Frequently asked questions

Q:

What restrictions are there in PolyBoolean library implementation?

A:

PolyBoolean library implementation has some restrictions described here.

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Q:

Are there any differences between other polygon clipping libraries and the PolyBoolean library?

A:

Yes, PolyBoolean has significant advantages:

1. it is numerically robust, unlike most of polygon clipping libraries on
2. it can handle self-touching polygons,
3. it works much faster, especially with large polygons, Check out the comparison of different polygon clipping libraries for more details on this.

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Q:

How can I describe self-touching polygons with holes?

A:

Please refer to the Figure 1 in Implementation Restrictions page.

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Q:

What are PolyBoolean C++ Software Library platform and compiler requirements?

A:

1. The compiler shall conform to the C++ standard (with templates and exceptions).
2. The compiler must have 64 bit integer support.

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Q:

Will PolyBoolean C++ Software Library work with Microsoft Visual C++ or GNU C? Which STL implementation should I use?

A:

The library was succesfully tested on MSVC 5.0 and 6.0 and GNU C 2.7. Also it was tested with STLPort and Dinkumware STL (shipped with Microsoft Visual C++).

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Q:

Can PolyBoolean C++ Software Library be used simultaneously by several threads?

A:

Yes, the library is thread safe.

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Q:

Where can I find more information on PolyBoolean C++ Software Library?

A:

If PolyBoolean brief user's guide is too basic for you, try studying the source code or reading the papers from the Comparison page.

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Q:

I need more precision than 20 bits for PolyBoolean C++ Software Library. What are my options?

A:

On native 64-bit platforms the integer precision will be 40 bits, if 128-bit integer types are provided by compiler. Another option is use a rational arithmetic library for high precision integer calculations. The respected libraries we know of are LEDA and LiDiA.