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I am new to Blender and would like to create a model for my chemistry students where I show a section of a 2s orbital. Basically this means creating a fuzzy sphere of one color embedded at the center of a fuzzy hemisphere of a different color. I tried to create a UV sphere, apply subsurf, and smooth for the inner sphere. I then duplicated this sphere and scaled it up for the outer sphere. Afterward, I cut off half the outer sphere and now have the inner sphere sitting in the middle of a hollow hemisphere. I just wish I knew how to close the gap between the edge of the hemisphere and the inner sphere, and have the two objects be blurry/fuzzy with different colors.

Thank you for thinking about this and any suggestions you could offer.

Das

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Boolean difference modifier

A boolean difference modifier will do this for us. Simply need the two spheres and a "chopping block" object.

enter image description here

Two UV spheres, smaller in larger. Use the cube as a difference boolean modifier target to cut away from the outer.

The cube is displayed as a wireframe, and can be hidden from render (and or viewport)

Could also use the inner to "core" out the slot.

enter image description here

Can transform, or change the chopping "cube" to for example a spin modifier created cylinder to animate a reveal.

How to use a mesh to reveal an object

Re a blurry material see

material issue - how to make blurry/emissive material?

Related

Create a sphere with multiple layers and a chunk cut out showing them

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  • $\begingroup$ Thank you so much! This is incredibly helpful. $\endgroup$
    – Das
    Commented Jul 16, 2020 at 21:34
  • $\begingroup$ I was able to do what I wanted by using your suggestion of Boolean operator. I was curious, though, as to what you meant by using the inner to core out the slot (as an alternative approach). How might I do that? Thank you. $\endgroup$
    – Das
    Commented Jul 18, 2020 at 14:42
  • $\begingroup$ Not alternative, in addition to. Like taking stone out of peach half. Indents the small sphere hemisphere dent into large hemisphere Not having wireframe sphere in hole prob would have made second image better. $\endgroup$
    – batFINGER
    Commented Jul 18, 2020 at 15:04
  • $\begingroup$ Thank you again for helping me with this. I understand the objective of cutting out a hemisphere shaped dent with the smaller sphere into the larger hemisphere but still trying to understand how to execute this particular operation. Does this mean cutting into the outer hemisphere with the smaller sphere using Boolean difference? I already got what I needed by using the cube as a Boolean cutting object but would like to learn how to put dents,such as in this example, just for the sake of knowing how to do it. $\endgroup$
    – Das
    Commented Jul 19, 2020 at 17:32
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Select the outer hemisphere, enter edit mode, enter face select mode (3), select all (A), right click and select "extrude faces along normals". Move the mouse up or down (whatever is inward for you) until the edges "fill in" enough inwards. If you want to do this in a non destructive fashion, you can apply a "Solidify" modifier to the large hemisphere. I think the default direction is inwards anyway, just change the thickness value to what you need.

HemisphereSolidify

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    $\begingroup$ If the OP wants a flat rim.. maybe chuck in an Autosmooth? $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts ♦
    Commented Jul 16, 2020 at 15:08
  • $\begingroup$ Yeah, or add a couple of supporting loop cuts (if extruding), or after applying modifier. $\endgroup$
    – Christopher Bennett
    Commented Jul 16, 2020 at 15:13
  • $\begingroup$ Wow! Didn't know I could do that! Thank you! $\endgroup$
    – Das
    Commented Jul 16, 2020 at 21:35

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