| Super Spiro is a program that draws broad range spirographs that go far beyond the drawings made by the popular toy. The typical spirograph generates patterns called Guilloché patterns. Guilloché patterns are regular, symmetrical, circular patterns and a bit boring. Super Spiro can generate these patterns but it can also generate complicated, non-circular and asymmetrical patterns that are far more interesting.
Background. Super Spiro is based on the concept of two rotating disks connected by arms. I first came across the concept when I saw a YouTube video of a drawing machine based on two record players.
Not having two turntables, I decided to build the machine in software It produced some complicated patterns, but seemed to be limited to certain general shapes. Then I came across another video showing a similar device that used four rotating disks that produced more complex patterns. When I implemented it in software, I was able to manipulate all kinds of aspects of its operation that wasn't possible with mechanical device. This produced unimaginably complex patterns and it became what I call Super Spiro.
See the Image Gallery below for
example images. |
