this

Reset transformations on the Select Modify > Reset Transformations. If you

selected object back to zero (return select Modify > Reset Transformations > , you can choose to
to first or last “frozen” position). not reset Translate, Rotate, or Scalevalues.

Make the selected object’s current Select Modify > Freeze Transformations. If you
transformations be the zero position. select Modify > Freeze Transformations > , you can set Freeze
Transformations Options.

Create and edit objects

This section explains how to create basic (primitive) objects, then how to replicate them,
perform basic operations on them, delete them, and use different tools to edit their
attributes.
Watch the video below for information on how to create primitive objects and draw curves.

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2016/ENU//?guid=GUID-028D6945-CEBE-493B-
9372-E9DF32BB0E78

Creating polygon primitives

To create a polygon primitive 3D object, open the Polygons shelf and click any of the 3D
shape icons at the left end.

You can also choose Create > Polygon Primitives and select one of the primitive shapes from
the submenu.
You can set the default options for each of the shape types when you
choose Create > Polygon Primitives > (Shape) > . These settings are used the next time you
create that primitive - see Polygon Primitives Options.
For more details on creating polygon primitives, see Create polygon primitives

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Outliner
To open the Outliner
 In main menu bar: Windows > Outliner
 In a panel: Panels > Panel > Outliner

 Click the icon in the Quick Layout buttons on the left side of the interface.
The Outliner shows a hierarchical list of all objects in the scene in outline form. You can
expand and collapse the display of branches in the hierarchy; lower levels of the hierarchy are
indented under higher levels. It's one of two main scene management editors in Maya: the
other is the Hypergraph.
The Outliner also displays objects that are normally hidden in the view panels, such as the
default cameras, or nodes that don't have geometry, such as shaders and materials. You can
control which nodes appear in the Outliner using the items in its Display and Show menus.

1 - Display and Show menus

2 - Render Setup filter
3 - Search field
4 - Groups and hierarchies
5 - Materials
6 - Hidden objects
7 - Sets
8 - Assets
9 - Referenced files

More:
http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2016/ENU//?guid=GUID-
4B9A9A3A-83C5-445A-95D5-64104BC47406

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Change the pivot point

The pivot point defines the position around which objects are rotated or scaled. By default, the
pivot point of an object is located at its center. If you want to rotate an object around a specific
point, like a forearm rotates from an elbow, you need to adjust the pivot's position. Custom
pivot editing mode is the default method for setting object and component pivot points.

Transformation Relationship to Pivot

Move Moves the pivot point (and the object travels along with
it).

Scale Scales object out from or in toward the pivot point.

Rotation Rotates object around the pivot point.

Custom pivot editing mode

Custom pivot editing mode (Hotkey: Insert or D) lets you set pivot position and axis orientation.
You can use this mode tomove the pivot point and perform more complex edits like pivot
pinning and orienting and snapping the custom pivot to a component.

Align object
To align objects using Edit Pivot mode

1. Select the object you want to align to another object.

2. Hold the Insert or d key to enter Edit Pivot mode.

3. Click a component on the selected object.

The object pivot automatically aligns to the selected component.

4. Release the Insert or d key to exit Edit Pivot mode.

5. Hold the v key to activate Snap to Points mode.

6. Drag the selected object toward another object in your scene.

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2016/ENU//?guid=GUID-8345A56F-C6E2-4D0B-
BD1A-EC4E6D4B574D

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To align objects using an interactive manipulator

1. Select Modify > Align Tool.

2. Select the objects you want to align.

The other objects align to the last selected (key) object. This object is highlighted in green.

3. Do any of the following:

 Click an icon to align the objects. The icons show how the bounding boxes align.
For example:

 Use Edit > Undo or press z to reverse an align.

In the following example, the objects align to the far right of the cube outside the transparent
box.

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Duplicate
The Duplicate and Duplicate Special commands let you create multiple copies of the selected
objects, with optional transformations applied to each copy.
You can also make lightweight references to existing objects, known as instances. Instances
are linked to the original object, so changing to the original automatically updates all its
instances.
To make a simple duplicate of the selected objects

1. Select Edit > Duplicate.

To duplicate the selected objects with the options you specify

1. Select Edit > Duplicate Special > to open the Duplicate Special Options panel.

2. Set the Geometry Type to Copy.

3. Set the options for the number of copies and the transformations to apply to each copy.
To duplicate the selected objects and reapply the last transform

1. Select Edit > Duplicate with Transform.

For example, if you move an object 2 units up, then select Edit > Duplicate with Transform, a
duplicate object is created and moved 2 units up again.
To create lightweight instances of the selected objects

1. Select Edit > Duplicate Special > .

2. Set the Geometry Type to Instance.

3. Set the options for the number of copies and the transformations to apply to each copy.

Note:

 If the pivot point of an object is changed from its default value, duplicating
multiple copies of that object results in additional transforms to the channels of the
duplicated transform node. However, the resulting position, orientation and the pivots of
the duplicated objects will be correct. To avoid these extra transforms, the Duplicate
Specialcommand should be invoked with No of copies set to 1. The hotkey g can then be
used as many times as needed.

 Edit > Duplicate does not work on isoparms. Instead, use Curves > Duplicate
Surface Curves.

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 The Open University of Hong Kong Tutorial 1

Booleans

Booleans (Mesh > Booleans) let you model with polygonal objects. Three boolean operations
let you combine objects to make shapes that would otherwise be difficult to model using other
techniques. You can add, subtract, or intersect objects to create a new, complex shape.
See Combine polygon meshes using booleans.
Boolean operations rely on the intersection, the shared volume of the two meshes, to
determine the boolean result.
 Union = faces of both meshes - faces of the intersection
 Difference = faces of the first selected mesh - faces of the intersection + faces of the
second selected mesh that were part of the intersection

After performing a boolean operation, the original objects cannot be selected in the scene.
When construction history is enabled, you can select the objects in the Channel
Box, Hypergraph, Attribute Editor, or Outliner. Any changes you make to the original objects
are automatically applied to the new shape. See Edit the original objects after a boolean
operation.

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