Monday, September 04, 2006

Spinner Revisited

Here's conceptual way to make spinner from Thursday. Start with this pentagon pattern below. This can be generated by the following polygonR&D code.
start {
scale 0.4
create pent
}
pent {
sides 5
ifon none {
paint green
sides 5
paint olive
create pent
3 right
create delay
} { }
}
delay {
create pent
}

The delay subprogram allows the pattern to development more symmetrically; without it, there would be a radial seam that would break the symmetry (C5). To add spice to the pattern alternating triangles can be inserted (the zig-zag construction described in Zigzag Grid). To do this, the pent subprogram must be revised like so...

pent {
sides 3
ifon none{
paint olive
} { }
sides 5
ifon none {
paint green
sides 3
left
paint green
sides 5
paint olive
create pent
3 right
create delay
} { }
}

Finally, some extra triangles are added for decorations to get the original spinner pattern. The colouring of this pattern highlights the triangle- pentagon- triangle groups. It is interesting to see how the colouring has such a dramatic effect for each pattern. A seemingly simple change of switching the green and olive completely ruins the aesthetics of this pattern. The five pointed stars completely dominate instead of being a balanced part of the pattern.

Popular Posts