Controlled circle packing: make it real

How to use the differential line algorithm to create a decorative tile with CNC

I have finally found a simple way to use the circle packing algorithm to “make something real”: a nice wood tile.

In order to achieve this result, similarly to how we did with Differential line growth: make it real, I added few export functions in our Pack class:

String getSaveName() {
  return  day()+""+hour()+""+minute()+""+second();
}

void exportDXF() {
  String exportName = getSaveName()+".dxf";
  PGraphics pg = createGraphics(width, height, DXF, exportName);
  pg.beginDraw();
  for (int i=0; i<circles.size(); i++) {
    Circle p = circles.get(i);
    dxfCircle(p.position.x, p.position.y, p.radius, 60, pg);
  }
  pg.endDraw();
  pg.dispose();
  pg.endRaw();

  println(exportName + " saved.");
} 

void dxfCircle(float x, float y, float r, float detail, PGraphics pg) {
  float inc = TWO_PI / detail;
  float px = x +cos(0)*r/2;
  float py = y +sin(0)*r/2;   
  for (float a=inc; a<TWO_PI; a+=inc) {
    float x1 = x +cos(a)*r/2;
    float y1 = y +sin(a)*r/2;
    pg.line(px, py, x1, y1);
    px=x1;
    py=y1;
  }
}


void exportSVG() {
  String exportName = getSaveName()+".svg";
  PGraphics pg = createGraphics(width, height, SVG, exportName);
  pg.beginDraw();
  for (int i=0; i<circles.size(); i++) {
    Circle p = circles.get(i);
    pg.ellipse(p.position.x, p.position.y, p.radius, p.radius);
  }
  pg.endDraw();
  pg.dispose();
  println(exportName + " saved.");
}

void displayCircle(int i) {
  circles.get(i).display();
}

In this way, by calling an export method (for example via keyPressed()) I can get a usable dxf of svg file. With that I went to Voxelizer and select the CNC milling workflow for my ZMorph 2SX, set up the g-code and less than an hour later I had this nice-looking tile 😉