# Subtract not working

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/subtract-not-working/28736>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [November 3, 2023, 7:54am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/subtract-not-working/28736 "2023-11-03T07:54:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rtsousa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rtsousa](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/rtsousa)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 7:54am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/subtract-not-working/28736/1 "2023-11-03T07:54:59Z")

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Unable to use subtract tool with an imported model. After selecting the positive and negative, it will not give me an option to accept

 ![IMG_0811](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/6/8/68b8adf04f25ef19643f839b815e73284b85ebfd.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![Laci\_K](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/laci_k/32/8196_2.png) [@Laci\_K](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Laci_K)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 9:18am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/subtract-not-working/28736/2 "2023-11-03T09:18:41Z")

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Hard to say from the picture, but are you sure they are overlapping? If you move the blue body a bit lower, it still doesn’t show it?

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**Author:** ![jcclow](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/jcclow/32/23888_2.png) [@jcclow](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/jcclow)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 6:21pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/subtract-not-working/28736/3 "2023-11-03T18:21:23Z")

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I had something just like this happen recently too. I had to bring the top face proud of the object I was subtracting it from. It seemed odd to me because the object being subtracted was the exact same thickness as the object being subtracted from. I had even aligned the top face of both objects.

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**Author:** ![Cjacob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Cjacob](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Cjacob)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 11:02pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/subtract-not-working/28736/4 "2023-11-03T23:02:57Z")

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Hello jcclow,

And I thought that was normal… I do that all the time now

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rtsousa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rtsousa](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/rtsousa)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 6:47am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/subtract-not-working/28736/5 "2023-11-04T06:47:44Z")

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> **[boxi.shapr](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2vcuzsls683rlyenpuvcn/boxi.shapr?rlkey=g0u7xf7e16und6uivfpt5vlix&dl=0)**
>
> Shared with Dropbox

Here is a copy of the file I am interested in subtracting.  
Am I doing something wrong?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rtsousa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@rtsousa](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/rtsousa)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 6:47am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/subtract-not-working/28736/6 "2023-11-04T06:47:51Z")

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Thank you for responding!  
If I lower it, it does work. But then the blue body is completely out of sight.

I need to just cut out that portion without having to lower the model. Is there a way to do this?

This only happens when I try to subtract a body, by using an imported model.

What should I do?

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**Author:** ![Bob3DPO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@Bob3DPO](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Bob3DPO)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2023, 9:51am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/subtract-not-working/28736/7 "2023-11-04T09:51:42Z")

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Hi @rtsousa,

It does subract, but makes a body with some error (indicated by the red item name.) Even with the error, it does export.

Shapr3d is limited what it can do with mesh bodies.

Appears that you have modeled the lid. You could try modeling the bottom then subrtacting the model.

 ![IMG_0382](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/0/5/0526445fbe4a5e7521e407044804ffe78e300a8e.jpeg)

For this screenshot, I added a plane in an arbitrary location in the bottom. (You can’t select a face of a mesh as reference) Then I sliced the bottom at that plane and deleted the center pieces that were no longer attached to the bottom. And finally unioned the pieces that were left.

 ![IMG_0384](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/2/1/21da45f1f137e4bc1dbf064410b7b4cf503b8994.jpeg)

Hope this helps. Good Luck!  
[boxi testing.shapr](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/uploads/short-url/3Z7FfzUnmnog53vKSuyDZqR0pEZ.shapr) (400.0 KB)