rhombic dodecahedron balloon

Here is the design of the rhombic dodecahedron that I promised for a long time. Since it's tricky to follow I have a diagram below that may help you create it. The structure probably looks best when you use one to two inch bubbles rather than the longer ones I used in the video.

1.2.8.9.10.11_a.13.0_b.10.4.1.5.13^*.7.8
12.11.14.7.6.2_a.3.0_b.6.5.12.4.3^*.9.14

Here is the psuedo-gauss code for this design and the pattern. Probably I need to include a sequence of diagrams to really make this dodecahedron. I find these useful too. The diagrams perhaps are more useful in the design phase rather than the construction phase....

The * is there to indicate a bit of a tricky spot. For these you must pull the balloon through a square. It's not that tough on the balloon but it is important to know that it must come through the square an not just wrap around--the geometry changes when the balloon is complete and it would come apart otherwise.

Also note that 0 is mentioned but it is not in the diagram. The reason for this is that it would clutter up the diagram (it would turn the graph into a non-planar graph). The 0 point represents the centre of the dodecahedron.

crazy zigzag

It's been a while since I made a zigzag pattern (a post for that matter). This octagon grid interlaced with a zigzag of triangles and heptagons leaves very small holes or gaps. You can see the alternation of the colours and polygons by following a loop around one of the holes. Notice that there are two types of holes: one that goes up into the right and another that goes up and to the left. These are mirror images of each other.

The slight skew produced by the heptagon-triangle spacers makes the pattern shift slightly up. Perhaps I should rotate the image a little so that pattern can be used as wallpaper....

Hmmmm probably I should make PolygonR&D have a save as background options. So many ideas so little time.

I originally made this pattern with TileLand but later switched to PolygonR&D. I've included the program below.

zig {
  sides 3
  paint black
  sides 7 
  paint olive
  sides 8
  2 right
  ifon none {
    paint gray
    create zag
    4 right
    create zag
  } { }
}

zag {
  sides 3
  paint olive
  left
  sides 7
  paint black
  left 
  sides 8
  2 right
  ifon none {
    paint green
    create zig
    4 right
    create zig
  } { }
}

I'll have to make my next pattern with brighter colours. Perhaps I'll return to some winding and unwinding patterns...