Plexus 2

Published on 16 August 2012 by Mattias Peresini
An abstract digital artwork depicting a cityscape with tall buildings illuminated by vibrant yellow, orange, and purple geometric patterns.

You probably already know the excellent plugin Plexus developed by Satya Meka, aka Rowbyte?

It’s coming early September in its version 2, and this major update brings a ton of new features!

The various uses of Plexus 1 were until now quite recognizable.
Little dots connected by lines — it was pretty much limited to that. But that’s about to change with version 2, and that’s great news! This plugin finally becomes versatile, and I just want to give a big shout-out to Satya for his amazing work.

Below is a short technical demo showcasing the new features in Plexus 2:

Thumbnail for "Plexus 2 - New Features Overview"

In this new version, 14 new features are introduced:

  • Retrieve point data from all layers (Lights, Null Objects, 3D Layers)
  • Generate facets between different points, with lighting support
  • Modify the position, rotation, and color of facets using a new effector
  • Triangulation to build complex geometries from your points
  • Render multiple objects (Points, Lines, Facets, etc.) within the same effect instance
  • Use sprites with random temporal sampling
  • Improved OBJ support
  • Create beams between objects and groups, useful for data visualization
  • Create 3D splines easily controlled by 3D lights
  • Create clones of your objects and add delay using the new echo options
  • OBJ Containers to use any object as a container for all your points
  • Time-distance smoothing to reduce artifact effects
  • Export your shapes as SVG for vector use in Illustrator

Examples of creative uses

So concretely, what can you do with this new version? Well… a lot of new things that will definitely interest many of you! Judge for yourself with these beautiful experiments, mostly created by Simon Bronson. You’ll also find a very nice use of the plugin in the opening credits of The Art of Flight, below:

Thumbnail for "Cocoon"
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About the author
Mattias Peresini avatar
Mattias Peresini
mattiasperesini.com

I am the Founder of Mattrunks. I work as Creative Director and Motion Designer in my studio. I also create video tutorials to share my passion of motion.

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