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I have this object: object

And these vertices connected at their center: vertices

I want to multiply the object and place mutiples of it at the center of the different vertices, and have all the multiples oriented with their Z-axis away from the center vertex; like so: partial result

How would I go about doing this?

In the third image, the result is not perfect and the local Z-axis of the object is not aligned well.

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  • $\begingroup$ The standard duplication feature for vertices supports rotation, but it wob't align the cone-like meshes like in your example. Personally, I would write a Python script, that calculated the vectors from the central vertex, duplicated the cone-like objects and constructed a transformation matrix for them based on the calculated vector. But someone else may know an easier way. $\endgroup$
    – CodeManX
    Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 19:54

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You could use Dupliverts to add one copy of the object to each vertex, and then use a Constraint to orient them correctly.

  1. Parent the rounded cylinder object to the vertex object by pressing CtrlP:

    enter image description here

  2. Enable Dupliverts in Properties > Object > Duplication with the vertex object selected and scale the rounded cylinder object down (S):

    enter image description here

  3. Select the rounded cylinder object and snap the 3D cursor to it with ShiftS:

    enter image description here

  4. Add an empty (ShiftA> Empty > Plain Axes), it should appear at the center of the rounded cylinder object (where the 3D cursor is). Then select the vertex object and press CtrlShiftA to make the dupliface objects real:

    enter image description here

  5. With one of the rounded cylinder objects selected, add a Track To constraint in Properties > Constraints and tweak the axes settings:

    enter image description here

  6. With the same rounded cylinder object selected, press ShiftL> Object Data to select all the other rounded cylinder objects, then copy the constraints by pressing 3D View > Header > Object > Constraints > Copy Constraints to Selected Objects:

    enter image description here

If you then snap the vertex object to the 3D cursor, and then delete the two center rounded cylinder objects, you get this:

enter image description here

Removing the constraints

To "apply" the constraints to the object transforms, select all the rounded cylinder objects again:

  1. Select one of them and press ShiftL> Object Data

  2. Press CtrlA> Apply Visual Transform make their actual rotation the same as the constrained rotation.

Then remove the constraints:

  1. Remove the constraint from one by pressing the X on the constraint in Properties > Constraints.

  2. Copy it to the others with 3D View > Header > Object > Constraints > Copy Constraints to Selected Objects.

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