"Panning carving"? Does it exist?

batsbrew
waves s-1.
 
spread, and tilt

I don't think those do what he was asking - spread is just widening or narrowing, and tilt is basically taking the whole field and "rotating" it left or right. I think what Dave is asking is would it be possible to boost or attenuate specific pan positions in the stereo field without affecting the rest of the field. 

It is an interesting question.  What I am about to talk about may or not be a solution. But they are interesting.  Ben put me onto Waves Brauer Motion plugin.
 
https://www.waves.com/plugins/brauer-motion?km_source=google&km_medium=cpc&km_term=44217550980&km_campaign=828249049&km_device=c&km_matchtype=e&km_keyword=waves%20brauer%20motion&km_adid=201059467382&km_account=searchbrand&awid=1146922547&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkKqigaCF2QIViYmPCh19hg9EEAAYASAAEgLBPvD_BwE
 
There are a new wave of plugins that are doing very interesting stuff with panning movements.  This one has two panners and they can act on L and R channels of course but also on a summed mono signal too.  They can pan in sync with each other or free run.  In sync with the session of course as well.  Not only that but the front to back movement can also be created as well as the left right movement creating a more circular motion all the way around.  Both panners can be circular or one can be flat left right panner.  There are many adjustments to the panning movements such as how deep and what shape the panning movements are making etc.. from a tight ellipse to a big wide circle.  All variable.  To a flat left right pan back and forth etc..
 
When you get into something like this too you realise how totally boring a flat left right pan actually is because that is what it is.  And that is what most DAW's will allow.
 
You can automate all this Brauer Motion movement too of course and create the very graphs for these panners yourself.  If you feel so inclined.  I thought this might all be a bit silly but once I started getting into it I realised how totally awesome an effect like this is.  It can do stuff to very wide stereo like synth sounds that nothing else can.  You can insert these panners on tracks, buses and your main mix if you want.  Waves had this on sale for $29 and for a time it was well worth it.
 
Another plug I found is called Panagement.
 
https://www.auburnsounds.com/products/Panagement.html
 
This one works in conjunction with one of your fave reverbs, preferably a very nice one.  It allows for very accurate front to back placement as well as left right placement.  There is a free version of this and that certainly shows off the basic effect.  All of these parameters can be automated as well in Studio One.  There is an LFO also for some automatic panning movement.  I have spent some time with this and this too is quite interesting and rather remarkable.  It is a more static type effect though compared to Brauer Motion which can be set up for some head spinning effects!