Very new to blender and 3d and have come across something i really don’t know how to do. I have a somewhat complicated single mesh object i would like to be duplicated evenly (about 80 times) along a curved surface (mesh) but don’t know how to do it. Do i somehow use array and curve modifiers, using a seperated object ‘profile’ taken from the surface so the duplicated objects at least sit ‘flush’ with the surface? Does that make sence? Please can someone let me know how i should go about this. If you need further explaining just let me know.
for curve setup mounth of frames = mounth of duplicated objects (picture 02)
(default setup is 100 frames)
By this technique you get uniform distance.
Duplication on Mesh -
select object you want to duplicate than select object used for distribution
press Ctrl+P
for mesh that will distribute copies activate DUPLIVERT (that will distribute object from each vertex)
By this technique you get distance you compose in Edit Mode.
if you need more randomly distribution instead curve use mesh with particles with object vizualization. if you are interested in let me know for detail explanation.
Yes thankyou very much. That has worked perfectly. I think i should always press ‘center new’ for the ‘paths’ and have the object (profile) positioned at that point also before performing any duplication.
So this can also be done with particles!?
Really thanks again for the help.
Below are just my notes
‘Profile’, child to parent path (Follow Path), curve length = number of duplicated. Selection of object (profile) before pressing dupliframes.
‘Profile’, child to parent (Normal parent), have ‘parent’ object (path) selected before pressing dupliverts.
This was very helpfull indeed. One question remains for me. I need to do exactly this but with one major difference. When doing it this way I have at the end one object containing all duplicated meshes. But I need the objects separate because I export them afterwards to a game engine and replace the single objects by one reference object loaded once, duplicated and set to the exact position/rotation of the duplicated objects. But this is not possible when receiving one big object including all duplicated meshes. Is there a way to achieve this?
Another method is to use the array modifier followed by the curve modifier. Then you have an array of meshes along a curve as mentioned above. Then apply the curve modifier and the array modifier and you will have a single mesh in the shape along your curve. Just as before. Put that mesh in edit mode and press the P-Key. Choose from lose parts option. This will create separate objects from all parts of the mesh that are not touching one another. You may be able to use the P-Key solution with what you have already? Also, you may have to revisit each of the separate parts and re-center their origin, I don’t remember if separate keeps the original mesh origin or centers new…
Thanks for the hint, this would work for the position but not the rotation which is important, because I am talking about around 1000 copies of one object and correcting their object space rotation one by another would turn into a real pain in the back.
