# 3D shape **URL:** \ **Category:** Flame Questions\ **Tags:** 3d, 3d-shape\ **Created:** [November 15, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754 "2024-11-15T14:57:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fabi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/fabi/32/14709_2.png) [@Fabi](https://forum.logik.tv/u/Fabi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/1 "2024-11-15T14:57:16Z")
I’m currently playing around with 3D shapes and i’m not getting anywhere…i want to cut a hole out of my 3D shape which works, but only through the whole “body” Does anyone know how I can just cut something out and decide the depth myself? Something like the boolean modifier in Blender. ---
**Author:** ![Sinan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/sinan/32/155_2.png) [@Sinan](https://forum.logik.tv/u/Sinan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 3:28pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/2 "2024-11-15T15:28:57Z")
Nope. Can’t do that. Like you said, it’s a Boolean operation which is not supported in Flame. Make hole through the full object, then fill in the part you don’t need. Not elegant at all, but a solution if you want to stay in Flame. ---
**Author:** ![Fabi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/fabi/32/14709_2.png) [@Fabi](https://forum.logik.tv/u/Fabi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/3 "2024-11-15T15:31:44Z")
not the answer i was hoping for but then i don’t need to try any more thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Josh\_Laurence](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/josh_laurence/32/1243_2.png) [@Josh\_Laurence](https://forum.logik.tv/u/Josh_Laurence)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 4:05pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/4 "2024-11-15T16:05:58Z")
There are really only two options for Boolean operations. But in all seriousness, a Gmask will perceptually cut a hole in your geo if you need a quick hack. Otherwise, Blender is a really quick and easy modeler. ---
**Author:** ![andy\_dill](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/andy_dill/32/15475_2.png) [@andy\_dill](https://forum.logik.tv/u/andy_dill)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/5 "2024-11-15T18:37:38Z")
It’s doable, I’ve used it professionally\*, but probably not worth the effort. You use the ability to flip the surface normal rendering so you can render the interior of the hole shape, and then have a second piece of geo be the matte, and comp that over the object you want to punch a hole in. If anyone cares I can demo it on Sunday’s Logik Live (time and rules permitting). The shorter, simpler version is “use Blender” haha. \* _maybe_… the effect was used in titles for the Robert Rodriguez film “[Shorts](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1100119/)” which I’ve never seen and cannot find online. I’m unsure if any of the title work I did made it into the film based on how reviews of my work went. ---
**Author:** ![philm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/philm/32/9286_2.png) [@philm](https://forum.logik.tv/u/philm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 6:50pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/6 "2024-11-15T18:50:56Z")
@andy_dill - I know what you mean but I think the flip normals only applies to surfaces, not geometries. It probably used to be available (I can’t remember now), but I expect that it got removed to provide compatibility with FBX, 3DS and Alembic. @Fabi - Like every other person’s perspective, try to use SVG for your profiles, build in 3d dcc, import as 3d filetype, preferably FBX, preferably as a soft-import to permit offline modification, and more importantly to reduce action file size, especially when iterating in batch. ---
**Author:** ![Sinan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/sinan/32/155_2.png) [@Sinan](https://forum.logik.tv/u/Sinan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/7 "2024-11-15T21:14:37Z")
Philip Normals is my 3D artist alter-ego ---
**Author:** ![philm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/philm/32/9286_2.png) [@philm](https://forum.logik.tv/u/philm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/8 "2024-11-15T21:21:15Z")
@Sinan - Philip Flop is my undecided voter status… “Hmmm, fascism?” “Let’s try it, it just might work…” ---
**Author:** ![andy\_dill](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/andy_dill/32/15475_2.png) [@andy\_dill](https://forum.logik.tv/u/andy_dill)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/9 "2024-11-15T21:22:03Z")
![phil000001](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/thedepartmentofexternalservices/original/2X/7/7823701299b07d1f65193f0ffa5974ec6909ba09.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![philm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/philm/32/9286_2.png) [@philm](https://forum.logik.tv/u/philm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/10 "2024-11-15T21:22:25Z")
Hooray it works. Oh wait this is a 3d shape from a 3d shape and the subtraction goes all the way through the cube right? ---
