Distribution Assistants: Cylinder Distribution

Cylinder Distribution distributes layers within a 3D space defined by a cylinder. It orients the layers around the center of the cylinder, creating a ‘corkscrew’ or ‘fan’ effect. The distribution is actually quite different than the rest of the Distribution Assistants.

How it Works: Select the 3D layers in your composition that you wish to distribute within the cylinder, and go to Window> Cylinder Distribution.

Cylinder Size

Uses a bounding box to determine the size of the cylinder. The Y axis determines the height as you would expect. The X and Z axes form a rectangle which the diameter of the cylinder is created within.

Starting Value

The point in 3D space where Cylinder Assistant will begin distributing your layers.

See Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters

Distance group

Cylinder Distribution behaves differently for the Distance group than the other Distribution Assistants. Instead of measuring distance in a straight line from other layers, as the other Distribution tools do, it measures distance in angles and from the center of the cylinder.

Angle: Works like the other Distance parameters except it rotates the layers around the center of the cylinder like hands on a clock. As each layer is placed, that layer is rotated around the center by whatever value is set in Angle. It doesn’t matter what the orientation of the layer is; it can be flat, upright, or randomly orientated around its own center.
Min/Max for Angle: The Y-axis of the cylinder acts as a global Y-axis that all layers are rotated around. The Min/Max value will vary the angle at which the layers are set if there is a difference between the Min/Max. Negative values work fine here.
Increment for Angle: Increment for Angle adds on to whatever Angle is set in the Min/Max area. The more layers are placed, the more it adds to the angle.
Distance From Center: Determines how far the layers' center point is from the center of the cylinder. The centerpoint of the layer is important here. If you have a 640 x 480 layer, generally the center point is at 320 x 240. So in this case if you wanted all the layer’s left edge touching at the center, you would set the Distance From Center to be 320.
Y Axis: Functions in the standard way. Any value entered here will shift the layers up by that amount, relative to other layers. If the Min/Max are set to 50, for example, each layer will be 50 pixels higher than the last. This makes it very easy to create corkscrew or staircase effects.

At left, Y Axis Min/Max is 120.
In middle, Y Axis Min/Max is 240 and the layers ascend faster. Both have a pattern in the way the layers curl upwards.
At right, Y Axis Min is 120 and Max is 240. The Assistant randomly picks a value between 120 and 240 and displaces the next layer by that amount. Notice the irregular form of the spiral.

Layer Orientation group

These buttons determine what axis the layers are oriented around. The common options are covered in the Layer Orientation group in Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters.

There are two additional options for Cylinder Distribution:

Rotate YZ (Outward): Orients the layers so they are either facing outwards as they go around the cylinder. Rotated around the Y axis.
Rotate YZ (Inward): Orients the layers so they are either facing inwards as they go around the cylinder. Rotated around the Y axis.

The result looks like there are several mini-cylinders within the main one that the layers are arranged around. This is somewhat similar to what goes on in Spheroid Distribution, except here the layers are rotated only around the Y axis, not all axes like the Spheroid Distribution. What’s special here is the ability to have the layers rotated around the Cylinder’s center regardless of the layer’s original orientation. This gives you the ability to create interesting arrangements that go beyond what most of the other Distribution Assistants can do.

At left, layers oriented Outward so they face out of the sphere. At right, layers oriented Inward so they face into the sphere.

Insert Keys group

Three checkboxes that specify which layer properties will have a keyframe set for them: Position, Rotation and/or Scale.

See Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters

Scale Layers To Fit checkbox

If a layer’s center point is placed within the cylinder’s defined area, but the layer itself does not fit, this will cause the layer to be scaled down so it does fit. If this isn’t selected, then layers may extend over the boundary of the cylinder as long the center point is within it.

Scale Layer To checkbox

Reverse Layers Order checkbox

Random Layer Order checkbox

Use Comp Center checkbox

Repeat Layers checkbox

Repeat Sequentially checkbox

Crop Text Layers to Size of Other 3D Layers checkbox

See Distribution Assistants, Common Parameters