Duplicate Special is a very powerful tool that allows you to make copies of an object, but also change the attributes of each duplicated object.
Let’s start basic controls.
Create a cube. Create > Polygon Primitives > Poly Cube
First Translate (move) the cube’s X position to -10. Translate X: –10
Now open the duplicate special attribute box, . . . Edit > Duplicate Special □(open the options box), then reset the option settings. Edit > Reset Settings
Change the following:
Translate X: 2
Number of Copies: 9
NOW . . . Repeat what you have learned and duplicate, the row (select all the cubes in the row), and then duplicate the row of rows (select all the cubes), to make a 10 cube X 10 cube X 10 Cube. Post in your Blog.
Scaling
Create a cube and position it off-center. Translate (move) the cube’s X position to -10.
Translate X: –10
Then . . . Edit > Duplicate Special □(open the options box), then reset the option settings. Edit > Reset Settings
Change the following:
Translate X: 2
Scale Z: 1.25
Number of Copies: 9
Hit Duplicate Special or Apply (Hitting Apply keeps the window often versus closing it.)
ROTATE
First scale your cube to 6 units in the Z direction. Scale Z: 6
Change the cube’s Scale Z to 12. Translate X: -10
Then . . . Edit > Duplicate Special □(open the options box), then reset the option settings. Edit > Reset Settings
Change the following:
Translate X: 1
Rotate X: 20
Number of Copies: 19
Hit Duplicate Special or Apply (Hitting Apply keeps the window often versus closing it.)
Pivot Point
Repeat Last Step: create a cube scale it to 6 units in the Z direction. Scale Z: 12 and change the cube’s Translate X to -10. Translate X: -10
This time we are going to move the pivot point. Hit {Insert} on your keyboard to toggle move pivot on; the manipulator changes shape. Snap the manipulator to the Origin center (0, 0, 0) of the grid in all axis. To do this hold the the {x} key on the keyboard while moving the manipulator. I moved it only in the x-direction to the left of the cube. Hit {Insert} on your keyboard to toggle move pivot off; the manipulator changes shape.
Then . . . Edit > Duplicate Special □(open the options box), then reset the option settings. Edit > Reset Settings
Then . . . Edit > Duplicate Special □(open the options box), then reset the option settings. Edit > Reset Settings
Change the following:
Translate X: 1
Rotate X: 20
Number of Copies: 19
Hit Duplicate Special or Apply (Hitting Apply keeps the window often versus closing it.)
RING
Create a torus and change the cube’s Translate X to 6. Translate X: 6 and then
Under the torus’ inputs change the Section Radius to something a bit smaller. I changed mine to 0.1 units.
Move the pivot point. Hit {Insert} on your keyboard to toggle move pivot on; the manipulator changes shape. Snap the manipulator to the Origin center (0, 0, 0) of the grid in all axis. To do this hold the the {x} key on the keyboard while moving the manipulator. I moved it only in the x-direction to the left of the cube. Hit {Insert} on your keyboard to toggle move pivot off; the manipulator changes shape.
Then . . . Edit > Duplicate Special □(open the options box), then reset the option settings. Edit > Reset Settings
Then . . . Edit > Duplicate Special □(open the options box), then reset the option settings. Edit > Reset Settings
Change the following:
Rotate Y: 20
Number of Copies: 19
Hit Duplicate Special or Apply (Hitting Apply keeps the window often versus closing it.)
SPIRAL
This time make another torus and position it off center by changing the pivot point. I used the same object, but just made it a lot bigger.
Then . . . Edit > Duplicate Special □(open the options box), then reset the option settings. Edit > Reset Settings
Change the following:
Rotate Y: 18
Scale X: 0.75
Scale Y: 0.75
Scale Z: 0.75
Number of Copies: 19
Hit Duplicate Special or Apply (Hitting Apply keeps the window often versus closing it.)
GROUP
Create a few shapes and position them Off-center. Make 3 or more objects off center.
Group them together. Select all the objects and press {Ctrl} + {g} to group them. The pivot point should automatically move to the center of the grid.
Then . . . Edit > Duplicate Special □(open the options box), then reset the option settings. Edit > Reset Settings
Change the following:
Rotate Y: 66
Scale X: 0.90 (*This scales in down by 10% after each duplication)
Scale Y: 0.90 (*This scales in down by 10% after each duplication)
Scale Z: 0.90 (*This scales in down by 10% after each duplication)
Number of Copies: 30
Hit Duplicate Special or Apply (Hitting Apply keeps the window often versus closing it.)
I changed the following settings:
Another Example:
What am I looking for?
Create 3 complex Duplicate Special Designs. For each design, create 2 screen shots:
One showing your Duplicate Special settings and your original shape.