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Can you help me create a stylised serpent using Geometry Nodes? The file I have been working on can be found at:-

I am having trouble with two things:-

  1. Getting a serpent scale polygon arrayed along a curve
  • The edges don't touch because the polygon doesn't deform to match the curve.
  • The polygons don't change size as they taper into the head nor tail.
  1. Getting two parallel lines either side of this polygonal array that maintain their positions relative to the capping head and tail.
  • They should taper going into the head and into the tail
  • The amount of taper should be controllable via an input rather than by changing the vertex radius on the source curve.

Below is a screenshot of an attempt at making this serpent using the Array Modifier as an indication of what I want to achieve through Geometry Nodes.

Serpent made using the Array Modifier

Below is a screenshot of my progress with Geometry Nodes. The hope is that I can draw multiple curves and weave many serpents together.

Screenshot of Serpent and top level of Geometry Node tree

Screenshot of nodes for putting the scales on the source curve

Screenshot of nodes putting parallel lines around scales

Screenshot of nodes for one of the parallel lines

John Flower
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  • Hey, I don't have the energy to solve all its problems atm but I did create a setup a bit different than yours, it might be helpful: https://blend-exchange.com/b/gOgQWWNr https://i.imgur.com/tH4W2Cl.png It's based on this answer: https://blender.stackexchange.com/a/282932/71578 Main point is to deform the body as a whole mesh after arraying the scales, instead of instancing them individually. I also incorporated the "outlines" directly into the scales so I don't have deal with them separately. The main problem atm is that it's arraying same amount of scales no matter the spline length. – Kuboå Jan 10 '23 at 18:40
  • Incorporating the outlines into the scales makes them get thinner when you taper the scales so that might not have been the best idea, but oh well... Like I said it has its problems but the main curve deform idea might still be helpful. – Kuboå Jan 10 '23 at 18:42
  • Kuboå, thank you for looking at my question. I agree that the number of scales needs top scale with the length of the body. I have only had time tonight for a quick look. I'm guessing that we might able to use nodes to find the length of the curve and adjust the number of scale? – John Flower Jan 11 '23 at 09:26
  • I chose using a polygon for the scales because I thought that would make changing the pattern easier. I'm open to other ways of generating the body.

    Such as creating the scales by resampling the two inner curves and creating lines between vertices on either side. Every third line would be subdivided to get the small triangle part of the pattern.

     – John Flower Jan 11 '23 at 09:26

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