Can we use the shape of an object that is instanced to particles with dynamic paint So the general setup here is to use an animated particle emitter set as dynamic paint brush, which will cause deformations on another object set as dynamic paint canvas. The latter object has its surface type set to Displace under the heading Dynamic Paint Advanced.  Using this basic setup, when the particles make contact with the surface, the deformation in the canvas is a sphere shape which reflects a point with a radius.  

Now when another object is instanced to replace the particles using the setting Object which is found in the particle settings' Render area, the particles now show up as the object that is attached here. However, the surface deformation that takes place on the brush canvas is still sphere-shaped.  

So this brings me to the question, can we make the deformations that take place on the canvas reflect the shape of the object that is replacing the particles?
Dynamic Paint isn't necessary for this to be done. 

Gleb Alexandrov recently posted a video showing how to use a cloth simulation to achieve damage on an object which matches the shape of the object that is colliding with it as shown here in his video Blender Tutorial: 9 Ways to Destroy Things  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJFE2pb0Ri4 

Fist step: add a cloth simulation to the object that you want to have a worn-down damaged look.  To have the object become squashed without bouncing around or flattening out, just set 'Bending' to 0.0   



Then you add a collision simulation to the object that will be causing the damage.  I used default settings for this.



Now use the Timeline to animate the damage-causing object to overlap with the cloth simulation object that is to receive the damage.