Advanced Array

Advanced Array creates copies where each successive copy has a compounding transformation applied – an offset, rotation, and scale change that builds on the previous copy. This creates spirals, staircases, shrinking sequences, and other progressive patterns.

array_advanced

How to Use

  1. Select an object
  2. Apply the Advanced Array operation from the Array menu
  3. Adjust the offset, rotation, and scale applied at each step

Parameters

  • Count - Number of copies (default: 3)
  • Offset - Translation applied to each copy relative to the previous one (default: 30mm along X)
  • Rotate - Rotation angle in degrees applied to each copy (default: -15 degrees). Supports expressions.
  • Rotate Part - Whether the geometry rotates or only the position changes (default: on)
  • Scale - Scale multiplier applied at each step (default: 0.9, meaning each copy is 90% the size of the previous one). Supports expressions.
  • Scale Offset - If enabled, the offset distance is also scaled at each step (default: on). This creates tightening spirals when scaling down.

How Compounding Works

Each copy builds on the transformation of the previous one:

  • Copy 1: original position
  • Copy 2: offset + rotation + scale applied once
  • Copy 3: offset + rotation + scale applied twice (compounded)
  • And so on…

When Scale Offset is on, the offset shrinks (or grows) with each step, creating spiral or converging patterns.

Tips

  • Set Scale to 1.0 for uniform-size copies with only position and rotation changes
  • Set Rotate to 0 for stacked/stepped patterns without rotation
  • A 90-degree rotation with vertical offset creates a spiral staircase
  • Scale values less than 1.0 create shrinking sequences; greater than 1.0 create growing sequences