Sunflower dot pattern

Report · Dec 23, 2013

Anyone know how to go about creating a mathematically precise sunflower pattern of dots in Illustrator? It looks like the basic idea is to create a spiral arm of dots and then rotate copies around a central point, but I'm not sure how far apart to space the dots and how much to rotate each arm to make the dots equally spaced.

Report · Jan 31, 2014

I came up with an alternate version upon further review.

Report · Apr 23, 2015

I compiled some math lying around on the web with these amazing scripts and puzzled a version together that also rotates the object in question.

I'm confident someone can shave multiple lines off the script, but for now this works for me:

[code]

var docSel=app.activeDocument;

var docSelSel=app.activeDocument.selection[0];

//translate([deltaX],[deltaY]);

selhorcent = docSelSel.left + (0.5*docSelSel.width);

selvercent = docSelSel.top - (0.5*docSelSel.height);

var scalex = 100;

var scaley = 100;

scalefactor = 1.02;

for (var i=1; i<600;i++)

{

var r=10*Math.sqrt(i);

var t=137.5*Math.PI/180*i;

var newSel=docSelSel.duplicate(docSelSel);

newSel.translate(r*Math.cos(t),r*Math.sin(t));

newselhorcent = newSel.left + (0.5*newSel.width);

newselvercent = newSel.top - (0.5*newSel.height);

var p1 = {

x: newselhorcent,

y: newselvercent

};

var p2 = {

x: selhorcent,

y: selvercent

};

// angle in radians

var angleRadians = Math.atan2(p2.y - p1.y, p2.x - p1.x);

// angle in degrees

var angleDeg = Math.atan2(p2.y - p1.y, p2.x - p1.x) / Math.PI * 180;

//assuming top-pointing "seed"

newSel.rotate(angleDeg-90);

//newSel.resize(scalex,scaley);

//scalex = scalex * scalefactor;

//scaley = scaley * scalefactor;

}

docSelSel.remove();

[/code]

Report · Apr 23, 2015

That's great that you were able to spin each individual leaf automatically with the script! It's nice how we can build off one another's contributions (and for the most part I am only a partial contributor in these forums. I have many times received more help than given it but I hope one day I can give more than I receive.)

Wunderbar!

Report · May 11, 2015

Thank you

I forgot to mention that I would have just went with the other scripts listed here, were it not for their use of scaling to make the next copy not overlap.

So to clarify: my script does not (natively) scale up the outer copies.

It's possible, though, by just uncommenting the scale lines.

Report · May 15, 2019

Hi everyone,

I have read through all of your suggestions to Kris' question on how to create a sunflower dot pattern. And they appear to be exceedingly more complex to create for what I thought would be a simple pattern. I too would like to know how to create a sunflower pattern in Illustrator, but with all of the dots being the same size -(SEE BLK/WHT EXAMPLE BELOW). I have created some nice dotted radial patterns with the transform tool, but the dots get smaller in size as they move to the center (ATTACHED COLOR EXAMPLE BELOW). Can someone suggest a way to create this pattern in Illustrator/photoshop using the existing tools and effects that come with the software? I am not an advanced user with these tools and I really dont want to purchase any plug ins or use any other software packages that I am not familiar with to do this.

Thanks,

Sharon