43
votes
Accepted
What is Dot Product?
Let's start with some definitions:
Vector: A list of values that are all contained under the same "roof" so to speak. For instance, the location of an object in 3D space is a vector of 3 values (the $...
- 16k
39
votes
Accepted
how are the math node operations in cycles calculated?
Here is a list of the mathematical equivalents of each operation.
Add: Out = Value1 + Value2.
Subtract: Out = Value1 - Value2.
...
- 25k
36
votes
What is Dot Product?
The dot product of two vectors measures two things:
how much are they "in the same direction" ?
how large are they?
Skipping the precise definition, we're usually interested in these properties:
...
- 469
32
votes
What is Dot Product?
The dot product is a way of multiplying two vectors that produces a scalar (i.e. real number) value.
Geometric Definition
The dot product of vectors $\vec{V}$ and $\vec{U}$ can be thought of as ...
- 25k
24
votes
Accepted
How to: Exponential Fall Off for Volume Density?
You can use Vector maths and Maths nodes to calculate the 'altitude' above the planet and from there the atmospheric density and use this to control the density of the Volumetric Scatter.
To achieve ...
- 44.3k
23
votes
Accepted
Create procedural spiral pattern
Final result
One method is to create a volumetric cylinder and distort it by rotating it around the origin by an amount that varies based on the distance from the origin.
First, create a volumetric ...
- 44.3k
21
votes
Accepted
How can I generate an object from a mathematical function?
Have used the equations found here http://www.econym.demon.co.uk/isotut/real.htm#heart1
The first can be crunched into XYZ surface. Notice the use of fabs(...) in ...
- 83.5k
19
votes
Accepted
Sine wave using only Math nodes?
Sine Wave
Producing a sine wave is easy as Sine is one of the math functions in the Blender Internal Converter --> Math node.
However, a normal sine is no good as a direct factor for a mix node, ...
- 16k
19
votes
Accepted
Use Latex in Blender
Here is how I would do it
Wrap your expression inside a LaTeX document
...
- 1,360
18
votes
What does the fraction math node do?
Fract returns the fractional part of a floating-point value, as described by @Merlin, but its treatment of negative fractional parts is not actually the same as Blender's implementaion of Modulo.
If ...
- 73.9k
17
votes
Accepted
How can I create 3D surface of sine waves?
I don't think there's currently a way to add surfaces, but if you are okay with using meshes, you can use the Extra objects addon (it's not enabled by default).
To enable the addon, open the User ...
- 12.3k
16
votes
What do glossy distribution models do?
tl;dr: Always use GGX, set your roughness map to Non-color Data and square it with a math node before plugging it into the Glossy BSDF.
Different microfacet distributions will have differently shaped ...
- 934
16
votes
Accepted
How can I make my procedural brick texture map correctly to both a cube and cylinder?
I think one issue with your original solution was due to lack of 'absolute' on your tests on the Normal - it's allowing for > 0.5 but not for `< -0.5'. Also, '...
- 44.3k
14
votes
How can I generate an object from a mathematical function?
Computing a real mathematical set given implicitly by function(s) f1(x,y,z,...)=0, f2(x,y,z,...)=0, ... is really hard. Here's how I do what you want:
The ...
- 241
14
votes
Accepted
HSV to RGB conversion
The RGB values in Blender use a linear color model while the Hex values use gamma corrected non-linear color model.
To convert between these two, you would have to manually do the gamma calculations ...
- 2,691
13
votes
how are the math node operations in cycles calculated?
To supplement PGmath's answer:
It is worth noting that the math is calculated a bit differently than you might think. It has to do with limitations of storing and representing floating point numbers (...
- 50.8k
13
votes
Closing "Fibonacci's Hole"
Oh gosh, I spent ages with it. On the pictures you posted it looks particularly nice because of lines are actually spirals. If they were straight it won't look nice. On your picture pole doesn't have ...
- 1,256
13
votes
How do I create a 3D parametric surface using Geometry nodes?
Will this way do? It's actually the same as @LuckyOne's, and the 2D answer you refer to. Instead of starting with a curve, start with a 'UV' grid, at the desired resolutions. Map the dimensions of the ...
- 73.9k
12
votes
Using Blender for plotting graphs?
Since asking this question, I've made a small (single script) plotting utility.
This could be made into an add-on however I find it useful as-is.
(Updated, tested to work in versions 3.6 .. 4.0).
...
- 47k
12
votes
Accepted
Graph in blender a function of two variables,
There is an addon shipped by default with Blender called Add Mesh: Extra Objects capable of doing this. It is disabled by default and can be activated from the User Preferences dialog.
Start by ...
- 58.6k
12
votes
Accepted
Filling pentagon with quads (combinatorics)
Original answer (edit addressing the question clarification below)
If you look at how the Catmull-Clark subdivision algorithm does it, you can see it creates a five-pointed star:
Before:
After:
When ...
- 4,433
12
votes
Accepted
Create a plane perpendicular to the long diagonal of a cube
You can create a face-type Custom Orientation from any 3 points:
Edit Mode: Select the 3 points you want the plane to be aligned to and create a Custom Orientation from them.. ensure it's being used.
...
- 73.9k
12
votes
Accepted
Get Wave Texture to Follow Empty
You can use another empty with the track constraint and at the sphere's position, then use it in the Texture Coordinate node:
Result:
- 5,858
11
votes
Accepted
What do glossy distribution models do?
We can take Sharp off the list right away as the entry in the manual states:
Distribution:
Microfacet distribution to use. Sharp results in perfectly sharp ...
- 19.2k
11
votes
Accepted
Build color ramp out of math nodes?
Unfortunately there is no way to create a group node exactly like the Color Ramp, where you can add and remove color swatches at will. To get around this I have created a node with two movable ...
- 25k
11
votes
Which of Blender's bpy.props properties can store a Matrix?
If you choose MATRIX as subtype the property will return a mathutils.Matrix object on access. So you might define a utility ...
- 9,846
11
votes
Recreating Mandelbulbs with math nodes
It's impossible to tell what's going wrong in your particular case as there just isn't enough information in your question - you've only partially shown the 'internal' node tree (many of the nodes are ...
- 44.3k
11
votes
Accepted
How do I make a giant clock made of many small clocks?
Here is the simple scene that I made using animation nodes:
I made 2 arrows, and duplicated it 5*8 times:
Each arrow is sent to the node program, which determines the position in the space and the ...
- 33.6k
11
votes
Accepted
Is there a way to calculate mean curvature of a triangular mesh?
This is an answer based on this Computer Graphics SE indicated in the comments (the one by Nathan Reed).
The math is described in this answer, but in short the curvature is calculated by vertex so:
...
- 53.3k
11
votes
Accepted
How to create an accurate procedural spin gradient?
Quite an easy thing to do procedurally, since radial gradient is already there in the Gradient Texture node, just select Radial mode and use Object space for the centre of the texture to be at the ...
- 22.5k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible