How to randomize position of multiple objects?

Question

I would very much like to recreate a workflow I commonly use in Cinema 4D, which is this:

1. Duplicate multiple instances of an object using the Mograph modifier (similar to the Array modifier)

2. Randomize the offset/scale/rotation/etc of all the duplicated objects using a Randomize effector

From my search through various Blender forums there doesn't seem to be an elegant way to do this. In C4D this is such basic functionality that I just refuse to believe that there isn't a way to do it in Blender.

Would love a good workflow to achieve this.

Answer 1

You want to randomize an object that has a array modifier?

For that first apply the array modifier then in the Search bar which appears by clicking Space Bar (if not , in the preferences , you need to change the way space bar works , its possible your spacebar plays the animation) , search for separate by loose parts and select it.Then search for randomize transforms(make sure all the objects i the cluster are selected) and then open the box in the bottom left and change the location ,rotation and scale

Answer 2

Maybe a more Blenderish way is to think of your array as a particle system from the get-go.

All Physics, velocities, etc, switched off. Gravity switched off in the Force Fields panel.

• Emission: All on frame 1. Here, from volume, but could be faces or vertices of an emitter, for more specialised distributions.
• Source: Grid will give you a regular array. (The Random setting here will randomise the locations.)
• Render: .. as Object, instances your source object. Here is where you can randomise scale
• Rotation: Here is where you can randomise the rotation of the instances.

Not shown: Viewport Display, where you can hide the emitter in the viewport, by setting As Render, with Show Emitter unchecked in the Render panel.

The cluster on the left: the grid. On the right: after randomisation.

You can name and save the particle settings for future use, you don't have to go through all the settings for every collection. The particle system is in the emitter's modifier stack; it can be 'applied'. The particles can be converted to real instances, there.

The system could be subjected to various force-fields for flow-like distributions, etc. and frozen by conversion at any point.

Answer 3

This one is convoluted and you don't have that much control but it's procedural.

Create a triangle and add your array modifier(s).

Select the object you want to be arrayed, parent it to your triangles with CTRL + P or Object > Parent > Object (The triangles must be the parent object, not the other way around)

Select the triangle, go into the object properties and select instancing on faces. Uncheck "Show instancer" so you get only your desired objects. Check "Scale by face size", important for later.

Now you can't select your objects in the 3D viewport but you can still select them in the outliner.

Add a displace modifier, and a new texture. Set the direction to X (or Y) and click on that button to modify the texture :

Set it to clouds, and go back to the modifiers. Increase the displace strength to get a random scale.

Add another displace modifier, and another texture. This time set it to "RGB to XYZ". Change the new texture to "Clouds" and the color from "Grayscale" to "Color".

Go back to the modifiers and change the displace strength to get kinda random location and rotation :

Result with an array along Z and a shader :