**Author:** ![andy\_dill](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/andy_dill/32/15475_2.png) [@andy\_dill](https://forum.logik.tv/u/andy_dill)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/11 "2024-11-15T21:26:45Z")
My language was wrong, it’s not flip normals, it’s “shade back”, and being the hack CG person that I am I use the two interchangeably which I’m sure someone can explain why that is wrong. and there are a LOT of limits to this gag: Gets way harder with nonplanar surfaces, requiring (i think) a lot of projection to generate appropriate mattes. Honestly if you need to do anything more complex than write your buddy’s name on a cube, Blender is definitely the route to go down. ---
**Author:** ![philm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/philm/32/9286_2.png) [@philm](https://forum.logik.tv/u/philm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/12 "2024-11-15T21:27:23Z")
I’m doing shade back here - and not getting the same result, because if my cutting geometry is anything less than coplanar with the original geometry i get back shaded faces extended from the main surface. Also, what about MODO? 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![andy\_dill](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/andy_dill/32/15475_2.png) [@andy\_dill](https://forum.logik.tv/u/andy_dill)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/13 "2024-11-15T21:31:38Z")
![phil_layout000001](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/thedepartmentofexternalservices/original/2X/7/738e5407c3ff4d41262c8c79e77f6b949d47f292.jpeg) [philCube.zip](https://forum.logik.tv/uploads/short-url/t4cT20x9IorafCkTM8EIvyghTXX.zip) (9.1 MB) Those are the elements and I’ve attached the setup. and I can’t speak to Modo. it looked cool when I saw it once in like 2012, but Blender is both very good and very free, which for someone as bad at this as I am is just about the right about of money to spend. Haha. ---
**Author:** ![philm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/philm/32/9286_2.png) [@philm](https://forum.logik.tv/u/philm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 9:34pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/14 "2024-11-15T21:34:43Z")
Understood. Thanks. I have wanted to be able to do booleans in this software for a while, also extrusions in proportion to the frustum. (the hack for anyone wanting to do this is to use a simple deformer of dimensions 1x1x1, and scale the back face) life is too short and these requests are less important than paint and text. i’m a fan of lightwave, and by extension modo. i can make my eyeballs bleed with maya. i lament the passing of softimage and i love the fact that you can script blender. i have a hate hate relationship with maxon since 2001. ---
**Author:** ![philm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/philm/32/9286_2.png) [@philm](https://forum.logik.tv/u/philm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/15 "2024-11-15T21:42:06Z")
(hopefully) the last musings of an old homeless guy shouting at traffic, matching textures is quite complicated using this method. ---
**Author:** ![andy\_dill](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/andy_dill/32/15475_2.png) [@andy\_dill](https://forum.logik.tv/u/andy_dill)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 10:07pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/16 "2024-11-15T22:07:57Z")
Oh yeah. Also getting any kind of shadows or most any other control. It’s little more than a trivia gag. Could be worse–when i first built it Action was limited to two outputs, so all the geo had to be across three actions and linked via expressions. ---
**Author:** ![philm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/philm/32/9286_2.png) [@philm](https://forum.logik.tv/u/philm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 10:11pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/17 "2024-11-15T22:11:59Z")
@andy_dill - now you’re showing your age… i remember when action had no matte output… and you had to wait for @Jonhollis to go home… 🤣 😂 batch in flame 5 was quite a revelation ---
**Author:** ![cnoellert](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/cnoellert/32/559_2.png) [@cnoellert](https://forum.logik.tv/u/cnoellert)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2024, 11:14pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/18 "2024-11-15T23:14:02Z")
Don’t get me started. ---
**Author:** ![Jonhollis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/jonhollis/32/11832_2.png) [@Jonhollis](https://forum.logik.tv/u/Jonhollis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2024, 7:50am UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/19 "2024-11-18T07:50:37Z")
you’d be waiting a long time! ---
**Author:** ![philm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.logik.tv/philm/32/9286_2.png) [@philm](https://forum.logik.tv/u/philm)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2024, 1:11pm UTC](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754/20 "2024-11-18T13:11:40Z")
@Jonhollis - I did! Thanks Jon [Next page](https://forum.logik.tv/t/3d-shape/11754.md?page=2)