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fancy birdcage, public domain photo

I have been trying to model a fancy birdcage, similar to the one seen below, but I have run into a problem: I have created the bottom and the bars, the problem is I want to place the bars in a perfect circle and placing them by hand is tedious and often leads to inaccuracy. Is there any way I could, for example, place the bars along a circle curve? Or is there any other way that I could place the bars in a perfect circle?

I have not included a .blend file or a screenshot of my setup, because it is a very simple setup, just imagine the bottom as a default cylinder and the bars as the default bezier curve.

Thank you in advance!

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    $\begingroup$ you could use an Array modifier with an empty as object and make the empty rotate on Z so that the vertical bars replicate all arounds $\endgroup$
    – moonboots
    Commented Sep 26, 2019 at 14:35

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As mooboots said in his comment, use the array modifier:

  • Create the curve of the bars and and empty
  • Make sure that both the empty and the origin of the curve sre in the center of the disk
  • Apply all eventual rotation and scale of the curve and the empty
  • Create an Array Modifier on the curve
  • In the modifier, disable Relative Offset and enable Object Offset. In the field below insert the empty. There shouldn't be any visible changes
  • Rotate the empty on the Z axis using a nice angle (like 5, 10 or 30 degrees) ans increase the Count slider in the modifier
  • Done

You can still change the curve or the angle, just remember that if you want to move them you need to always move the empty and the curve together

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    $\begingroup$ Thank you for clarifying moonboots comment, i tried this method and it worked perfectly, thanks $\endgroup$
    – Stag beetle
    Commented Sep 26, 2019 at 15:06
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    $\begingroup$ No need to eyeball the rotation and array count. The angle needed for the rotation is 360° divided by the count of the array modifier. So first choose your array count (let's say 16), then in the Z rotation field, you can simply write down the math operation 360/16. It will do the math for you. $\endgroup$
    – Lauloque ♦
    Commented Sep 26, 2019 at 15:34

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