9.5.2

630 • CHAPTER 11
FUNCTIONS MENU • 631
Array
An array is a list — an even arrangement of elements. Using Array you can duplicate the selected
points or polygons of an object (in the following this selection is referred to as an element) and
distribute them more or less evenly in the X, Y and Z directions. You can vary the size and rotation of
the duplicated elements about their axes.
With these options you can duplicate the array of elements in a perfectly even manner or alternatively
produce a more random, scattered surface or point order. Arrays will always be duplicated along the
object axes of the selected object. Connected surfaces are coherently duplicated. If no elements are
selected or if you are not in the point or polygon mode, all surfaces and points of the selected object
are duplicated. If just points alone are selected then they will be duplicated without their adjacent
surfaces. To create surfaces for these points, use the Bridge tool or Create Polygon tool.
Consider a blade of grass. You could easily use the Duplicate tool from the Functions menu to copy the
blade of grass and then randomly distribute these copies with the Randomize function.
The disadvantage of this method is the many individual objects that result from it. With the Array
tool you duplicate just the surfaces (or points) and not the complete object. Thus you can produce a
complete meadow from a single blade of grass.
Clones
Denes the number of clones along each object axis. This value also includes the original element.
For example, if you enter the value of 2 for all three axes, it results in a total number of 2x2x2=8. In
effect, however, only 7 actual clones are produced.