Vortex
Orbit clones around a point over time.
Vortex spins clones around a centre. Each clone keeps its distance from the middle and travels around it, so a grid becomes a swirl and a ring becomes a rotating ring.
Because the rotation accumulates with time, it keeps going — this is a continuous swirl, not a one-shot displacement.
When to reach for it#
- Whirlpools, galaxies, and swirling particle fields.
- A rotating field that a scattered array reads as fluid.
- Combining with Attract for a spiral that gathers as it turns.
How it works#
Each clone's angle around the centre advances by speed × time. Distance from the centre is preserved exactly, so clones do not drift in or out — combine with Attract if you want them to.
With a radius set, the falloff applies to the rotation rate rather than the displacement. Clones near the centre turn at full speed and clones near the radius edge barely turn, which is what produces the sheared, spiral-arm look.
Parameters#
The centre of rotation, in percent of the canvas.
Revolutions per second. 0.1 is a slow ambient turn. 1 is a full rotation every second, which at any real clone count reads as a blur.
Percent of the smaller canvas dimension. 0 rotates everything at the same rate, which keeps the array rigid. Any other value shears it into spiral arms.
Recipes#
A galaxy
- Add an Instancer, layout Fibonacci, Count 200, Spread around 14.
- Add Vortex, Speed 0.15, Radius around 60.
- Add a Random driver on Opacity for twinkle.
The radius is what makes it look like a galaxy rather than a spinning plate. Without the falloff every clone turns at the same rate and the whole disc rotates rigidly.
Things that catch people out#
There is no direction to orbit in at zero distance. Offset the centre slightly if a clone is stuck.
Uniform speed at every distance means the array turns as one piece. That is a legitimate look but not a vortex — set a radius for the shear.
See also#
Something here wrong or missing? Tell us in the community.