How can I use Grasshopper to create this kind of three-dimensional pattern, with lines radiating outward from a single base point? I tried to identify the underlying pattern in Photoshop, but I still couldn’t recreate it properly—the result became distorted and overly stretched.
Hello, @jim22! Welcome to the forum.
The top pattern looks like our Zebra stripe analysis. It’s available already as a command in Rhino, if you are just looking for something visual. To get a similar radiating pattern, your individual 3D surface pieces will need to have a bit of double curvature.
The bottom pattern looks like a series of shell blocks (where each shell may be the same… but likely transformed in scale & rotation). Is this for an academic, personal, or professional project? Do you have a deadline? There are many ways to achieve what you are asking. We’d just need a bit more information.
Initially, I think you’d want to study the geometry of a Pecten (bivalve) shell. Translate that into a handdrawn sketch to get a handle on variables you want to control in Grasshopper, make a 2D version in Rhino (then Grasshopper with variables), then add depth to make a 3D part. Next, I’d find/design/develop a placement pattern you are interested in, and finally, deploy your parts using your chosen pattern onto a surface/surfaces.
Hope that gets you started 
Using Kangaroo :
Oyster_Geometry.gh (25.3 KB) When opening the file consider waiting a little so Kangaroo runs properly…
Thank you so much for sharing this! I’ve had very little experience with the Kangaroo plugin, so this example is extremely helpful. I’ll download the file and study it carefully. If I have any questions, I hope you don’t mind if I ask you for some guidance. Thanks again!
Thank you for the detailed explanation—it has given me a much clearer direction. I’m particularly interested in the geometry and surface pattern of the Pecten shell, and I’d like to explore how it could be translated into a physical CMF sample through laser engraving or 3D printing.
This is currently a personal design exploration without a strict deadline. I’ll begin by studying the shell geometry and developing a controllable 2D pattern in Grasshopper, as you suggested.
Since I have very little experience with Kangaroo, could you recommend any websites, tutorials, or other learning resources related to Kangaroo or this type of pattern generation? I would really appreciate a good starting point. Thank you again for your guidance!
Hi again, @jim22.
Here are some Kangaroo resources:
- Kangaroo on Food4Rhino: Kangaroo Physics | Food4Rhino
- Kangaroo on Discourse: Kangaroo - McNeel Forum
- Simply3D’s overview: Kangaroo - Live Physics Engine for Rhino 3D
Thank you very much.