Distribution Assistants: Spheroid Distribution

Spheroid Distribution distributes layers within a 3D space defined by a sphere or elliptical area. It is different than Spheroid Creator, which distributes layers based on the surface of a sphere or elliptical solid. (For simplicity’s sake, this shape will be referred to as a sphere from this point forward, but it is understood that the shape can also be an elliptical solid.)

How it Works: Select the 3D layers in your composition that you wish to distribute within a sphere, and go to Window> Spheroid Distribution. This functions very much like the Cubic Distribution, but instead, imagine a sphere contained within a box. The layers will only be distributed within the sphere. The area between the spheres outer edge and the outer edge of the box is ignored and nothing is placed there.

Spheroid Size

Defines the dimensions (or size) of the sphere that your layers will be distributed through. The size limitation of this ellipsoid shape is 1,000,000 x 1,000,000 x 1,000,000.

There is the choice to determine the size of the sphere by Radius or by Bounding Box.

- By Radius: The default setting. Radius produces an area contained within a symmetrical 'perfect' sphere. This option can only produce a sphere, since whatever radius you enter in will be consistent throughout the sphere.
- By Bounding Box: Imagine a sphere within a box. The Bounding Box simply defines the boundary of the ellipsoid. By using this option, you can create any kind of spheriod shape, such as an elongated egg or a flat cookie-shaped area.

See also: Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters

At left, By Radius produces a sphere. In middle and right, By Bounding Box produces irregular spheriod shapes.

Starting Value

The point in 3D space where Spheriod Assistant will begin distributing your layers.

See Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters

Distribute Randomly checkbox

If this checkbox is selected, Spheriod Assistant takes all the layers and positions them randomly within the selected area.

See Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters

Distance group

Distance determines how far apart the layers will be distributed along the sphere. These parameters behave similar to Distance in Cubic Assistant, but for an ellipsoid shape, and with the functionality of being able to distribute layers in three dimensions.

See Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters

Layers Orientation group

These buttons determine what axis the layers are oriented around. The common options are covered in the Layer Orientation group in Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters.

There are two additional options for Spheriod Distribution:

- Outward: Takes the position of the layer and draws an imaginary line to the center of the Sphere. Then it rotates the layer so it is perpendicular to the line and the layer is facing outwards, away from the sphere center. If you were to look at a cross section of the sphere, it would look like the diagram below. This can produce results similar to Spheroid Creator.
- Inward: Behaves the same Outward, except it orients the layer so it is facing the center of the sphere.

At left, in this cross section, the layers are rotated around all axes to face as outward, as if they were at a tangent to a smaller, inner sphere.
At right, the sphere layers are oriented Outward and distributed around the Top Hemisphere.

Insert Keys group

Three checkboxes that specify which layer properties will have a keyframe set for them: Position, Rotation and/or Scale.

See Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters

Whole Sphere, Hemisphere

These checkboxes control whether layer distribution will be done inside a whole sphere or inside a hemisphere. This control lets the layers to better take on the shape of the hemisphere.

- Whole Sphere: As you may have guessed, this option distributes layers throughout the entire sphere shape. It is the default setting.
- Hemisphere: If Hemisphere is selected, there is a choice between the Front, Back, Left, Right, Top or Bottom hemispheres. You can also select multiple hemispheres. Your choice distributes the layers only through that area of the sphere. For instance, if you want to distribute layers in a dome, then you should select the Top Hemisphere.

Random Layer Selection checkbox

Reverse Layers Order checkbox

Scale Layers To Fit checkbox

Scale Layer To checkbox

Use Comp Center checkbox

Repeat Layers checkbox

Repeat Sequentially checkbox

Crop Text Layers to Size of Other 3D Layers checkbox

See also: Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters