Cineversity

Hello Sassi,

I’ve created a 64 tetrahedron grid which can either be made from 64 tetrahedrons or 8 star tetrahedrons (if you disable the cloner in my scene file you will see I have used the star tetrahedron as the starting point). Screenshot below shows the original position and rotation I started with:

Star tetrahderon: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ukgqcdhbw7w90v0/star-tetra.jpg?dl=1

The scene file below shows one angle of the final geometry, but I have also taken a screenshot of another angle for perspective.

Scene file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ms04d50tt5zx255/64grid.c4d?dl=1
Screenshot: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ez395zd6gl08pw8/64grid.jpg?dl=1

In the scene file I used the cloner in grid mode in a 2 x 2 x 2 configuration. Then I adjusted the Size parameter to bring the clones together. But I’m having trouble getting the clones to line up perfectly so that there are no gaps or overlaps. The source of the gaps/overlaps might be the initial rotation of the star tetrahedron before cloning it. Maybe this is where math is needed to get it right? I’ve reached the point where I need some help.

Thanks,
David

Hi David,

Thanks as usual for the files and images.

I hope I understand your target fully. Please have a look at the file:
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/gbOvDpxiNLshjwa7db6kH61qDV9tzb3u7UI9XyfGrGs

First, I took the clone and set it, so each side had that X profile. Like a standard cube, with some parts taking out. (I used the Axis Center and the Axis Tool to get there) At the moment it was set to have X, Y, and Z flatly facing the X-profile of each side, (not angled), I was able to go in point mode and get the dimensions from the Coordinate Manager (Not the coordinates in the Attribute Manager). Note that I have two cases: Beveled or not. Different results.

Move the timeline to the end to get your orientation fo the Cloner back.

Based on the Bevel-settings, there is a tiny little hole. Let me know if you like to patch it, with a Cloner or with a different Bevel-setting (A subdivision of 4 gives a great result for this). Let me know.

Perhaps you are looking for something else, or have a follow-up question, either way: Let me know, I’m happy to look into it.

Cheers

P.S.: I explored it a little bit more, and if you get a lot of clones, most of them are just not visible (inside).
So I wrote a little code line for the Formula Effector, to set those to invisible. I show this in frame zero.
I hope that will speed up your work.
Scene file
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/hwBn8FLf6eygwvQLn4dEqutABNTA7vKiqfFGeUfnn6v

Hello Sassi, many thanks for sharing the two options. It has now clicked getting the dimensions from the co-ordinate manager and using that value in the cloner spacing!

But I’m now intrigued by your workflow at the start using the Axis Center and Axis Tool to orient the shape so that each side had the X profile sitting in the world center. Would you be able to record a short video showing the star tetrahedron at the default position and rotation and then getting it to the cube like shape with the X profiles oriented properly? Thanks again, David

You’re very welcome, David.

The Main Coordination Manager allows to read those sizes out. You can also just select two points that should match in the Cloner, and set those given values than to work.

Please have a look at the requested video below.
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/MqU2Wmk6dB8AtAw7gsqdrjftfffbkNSmO7ZkOttrUV

Please note that I have ‘messed’ up the axis massively to demo this procedure.
In your original file, the Cloner was rotated, and that made me set the orientation, just to be on the safe side. It is not needed to fix the gap problem.

All the best

That’s been very helpful, I haven’t noticed that align to edges option in the drop-down menu. Thanks for that, I’ve learnt a lot from this exercise, David

You’re very welcome, David, Thanks for the reply.

Enjoy your explorations!