Simulation Examples
This simulation lets you experience a spirograph without the need of a pen and paper. It also allows the user to experiment with more than just one gear. The simulation allows up to 10 gears, each with its own radius and a property that allows to set it to be inside or not. The + and - buttons allow for finer control than the sliders. Holding SHIFT while pressing either button will make the step size slower and CTRL faster. You also have the option of setting your own gradient color to the simulation by using the color button. When using the "Color Blend" toggle, I recommend turning down the Alpha value for the color really low (1-10).
I've recently updated this project after finding this short section of video footage of someone plotting the entire length of the handle instead of just the tip. This beautiful shape mesmerized me and I wanted to update the project with this feature. So now you can find the "Color Blend" toggle in the simulation UI that will plot the entire length of the handle instead of just the tip. Additionally, I've added my own custom color gradient and color picker tool so you can discover and create beautiful shapes for yourself!
So I found THIS video on YouTube (you should REALLY check it out!). It explains how a children toy works how it is able to draw pretty pictures with a simple mechanism. The video also explains how the mechanism works and the derives the formula for the function that represents the graph at the end. I wanted to do the same, but with pure simulation. So I sat down for a day and programmed this little thing you see on top of the screen in Unity.
A spirograph works by using a set of interlocking gears to guide a pen in creating intricate, repetitive geometric patterns. The user places a smaller gear inside or outside a larger, fixed ring and inserts a pen through one of the holes in the smaller gear. As the smaller gear rotates around the ring, the pen traces a path that forms complex curves known as hypotrochoids or epitrochoids. The resulting designs are determined by the sizes of the gears and the position of the pen.
Please reach me at marc.kletz@hotmail.com if you want to get in touch.