# Python code for a generic die

I am newbie of Blender and I never used the python interface. I would like to write a little program to make a generic die.

The generic die is build with a clever idea: to flatten N equally distributed circles in a sphere. .

Throwing the chopped sphere will land on one of the flattened parts and you should be able to read the result on top.

The shape is a bit weird, but thanks to this question and answers I could put together the code you can see in the bottom (The configurations.h5 file comes from the known solutions of the Thompson problem).

If you execute the code blender3 generates the base shape for a d9. This one:

The shape is a great start, but I still miss the final steps. I'm doing the final steps in GUI, how to do it in Python automatically?

Here how to do in GUI:

First I need to close the holes. Go under Modelling, select the mesh, go in Edit mode, and then you can add the missing faces: press 3af (3 to select faces mode, a for select all, f to add faces).

The mesh become like this:

After covering the hole I need to put the digits. The digits have to appear in the opposite side compared to the flatten circles.

A flatten circle is always in the bottom (coord 0,0,-1), so let's start from that coordinate for it is easier.

Under Modelling, add Text, set up coordinates (0, 0, 1), put Alignment center both in Vertical and Horizontal, fix font and size.

Convert to Mesh, and finally extrude and move inside the die.

To dig the text from the die you can finally use the Difference Boolean tool: remove the extruded text from the die.

Now, I need to repeat the text for every value. While doable for a d9, it would be extremely demanding for a larger dice, at very least to copy correctly coordinates and angles (in the example are 0,0,1 and 0,0,0. But other faces would have other numbers.)

So, would be possible to put those steps in the python code? How?

import bpy
import bmesh
from mathutils import Vector
import h5py

n = 9 #n is the number of faces
rat = .86 # how far along the radius to bisect

u_segments = 128  # UV sphere settings
v_segments = 128

h5 = h5py.File('/full/path/to/configurations.h5','r')
hset = h5[str(n)]
coords = hset.get('coordinates')
ocoords = []
for item in coords:
ocoords.append(item[0])
ocoords.append(item[1])
ocoords.append(item[2])
h5 = None
hset = None
coords = None

it = iter(ocoords)
points = list(map(Vector, zip(it, it, it)))
ocoords = None

context = bpy.context
scene = context.scene
# make one point south pole.
R = points[0].rotation_difference(Vector((0, 0, -1))).to_matrix()
points = [R @ p for p in points]

bm = bmesh.new()

bmesh.ops.create_uvsphere(bm,
u_segments=u_segments,
v_segments=v_segments)

for p in points:
ret = bmesh.ops.bisect_plane(bm,
geom=bm.faces[:]+bm.edges[:]+bm.verts[:],
plane_co= rat * p,
plane_no=-p,
clear_outer=False,
clear_inner=True)

me = bpy.data.meshes.new("dice")
bm.to_mesh(me)
ob = bpy.data.objects.new("dice", me)
context.view_layer.objects.active = ob
ob.select_set(True)
ob.location = scene.cursor.location

• I'm the sucker that flagged this question as too localized, though it can be improved, if you rephrase it along the line of "I'm doing this [explain clearly what] in GUI, how to do it in Python automatically?". It would be nice if you added some images of the process for clarity. Jan 21 at 23:30
• Edited as suggested.
– user140664
Jan 22 at 11:17

I do the first part for you. If you run it you will see all holes are filled.

import bpy
import bmesh
from mathutils import Vector
import random
from math import pi, asin, atan2, cos, sin, radians

# parmaaters
n = 9  # number of points on sphere
rat = .86 # how far along the radius to bisect
u_segments = 32  # UV sphere settings
v_segments = 32
thickness = 0.2  # solidify thickness
TOL = 1e-7

points = [Vector((0, 0, 1))]
for i in range(n - 1):
phi = 2 * asin(random.random() * 2 - 1)
points.append(Vector((cos(theta) * cos(phi),
sin(theta) * cos(phi),
sin(phi))))

while True:
# Determine the total force acting on each point.
forces = []
for i in range(len(points)):
p = points[i]
f = Vector()
ftotal = 0
for j in range(len(points)):
if j == i: continue
q = points[j]
# Find the distance vector, and its length.
dv = p - q
dl = dv.length
dl3 = dl * dl * dl
fv = dv / dl3
# Add to the total force on the point p.
f = f + fv
# Stick this in the forces array.
forces.append(f)
# Add to the running sum of the total forces/distances.
ftotal = ftotal + f.length

fscale = 1 if ftotal <= 0.25 else 0.25 / ftotal

# Move each point, and normalise. While we do this, also track
# the distance each point ends up moving.
dist = 0
for i in range(len(points)):
p = points[i]
f = forces[i]
p2 = (p + fscale * f).normalized()

dv = p - p2
dist = dist + dv.length
points[i] = p2
# Done. Check for convergence and finish.
if dist < TOL: # TOL
break

context = bpy.context
scene = context.scene
# make one point north pole.
R = points[0].rotation_difference(Vector((0, 0, 1))).to_matrix()
points = [R @ p for p in points]

bm = bmesh.new()
#bmesh.ops.create_icosphere(bm, diameter=1, subdivisions=5 )
bmesh.ops.create_uvsphere(bm,
diameter=1,
u_segments=u_segments,
v_segments=v_segments)

for p in points:
ret = bmesh.ops.bisect_plane(bm,
geom=bm.faces[:]+bm.edges[:]+bm.verts[:],
plane_co= rat * p,
plane_no=-p,
clear_outer=False,
clear_inner=True)
'''
# add visible cutting planes (using bisect)
R = Vector(p).to_track_quat('Z', 'Y').to_matrix().to_4x4()
R.translation = rat * p
bmesh.ops.create_grid(bm, x_segments=1, y_segments=1, size=1, matrix=R)
'''
me = bpy.data.meshes.new("dice")
bm.to_mesh(me)
ob = bpy.data.objects.new("dice", me)
context.view_layer.objects.active = ob
ob.select_set(True)
ob.location = scene.cursor.location

bpy.ops.object.mode_set(mode='EDIT')
bpy.context.tool_settings.mesh_select_mode = (False, True, False)
bpy.ops.mesh.select_non_manifold()
bpy.ops.mesh.fill_holes(sides=0)


Since I already voted to close for being too localized, but you fixed it and I can't vote for "needs for focus", I'll answer instead...

