Distributors: copiers & reflected copies¶

Pure-Python port of BOSL2’s distributors.scad – the “copiers” that duplicate a shape into a line, grid, ring, arc, sphere, or path pattern, plus the reflected-copy helpers. Each copier is a module-level function returning a list of 4x4 transformation matrices (BOSL2’s function form), and a matching method on every geometry object via the distributors mixin.

What a copier returns depends on the object it is called on:

shapes3d – the union of the transformed geometry copies (a new solid), matching BOSL2’s module form:

cuboid([10, 10, 10]).grid_copies(num_copies=[3, 3], spacing=30)   # 9 cubes, unioned
cuboid([6, 6, 6]).zrot_copies(rots=6, radius=30)                 # a ring of 6 cubes
part.right(20).xflip_copy()                              # part + its mirror image

paths / path3d – a plain list of the transformed path copies (BOSL2’s function form). A 2-D Path only supports the in-plane copiers; one that would lift it out of the XY plane (zcopies, xrot_copies, sphere_copies, …) raises, directing you to Path3D.

Every copier’s matrices are pinned to the real BOSL2 output in tests/test_pybosl2_reorient.py.

Coverage of BOSL2 `distributors.scad`¶

BOSL2 function	Status	Notes
`move_copies`	ported	`distributors()` – a copy at each given offset.
`xcopies` / `ycopies` / `zcopies`	ported	spacing/`n`/`l`/`sp` and the explicit-position-list form.
`line_copies`	ported	`distributors()` – along a line by spacing, length, or `p1`/`p2`.
`grid_copies`	ported	square and staggered (hex) grids, `size`/`n`/`spacing`, `axes=`, and an `inside=` polygon mask (`grid2d` is the deprecated alias, not ported).
`rot_copies`	ported	rotated copies about any axis, with `cp`/`sa`/`delta`/`subrot`.
`xrot_copies` / `yrot_copies` / `zrot_copies`	ported	rings about the X/Y/Z axes (`r`/`d`, `sa`, `subrot`).
`arc_copies`	ported	along a circular or elliptical arc in the XY plane (`arc_of` alias not ported).
`sphere_copies`	ported	golden-spiral spread over a sphere/ellipsoid (`ovoid_spread` alias not ported).
`path_copies`	ported	`distributors()` – along a 2-D/3-D path, oriented to it (`path_spread` alias not ported).
`mirror_copy` / `xflip_copy` / `yflip_copy` / `zflip_copy`	ported	the original plus one reflected copy.
`distribute` / `xdistribute` / `ydistribute` / `zdistribute`	ported	`distributors()` – lay a list of distinct solids out so they don’t overlap (sizes taken from each child’s bounding box if not given).
`$pos` / `$idx` / `$ang` / `$row` / `$col` side-effect variables	not ported	OpenSCAD special variables for per-copy customization have no Python equivalent; build the variants yourself and use `move_copies` with explicit matrices.

Examples¶

A grid of rounded pillars, unioned into one solid:

from functools import reduce
from pybosl2 import shapes3d as s3

reduce(lambda a, b: a | b, s3.cyl(height=12, radius=4, rounding=1).grid_copies(num_copies=[4, 3], spacing=14)).show()

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A ring of wedges facing the centre:

from functools import reduce
from pybosl2 import shapes3d as s3

reduce(lambda a, b: a | b, s3.prismoid([6, 10], [2, 10], height=12).zrot_copies(rots=8, radius=24)).show()

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Copies of a 2-D outline along an arc, extruded together:

from functools import reduce
from pybosl2 import Path2D

tile = Path2D([[-3, -3], [3, -3], [3, 3], [-3, 3]])
reduce(lambda a, b: a | b, (c.polygon() for c in tile.arc_copies(radius=30, ea=180, num_copies=10))) \
    .linear_extrude(height=3).show()

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API reference¶

Return Distributors: line/grid/ring/arc/sphere/path copiers and reflected copies.

pybosl2.distributors.xdistribute(children, spacing=None, sizes=None, length=None)[source]¶

Distribute distinct children along the X axis.

Examples

from pybosl2.solid import cuboid
from pybosl2.distributors import xdistribute

xdistribute(spacing=15, children=[cuboid([5, 5, 20]) for _ in range(5)]).show()

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Parameters:¶

children : list[BaseShape]¶
spacing : float | None¶
sizes : list[float] | None¶
length : float | None¶

Return type:¶

BaseShape

pybosl2.distributors.ydistribute(children, spacing=None, sizes=None, length=None)[source]¶

Distribute distinct children along the Y axis.

Parameters:¶

children : list[BaseShape]¶
spacing : float | None¶
sizes : list[float] | None¶
length : float | None¶

Return type:¶

BaseShape

pybosl2.distributors.zdistribute(children, spacing=None, sizes=None, length=None)[source]¶

Distribute distinct children along the Z axis.

Parameters:¶

children : list[BaseShape]¶
spacing : float | None¶
sizes : list[float] | None¶
length : float | None¶

Return type:¶

BaseShape

class pybosl2.distributors.DistributableMatrix[source]¶

Bases: object

Return Matrix-generating copiers – each returns list[np.ndarray] (4x4 matrices).

static line_copies(spacing=None, length=None, p1=None, p2=None, num_copies=None)¶

Return translation matrices evenly spread along a line.

Parameters:¶

spacing : float | ndarray | None¶
length : float | ndarray | None¶
p1 : Point | None¶
p2 : Point | None¶
num_copies : int | None¶

Return type:¶

Distributors: copiers & reflected copies¶

Coverage of BOSL2 distributors.scad¶

Examples¶

API reference¶

Coverage of BOSL2 `distributors.scad`¶