Skip to content

Array at Face

What is it?

The Array at Face tool creates a 3D array aligned to a face's coordinate system. It's similar to Array 3D but specifically designed for face-aligned arrays, making it perfect for creating patterns on surfaces, adding details to faces, or creating structured arrangements that follow face orientation.

Access and Shortcuts

  • Pie Menu: Manipulation > Array at Face
  • Operator: damtools.array_at_face
  • Modal keys:
  • X/Y/Z → Select axis to edit
  • Mouse Wheel → Adjust count/spacing for selected axis
  • Shift + Mouse Wheel → Fine adjustment
  • Ctrl + Mouse Wheel → Adjust random rotation range
  • R → Reset current axis settings
  • Click/Enter/Space → Confirm
  • ESC/Right Click → Cancel

Workflow

Basic Steps

  1. Select object(s) to array
  2. Activate Array at Face
  3. Click a face to define base plane
  4. Click first vertex to define primary direction
  5. Click second vertex to complete coordinate system
  6. Adjust array parameters (count, spacing, rotation)
  7. Confirm with Click/Enter/Space

Parameters

  • Count X/Y/Z: Number of copies along each face-aligned axis
  • Default: 1
  • Range: 1 to 100
  • Spacing X/Y/Z: Distance between copies
  • Default: Based on object size
  • Range: -100 to 100
  • Random Rotation X/Y/Z: Maximum random rotation per axis
  • Default: 0°
  • Range: 0° to 360°
  • Face Coordinate System: Defined by:
  • Base face (defines plane)
  • First vertex (defines primary direction)
  • Second vertex (completes coordinate system)

Tips

  • Choose vertices that form a clear right angle for more predictable results
  • The first vertex click defines the primary array direction
  • Use face edges as guides for vertex selection
  • Hold Shift for finer control over spacing/count
  • Random rotation adds variation to repeated elements
  • The spacing defaults to the object's size along each axis
  • You can array multiple objects at once

Known Limitations

  • Requires a mesh object with faces and vertices
  • Face coordinate system is fixed once defined
  • Very high counts may impact performance
  • Random rotation is applied per-copy and cannot be adjusted after creation
  • Face must be part of a mesh object

See Also