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I have built up a number of courses of blocks on a dome I'm building using array modifiers and NURBS circles. It works pretty well but each row of blocks starts at the same place, so the first several blocks are lined up on top of each other. That isn't how a real dome would be made and I'd like to fix it.

I haven't found a way to rotate the circles so the blocks rotate too without them spiraling outwards. How should I set this up?enter image description here

Edit: I have set up the arrays as recommended in the linked answers from the comments here and here. However, this technique won't work for a dome. Successive rows of blocks need to be smaller along a curve, and this technique only allows linear scaling. I have been trying adding a deform modifier to the stack, but so far haven't found one that will create a dome without severely deforming the blocks. I am about to try the add-on recommended in sambler's answer, but it may not allow me to use the rounded blocks that would be correct.

The building technique being imitated is shown below. Usually the dome shape used is a beehive style, I couldn't find an illustration of a spherical dome.

earthbag dome

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kim holder
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    Check this answer http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/28765/a-reliable-way-to-make-a-brick-tower – Denis Sep 21 '15 at 22:15
  • @Denis That looks great, but it doesn't make successive rows smaller. Can it be adapted to do that? – kim holder Sep 21 '15 at 22:29
  • You can have multiple arrays and use the empty to adjust the scale – Denis Sep 21 '15 at 22:32
  • You could use 2 arrays and add Simple Deform modifier atop of them set to Taper. Adjusting its Factor you'll be able to create expanded/tapered forms – Mr Zak Sep 21 '15 at 22:46
  • related: http://blender.stackexchange.com/a/23664/1853 –  Sep 21 '15 at 23:31
  • Is this the type of result you want?: http://fireworksmasonry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Phillipsburg-NJ-Dome-Wood-Fired-Backyard-Bread-Oven-3760.jpg – Johnson Martin Sep 22 '15 at 00:01
  • @RegusMartin since you asked, i'm building an Earthbag-type dome on the Moon. :-| ..so, not really. – kim holder Sep 22 '15 at 01:45
  • @kimholder Thanks for adding an image! I'll see what I can come up with. – Johnson Martin Sep 22 '15 at 18:56
  • @RegusMartin - oh cool - it hadn't occurred to me that that was why you were asking. :P Though i should say, since i need to move forward i have been building the dome row by row. I got a set of circles scaled correctly to be the curves for each row by taking the rings from an iconosphere and converting them to curves. Now i'm copying the block > switching the object of the curve modifier to the right circle > moving it up to the right height, and a bit to the side to rotate it (it stays aligned with the circle still, if the array modifier is set to fixed count). – kim holder Sep 22 '15 at 19:08
  • @kimholder I tried my ideas. None worked without visible distortion. Looks like you will have to do it the manual way. Funny, I thought this would be easy. :P – Johnson Martin Sep 22 '15 at 19:31
  • @RegusMartin Tell me about it. I guess it is one of those unusual applications where it has never been worth creating shortcuts. – kim holder Sep 22 '15 at 19:38

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There is an addon called Building Objects available in blenders addon contrib collection that may come close to what you want. With it enabled you get Add->Mesh->Building Objects->Wall factory to create a wall made of bricks.

While the radial and curve options will give you an igloo like brickwork it doesn't offer any adjustment for the curvature, so this may be a starting point.

enter image description here

If you don't want to install git to get the addons, you can get a snapshot of the contrib repo from here.

sambler
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  • This looks like it could be useful, though yes, it may not do what i want. The blocks need to have rounded faces because they are actually tamped sandbags. Thanks for the info, i'll try it. :) – kim holder Sep 22 '15 at 15:14