Producing 3D Art with POV-Ray: Spirograph-like Patterns

In summary: Kids still play with those?In summary, Janus created a three-dimensional drawing that looks similar to a spirograph, and he also came up with two other drawings that are not typical of the toy.
  • #1
Janus
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Okay, I'm sure that most of you are familiar with Spirograph. You could make all kinds of neat patterns with it.

Well, the other day I was doing some playing around with my ray-tracer (POV-Ray), and after a while I came up with something that reminded me of one of those Spirogragh drawings (except in this case it was plotted in three dimensions). So I started to do some experimenting and came up with the following:

spiro2.jpg


http://home.earthlink.net/~parvey/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/spiro3.jpg

spiro4.jpg


These next two are a little different, as they do not follow the typical spirograph format, but I thought they were interesting enough to include.

spiro1.jpg
 
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  • #2
That looks like FUN! :biggrin:
 
  • #3
Very cool Janus! I miss my spirograph now. :frown:
 
  • #4
You could probably do 3-d atoms with that. Give us an Fe atom. That should be a challenge.
 
  • #5
Oh, so cool! My fascination with trigonometry began when we started plotting graphs of equations and I discovered they looked like spirograph patterns. :biggrin: Suddenly math was really exciting!

I miss my spirograph! Do kids still play with those?
 
  • #6
Moonbear said:
Oh, so cool! My fascination with trigonometry began when we started plotting graphs of equations and I discovered they looked like spirograph patterns. :biggrin: Suddenly math was really exciting!

I miss my spirograph! Do kids still play with those?
Ive never even heard of such a thing :/
Ill google it in a second though...
So what was it about?

EDIT:thebeginning Nevermind :biggrin:
I have one of those, just found out that it was a spirograph thing :rofl: :!)

EDIT2:the pen came back
http://www.goriya.com/java/spirograph/spirograph.shtml
woot, I was actually looking for that program a while ago :bugeye:

EDIT3:return of the spiro

EHH, that one sucks, I need to find the program I had earlier which actually traced it :grumpy:

EDIT4:moreedits?

AHHH, ok, my real physical spirograph>all these crappy computer program spirographs :yuck:
 
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  • #7
Moonbear said:
I miss my spirograph! Do kids still play with those?
I had one, but I'm only a few years younger than you. They were quite hypnotic.
 
  • #8
I've got a Spirograph somewhere. My sister sat on the box though, so lots of the pens are missing. Bint.
 

1. What is POV-Ray and how is it used for producing 3D art?

POV-Ray (Persistence of Vision Raytracer) is a free, open-source 3D rendering software that uses ray tracing to create realistic 3D images. It is commonly used by artists and scientists to produce high-quality, photorealistic 3D graphics.

2. What are Spirograph-like patterns?

Spirograph-like patterns are mathematical curves created using a geometric drawing toy called a spirograph. These patterns consist of intricate, repetitive designs made by tracing a smaller shape inside a larger shape as they both rotate around each other.

3. How can I create Spirograph-like patterns using POV-Ray?

To create Spirograph-like patterns using POV-Ray, you will need to use the built-in function called "spiro" which creates a spirograph curve. You can then customize the parameters of the curve, such as the size, rotation, and number of loops, to create unique patterns.

4. Can I animate Spirograph-like patterns in POV-Ray?

Yes, you can animate Spirograph-like patterns in POV-Ray by changing the parameters of the spiro function over time. This will create a smooth, continuous animation of the pattern.

5. Are there any tips for creating visually appealing Spirograph-like patterns with POV-Ray?

To create visually appealing Spirograph-like patterns with POV-Ray, it is important to experiment with different combinations of parameters such as the number of loops, size, and rotation to create interesting and unique designs. Additionally, using different colors and textures can also enhance the overall appearance of the pattern.

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