Line Plotter

In this assignment I created beautiful, intricate symmetric artworks using a robotic 2D drawing tool called a line plotter. The artworks were actually created using a previous assignment's code, and the result turned out to be a great tool for visualizing mathematical equations and the effect of variables, as well as what coding loops like "while" and "for" loops can do, visually!

You can view the original project documentation on our class website for the looping gif assignment and the line plotter assignment.

Cycloid Circles

The code for my plot designs are actually based on this earlier assignment, one that focused on creating an infinite looping pattern in the form of a GIF file. After some experimentation, I developed a code that animates these layered circles in a cycloid pattern.

You can view the source code on GitHub.

The designs actually use a modified version of the code to create the cycloid circles.

Instead of drawing the circles themselves, I tried plotting their center points throughout their paths of movement (within a circle, within a circle, etc). This worked out beautifully, creating an intricate, delicate looking pattern.

In order to use a line plotter, the designs needed to be exported as a generic vector file format, which in this case was a PDF file. Dots, lines and fills are all accepted shape formats. The layers dictate the order in which it will be drawn.

A line plotter is just a machine holding any drawing device and moves on a 2D plain using X and Y axis coordinates.

In my case, I wanted to use a thick silver gel pen on black paper, to really have my designs pop in a way they can't on a screen. Drawing a single design took up to 6 hours sometimes.

-1.5+i and -0.5+(ix1.5), two final prints

Variations

By changing the equation affecting the primary variable i, I can create several variations. Some turned out simple but beautiful, others would run for mintues before they completed a loop, churning out complex, intricate designs.

This proved to be an educational, effective way to visualize math (such as the effect of variables) and coding (the power of loops and such).

                        
import processing.pdf.*;
boolean bRecordingPDF;

void setup() {
  size(1000, 1000);
  background(255);
  strokeWeight(2);
  bRecordingPDF = false;
  if (bRecordingPDF) {
    beginRecord(PDF, "render.pdf");
  }
}
boolean canfreeze = true;
void draw() {
  if(canfreeze && millis() > 6770) {
    endRecord();
    bRecordingPDF = false;
    noLoop();
  }
  float ballR = min(width, height)/3;
  float pathR = min(width, height)/3 - ballR/3;
  float mDiv = 1000.0;
  float t = millis()/mDiv;
  float x = width/2.3+pathR*cos(t);
  float y = height/2+pathR*sin(t);
  
  for(int i=0; i<3; i++) {
    //CHANGE THIS NUM:
    float var = 3+i;
    
    fill(0);
    mDiv /= 2;
    t = millis()/mDiv*var;
    pathR = pathR/2;
    x = x+pathR*cos(t);
    y = y+pathR*sin(t);
    point(x,y);
  }
}  

//void mouseClicked() {
//  noLoop();
//  saveFrame();
//}

void keyPressed() {
  endRecord();
  bRecordingPDF = false;
}
                        
                        

                            plot.pde (source)
                        
                    

Processing

Creates vector-based intricate designs for a line plotter

View the basic loop source code

View the plotter source code