How do I evenly wrap a mesh around a sphere

Question

Ive tried using shrink wrap and it starts to do what I want but I cant get it to wrap around the whole thing. Only half of it.

Ive also tried using curves but I cant get it to evenly wrap into a sphere so that each point of the star is touching. Any help is appreciated!

Answer 1

You don't tell a lot about why, for example, you begin with a flat shape, is it necessary? Anyway, I guess there are several ways to get the final shape. Here I tried Cast and Array modifiers.

If you need to start with a flat shape, you could do it with the CAST modifier:

• Create your star mesh.

• In Object mode, create a circle a bit above the star, made of some concentric edges loops, keep only the edges. Choose top orthographic view, select the circle, then the star, go in Edit mode and in the bottom menu bar choose Mesh > Knife Project, it's going to print the circle edges on the star geometry.

• Now your star has enough geometry for a nice deformation (here it's not optimal but you can rearrange it).

• Create an empty at the same point as the star origin. Give your star a Cast modifier with the empty as Control Object.

• Rise the empty a bit, play with the Cast Factor, the star is going to deform and shape as a sphere!!!!!!

• Keep a copy of your star + empty objects, apply the Cast modifier, to make your shape even more spherical you can shrinkwrap it.

You could do it with the ARRAY modifier:

• Create a UV Sphere. Keep only a segment.

• Create an empty at the sphere's origin point. Give your object an Array modifier / Object Offset mode, with the empty as Object.

• Choose the right array count, rotate the empty on the Z axis so that it recreate a complete sphere. Go in Edit mode to edit your segment.

• Edit your mesh until you get the result you want.

Answer 2

Can also do it from a diamond shape using an array modifier, a subdivision and a cast:

The only part to adjust is the diamond diagonal so that the array can merge successive parts and first/last, depending on the star branches wanted amount.

The array uses a rotated empty so that its occurrences append circularly.

Subdivision is set to 'simple': we only want here the cast to have enough geometry to bend the figure.

Same principle using shape keys