Start ZEMAX and open the file {zemaxroot}/samples/non-sequential/boolean/boolean operations.zmx. This file consists of two sphere objects, which are object number 1 and 2, and a Boolean object, which is object 3. Scroll along to the right hand side of the Non-Sequential Component Editor to see the properties of the Boolean object:

The Boolean object can take up to 10 "parent" objects, but in this case we are using only two objects. The Boolean operations we can perform on these objects are as follows:

+ Combines the two objects together (logical A OR B).
- Subtracts the second object from the first (logical A AND NOT B).
& Computes the intersection of the two objects (logical A AND B).
^ Yields the portion of the object that is part of one or the other, but not both objects (logical A XOR B).
$ Subtracts the first object from the second (logical NOT A AND B).

You can also use combinations of these. The Boolean operations to be performed are entered in the Comment field of the Boolean object:

So this yields a volume equal to object A OR object B

 

Here objects A and B are shown at the bottom, and the Boolean object A+B is directly above. Note that as the parent objects are parametric, the Boolean object is too: if the radius of either sphere is changed, the Boolean object will update too. The parent objects can be made of any glass: the parent object glass is ignored, and glass or gradient index properties are added to the Boolean object itself.

Surface properties of the Boolean object are inherited from the parents. The sphere object consists of a single face per object, and so the Boolean a+b of these objects consists of two faces:

 

Both of these faces are inherited from the parent object:



And so if the object 1 sphere has an AR (MgF2) coating on it, then so does face 0 of the Boolean object:

Note also that if you do not want the parent objects to interact with rays, you can select "Rays Ignore This Object" under the Type tab of the object properties, and if you do not want to object to be drawn on screen, you can use the "Do Not Draw Object" switch on the Draw tab of the object properties