Duplicate Along Curve

January 22, 2020June 20, 2021 New Media Supply 0 Comments Array, Curves, Modeling, Modifiers

This little addon called “Duplicate Along Curve” encourage us to duplicate meshes along a curve. It’s actually quite handy to model this way but somehow we easily forget this option.

Because this addon doesn’t occupy the N-Panel, I give it a second plus. It has no UI at all. A downside of that is that we need to remind ourself to press F3 and type: Along (or if you like typing you can type the full name). Here the second test I did with this addon:

Duplicate Along Curve - Example — Duplicate Along Curve Addon for Blender 2.8x

How does Duplicate Along Curve work?

Select first the object and then a curve. There are several addons that are dealing with curves, for example the Flexi Bezier Tool to make working with curves more fun. After selecting the object and curve you press F3 and type: along. Select: Duplicate Along Curve, and then you will see the object duplicated along the curve.

Now it does matter how the first mesh is rotated. To change the rotation afterwards is a bit a hassle it seems. So you might want to keep an eye on rotation and have a consequent workflow. Scaling the object is easier; Just scale the object and then press Ctrl+A to apply scale. You will see that the duplicated mesh fills the curve again.

Where to download the Duplicate Along Curve addon?

You can download Duplicate Along Curve on Github. If you use Chrome: click on Duplicate_Along_Curve.py and go to RAW-view of the file. Then right click and save as a .py file. In Blender you go to preference and install the addon. In case you download the .zip file, then you need to unzip it before installing and look for the file you want to install.

Tip: if you have Hardops, then try to use the Dice function. To get this in Hardops, press Q > Meshtools > Dice. Try to give the mesh a few slices on x or y axis. This makes the mesh follow the curve smoother.