Creating a 3D field

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Permalink Reply by WILLIAM GARFORTH-BLES on October 20, 2012 at 1:41pm

This is similar to what I am trying to create.

Attachments:

• 5.jpg, 214 KB

Permalink Reply by Arthur Mamou-Mani on October 20, 2012 at 6:17pm

William,

Not sure but you might be confusing "equipotential lines" and "stream lines" (also called "field lines" or "radial lines"): In your rhino.jpg image you are showing "equipotential lines" (which are cross-sections through "equipotential surfaces") for a magnetic dipole. In the image called 5.jpg you are showing the "stream lines" in three-dimensions of this dipole. These are not the same thing although they are intertwined concept (you should get one with the other and vice-versa). Have a look at this great explanation. According to your image called 5.jpg, you are trying to get the 3D "stream lines" of the magnetic dipole.

I have tried the same exercise on my side. Using the field tools in the latest grasshopper (under the vector tab) I created a 2D field based on two points with one having a negative charge and the other a positive charge (like on a magnetic dipole). The result and definition are below (notice that the start points are located around a small circle located around on of the points):

I might be wrong but I think the surfaces on the image called 5.jpeg are a "surface revolution" of these lines using either the line connecting the two points or one that is perpendicular to the line. See below first results:

Now so far the points I have used to plot the stream lines were on the XY 2D plane. Once you start using three dimensional start points, like points on a sphere. you get the most amazing three-dimensional results:

Which I guess you can loft and create cool 3d surfaces from too (be careful with the amount of lines though before you loft, it gets heavy quickly):

I hope this helps (see definition attached)!

Attachments:

• StreamLines3D_William.gh, 9 KB

Permalink Reply by Alex on October 21, 2012 at 11:40am

is it possible to make the color line, if we add a third charge?