subtract a few dozen short curves (lines) from a shape

[spinhead]

Attached: a brown shape in one layer, a few dozen white lines in another.

I want to subtract the white from the brown, leaving holes.

When I select all the lines and click the Add Geometry button, the lines all become closed loops.

I am forever making 5 copies of a shape to subtract it from 5 other shapes. Is there a way to subtract one *group* from another group?

trunk.afphoto

[Old Bruce]

I changed the lines to expanded strokes and then did an Add on them and used the result to punch through the orange shape.

trunk.afdesign

[loukash]

3 hours ago, spinhead said:

I want to subtract the white from the brown, leaving holes.

Non-destructively, since you're in Photo:
Select the group and change its blend mode to Erase.

3 hours ago, spinhead said:

When I select all the lines and click the Add Geometry button, the lines all become closed loops.

It's a bug, and then some:

 

[spinhead]

@Old Bruce Erm, okay, in Designer, which I didn't notice you used until after a bunch of searching. But it works, and I always have both Photo and Designer open, so this is my solution.

@loukash Problem with the Erase blend mode is that it erases all the way to the Earth's core. I just need to cut out one layer, so the layer underneath shows through.

[firstdefence]

2 hours ago, spinhead said:

Problem with the Erase blend mode is that it erases all the way to the Earth's core. I just need to cut out one layer, so the layer underneath shows through.

Grouping a layer/s and setting an erase blend mode will prevent the Erase blend mode "Alien Acid Blood" effect for any layer below that group.

[spinhead]

@firstdefence ah, got it. thanks. and to @loukash as well.