Explode mesh hexagons

Hi everybody, is it possible to explode mesh into hexagons instead of triangles, what would be the best way to do it, is there a shader for that?

Hey matka,

the only way i can think of is using a basemesh that consists of Hexagons while generating your mesh. For example: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model.html?redirect=1&mid=73df5cebd07d1f182137e32e8ebf2b1&prevstart=0 In this case you could create Polygroups/Subobject to transform individual hexagons.

There are some scripts for grasshoper to create Meshes that consist of tubes in hexagonal patterns. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodesic_grid

i dont think this is possible if its not geometry baesd ( either generate the geometry or model it by hand ) only if you create the hexagons on the surface with a texture.

Surface based tube/line mesh http://www.polthier.info/articles/images/article_hexagons.jpg

interesting for 3D printing…

route A
a hexagon consists of 6 triangles right ? you could do this kind of stuff the oldskool way with vertexbuffer(split + dosomething + join).

route B
create several meshes in like cinema4d, representing the stages of explosion and use a mesh morphing shader in vvvv. just search mesh morphing…

route C
a pure shader solution would be possible too but would probably take more time to develop than route A and B

Consider a hexagon as a four triangles polygon.
Have a look at this mesh - it’s the v.x file in vvvv lib\assets\geometries:

in a scenario like the one inside the red circle, you could have a lot of troubles working with six triangles, since it’s not easy to have a mesh with regularly disposed triangles, especially when the model is complex.
You should also think how to get the vertexes on the same plane - for shading purposes -, and more than probably to a way to remove soon-to-be-unused triangles - using six of them you would probably end with a lot more triangles to get rid of -, useless ones because they’re just to small or those who, once grouped, would create a polygon that is anyway too small.

more likely u need to create mesh from hexagons, so u can render it in vvvv.
tricks on it gonna work only if u have solid topology.

How would you do? I mean, which software\plugin you would suggest?

Definitely. I’d just say suitable and solid, because in any case, either you start from a mesh or you build it from scratch, it will be necessarily “simplified” at a certain point.

u7angel’s idea is not that bad: it “just” takes to prepare a proper not-so-low-res mesh - and some awesome patching, too, yes.

if it is only for the visual result you could also not break the actual geometry into hexagons but just quad particles with a hexagon texture ;)

that would be way easyier

seems not that hard lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Xh0F4L2kc
makes me think that u can take something like tile of hexagons and wrap it on uv

thanks guys, i think i like the idea of particles, will give it a go