The image should explain it all. The actual model I’m working on is obviously a lot more complicated and so I want to use modifiers so that it is editable easily.
Last part can be done with array.
It’s the mirroring bit that is causing problems. So far it looks like Blender cannot mirror with a slight offset orthogonally as required here. Any help?
Here’s the blend in case anyone wants to demonstrate: untitled.blend (411 KB)
You could use an array modifier and an empty go get the first duplication and mirroring, then add another array modifier. I’ve attached a blend file so you can see what I mean.
You just need to mirror around the right axis and have the object origin set right, as mirror works through the object origin.
But arrays are prolly the better approach.
Furthermore the mirror modifier does not mirror the object incrementally around the axis you set, but also… #23424 Out of vocabulary error: hard to explain.
So mirror around X and Y gives you 4 objects, not 2 where the second one is mirrored around x+y
Just used 2 array modifiers. The first simply creates one copy, then offsets it to the same level as the empty. I then scaled the empty so that it was negative Y as opposed to positive Y. Then the second one controls the values. Prego.
EDIT: Well… this is awkward. If you have by ANY CHANCE downloaded my .blend, it fails hard. I made some little edits to make it…work. Changed offsets to global, fixed tesselation, and threw a wire mesh material.
No problems. Truth is, I have done it before
Had to tile literally an entire wall, and the worst bit is that I had to do it with GEOMETRY beacuse it needed to be printed. So yeah it came with experience.
Unless there is a specific need for you to have everything build from small pieces, you could apply the first array modifier, so that your basic unit would be the one consisting of the third part of your first image.
That’s the only problem here. I’m making a motorcycle tire and I want the tread pattern to be easily editable for the future projects.
I know that it would only take one mirror and transform operation per edit and most likely I’ll go ahead with that.
But if there is a solution for this , it’ll be great.