## Select edges on the boundary

outer_edges = [e for e in bm.edges if e.is_boundary]


## Create and store faces

big_faces = bmesh.ops.holes_fill(bm, edges=outer_edges)["faces"]


## Get normals of new faces and reverse them

opposite_normals = [f.normal * -1 for f in big_faces]


## Get rotations to align normals

rotations = [n.to_track_quat().to_euler() for n in opposite_normals]


## Setup Text Object

bpy.ops.object.text_add()
txt = context.object
txt.data.align_x = txt.data.align_y = 'CENTER'
mod = txt.modifiers.new(name='', type='SOLIDIFY')
mod.thickness = -.2


## Deselect everything

for o in context.selected_objects[:]:
o.select_set(False)


## Duplicate base text, change number, convert to mesh, add boolean

for i, rot in enumerate(rotations, start=1):
txt.select_set(True)
context.view_layer.objects.active = txt
txt.data.body = str(i)
bpy.ops.object.duplicate()
bpy.ops.object.convert(target='MESH')
txt_me = context.object
for v in txt_me.data.vertices:
v.co.z += 1.01  # move away from the center by radius
txt_me.rotation_euler = rot
boolean = ob.modifiers.new(name=f"{txt_me.name}", type='BOOLEAN')
boolean.object = txt_me
txt_me.select_set(False)
txt_me.hide_set(True)


# Full code

import bpy
import bmesh
from mathutils import Vector
import random
from math import pi, asin, atan2, cos, sin, radians

# parmaaters
n = 9  # number of points on sphere
rat = .86 # how far along the radius to bisect
u_segments = 32  # UV sphere settings
v_segments = 32
thickness = 0.2  # solidify thickness
TOL = 1e-7

points = [Vector((0, 0, 1))]
for i in range(n - 1):
phi = 2 * asin(random.random() * 2 - 1)
points.append(Vector((cos(theta) * cos(phi),
sin(theta) * cos(phi),
sin(phi))))

while True:
# Determine the total force acting on each point.
forces = []
for i in range(len(points)):
p = points[i]
f = Vector()
ftotal = 0
for j in range(len(points)):
if j == i: continue
q = points[j]
# Find the distance vector, and its length.
dv = p - q
dl = dv.length
dl3 = dl * dl * dl
fv = dv / dl3
# Add to the total force on the point p.
f = f + fv
# Stick this in the forces array.
forces.append(f)
# Add to the running sum of the total forces/distances.
ftotal = ftotal + f.length

fscale = 1 if ftotal <= 0.25 else 0.25 / ftotal

# Move each point, and normalise. While we do this, also track
# the distance each point ends up moving.
dist = 0
for i in range(len(points)):
p = points[i]
f = forces[i]
p2 = (p + fscale * f).normalized()

dv = p - p2
dist = dist + dv.length
points[i] = p2
# Done. Check for convergence and finish.
if dist < TOL: # TOL
break

context = bpy.context

scene = context.scene
# make one point north pole.
R = points[0].rotation_difference(Vector((0, 0, 1))).to_matrix()
points = [R @ p for p in points]

bm = bmesh.new()
#bmesh.ops.create_icosphere(bm, diameter=1, subdivisions=5 )
bmesh.ops.create_uvsphere(bm,
u_segments=u_segments,
v_segments=v_segments)

for p in points:
ret = bmesh.ops.bisect_plane(bm,
geom=bm.faces[:]+bm.edges[:]+bm.verts[:],
plane_co= rat * p,
plane_no=-p,
clear_outer=False,
clear_inner=True)
'''
# add visible cutting planes (using bisect)
R = Vector(p).to_track_quat('Z', 'Y').to_matrix().to_4x4()
R.translation = rat * p
bmesh.ops.create_grid(bm, x_segments=1, y_segments=1, size=1, matrix=R)
'''

outer_edges = [e for e in bm.edges if e.is_boundary]
big_faces = bmesh.ops.holes_fill(bm, edges=outer_edges)["faces"]
opposite_normals = [f.normal * -1 for f in big_faces]
rotations = [n.to_track_quat().to_euler() for n in opposite_normals]

# old code
me = bpy.data.meshes.new("dice")
bm.to_mesh(me)
ob = bpy.data.objects.new("dice", me)

txt = context.object
txt.data.align_x = txt.data.align_y = 'CENTER'
mod = txt.modifiers.new(name='', type='SOLIDIFY')
mod.thickness = .2

for o in context.selected_objects[:]:
o.select_set(False)

for i, rot in enumerate(rotations, start=1):
txt.select_set(True)
context.view_layer.objects.active = txt
txt.data.body = str(i)
bpy.ops.object.duplicate()
bpy.ops.object.convert(target='MESH')
txt_me = context.object
for v in txt_me.data.vertices:
v.co.z += 1.01  # move away from the center by radius
txt_me.rotation_euler = rot
boolean = ob.modifiers.new(name=f"{txt_me.name}", type='BOOLEAN')
boolean.object = txt_me
txt_me.select_set(False)
txt_me.hide_set(True)