Subtract not working


  • MatterHackers

    Thanks for the feedback. Polygon mesh subtraction is a very complex computational geometry problem and we are definitely working to improve it. You can always file issues in GitHub if you would like our development team to look into what is happening.

    Thanks.



  • Hello šŸ™‚

    First of all: MatterControl 2 is awesome.

    I want to use it in my school workshop now as cloud based services depend on the poor internet connection here- And MC has awesome features!

    Sadly on almost all machines, the subtract feature does not work as described in this thread as well. Any known fix?

    It works in the Alpha-build, as well as on two computers (with identical specs, I have not checked differences in things like .net or similar, yet)

    Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit Build 17134.706
    (A PC where it's working has .648, but one also 706)
    Hardware: Intel E8500=3.16GHz/4-6GB/160GB

    MatterControl versions:
    2.19.2.10169 Does not work.
    2.19.2.10116 Does not work
    2.0.0.9794 = Works, but crashes very frequently šŸ˜‰

    I tried re-installing, deleting the local appdata dir, as well as copying the working version from another computer (including appdata).

    Thank you so much for your time šŸ™‚ ā¤


  • MatterHackers

    We are working to improve it. Just to give you some tech info - subtract requires very clean geometry. The solution we use in Windows is from LIBIGL, a very sophisticated research tool, it can handle most meshes but not if they have holes. We have started working on mesh repair tools and will have the very first bits in the next release. That said, I expect it will be a few more months before you can tell we are significantly better at fixing general meshes (probably what you are having trouble with).



  • @larsbrubaker
    Thank you for your quick reply!
    I can understand that it wouldn't work with some geometry-
    But it's not working under any circumstances (e.g. even subtracting a cube from a cube) while it works perfectly fine from another computer.

    So it's a generic problem not related to the type of mesh/geometry, and rather random (given that it does not occur on a few machines with the exact same configuration).

    The old beta version works fine on all of the machines but does crash at times.



  • Same here.
    I am a brand new user and working on my first project.
    I was trying to subtract a slope from a rectangle and it wasn't working and thought I must have been doing something wrong, so I opened a fresh project to experiment with to figure it out.
    Even on a clean slate, with 2 primitive cubes, with no adjustments, just 2 bog-standard 20x20x20 cubes straight off the menu, it can't subtract an overlapping corner.
    All it does it groups them, well, double groups them actually. I have to ungroup, then ungroup again to separate them.
    I tried to save the STL and load it into 123D (gasp) and cut it there instead, but the entire project ends up grouped as one object and 123D cant ungroup it, so...... no luck there either.
    Looks like I am going to have to start from scratch in 123D and maybe check back on MatterControl once its a bit further along in development.
    I'm running on Win10, with an Intel i7.
    I really hope you can sort it out.

    On a side note, I couldn't get it to connect to my printer, a cocoon create touch, which is a rebranded Wanhao duplicator i3 plus, which is essentially a commercial Prusa RepRap.
    It just continually says no printer found even though I can see the ramps listed in the system devices, and Cura connects fine.
    I even tried manually selecting the COM but it still says there is no one home.
    But the subtract issue is WAY more important, I can always us an SDcard.

    P.s. 1.6k views on this topic, so I would say there are a LOT of people having this issue, not just the few who have posted.



  • Hi

    I've tried Windows 10 64-Bit and Linux Ubuntu Mate 18 64-Bit versions and I can't get the Subtract to work in either.

    The work around I have had to use is to create the holes I need with tubes and build the rest of the structure around it.

    Is there anything I can do to help find out why the Subtract function isn't working?



  • Iā€™m also am having the same problem, imported a design from thingverse, tried to modify it using subtract and nothing happened
    Win 10



  • Love MatterControl... But there is definitively some issues when subtracting. In my case, when you try to subsequent subtract more than one time the same element, the item disappears or the application status bar gets stuck. If you try to subtract from a mid complex item, same issues happens. šŸ˜ž

    I tough that maybe have to do with objects that are grouped, but even when they are flattened, its impossible to make it work in 98% of the cases.

    Code team... please solve this issue.



  • This is driving me nuts. Trying to Subtract a shape from an ongoing design and the whole thing vanishes when the subtract process completes. Have been through every variance I can think of, but no dice. So long, Matter Control, it was fun while it lasted...



  • I have found a simple solution to this problem. I am surprized someone has not found it before now.
    Try this and it will work everytime:

    1. Lift all items off the build plate before clicking Subtract.
    2. Click the box or boxes for the item you want to Subtract.
    3. Click Update
      Wa La


  • @dennolan I just made an account to confirm this 100% works, I'm a new user currently without home internet and I downloaded this to replace tinkercad, I was about to just move on to the next program until I read this. Thank you!



  • Is this software still supported? I'm having this bug and if it's been a year for a much needed tool in an editor. I have been customizing for hours just to find out it's wasted.



  • Hi,
    I found it working with all standard primitives. But it will not work, if you import an object and you try to subtract this object.
    In my case I wanted to subtract an imported STL screw thread from a standard sphere. It never worked.
    Subtracting a standard cylinder does work immedeately.
    Is this simply a bug or does only work with MatterControl primitives?
    How can this be solved?

    Kind Regards
    Ewald



  • Iā€™m a newbie but find same issue on MacBook with newest is, but it works okay on Win 10 laptop.



  • @dennolan Thank you for figuring this out! I can't tell you how many models I was recreating from scratch to regain the functionality of subtracting. Thank you! thank you!



  • I updated this week, started designing a thing and found that I cannot subtract objects after I have saved shut down and started back up. I can do simple subs but not the complex ones that "worked just fine" before I saved and shut down. Previous version had the same problem. I like this software, I was thinking about getting it but not if its going to be so buggy. I have a day in this design and now I cant do anything to it, even after having multiple project files to keep things simple. Window 10 64 I7 32gig 3tb 2080.... So frustrating.. Yes, I even lifted off the grid because most of the time subtract leaves parts if it is sitting on the surface. I mostly just want to add to the list of confirmed "subtract does not work properly" cases.



  • Same thing here, found this as I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out what's wrong with either my computer or how I was doing it. The lifting trick didn't work for me similarly have put a few days into a design (probably the most complex thing I've built so far) and now can't finish it. It just hangs on "Split faces 2" for me. Does anyone have a solution? Are there other good programs out there that would read the .mcx files??



  • Same issue still with complex models in 2.21.10.

    Simple objects work though.
    Lifting up from build plate makes no difference sadly ...

    Does anyone have a solution/ is this getting worked on?


  • MatterHackers

    We do continue to work on this. It is a very complex problem but we hope to have an improved solution soon.



  • Hi,
    I have the same issue with software version 2.21.10.11184.
    simple project, subtracting a cylinder from a cube, and both objects subtract.
    Does anyone have any pointers, or can I revert to an older software version that worked?


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