What is Lissajous 3D

Lissajous 3D can make many beautiful relaxing animations. You can just run its screen saver to enjoy the patterns - or export them as images, movies or 3D animations.

Other sizes (in new window): 100 by 100 (smaller) , 200 by 200 (larger), 400 by 400 (large)

If you are ready to download it right away, go to next. To learn more about it read on.

Inspired by sound, the first 2D Lissajous patterns were made in the nineteenth century, by reflecting a beam of light in mirrors attached to two tuning forks to make a dot of light that bounced around following a Lissajous curve.

Lissajous 3D trace the curves using a ribbon, or a tube, and by using vibrations in three or more directions, you can take the patterns into 3D.

You can make new patterns of your own, either using the randomiser, or start with one of the example patterns and vary the frequencies, the material, the lighting, transparency and other options .

Here is an example using a ribbon:

ruby gold ribbon - Movie

Then you can show your new pattern as a screensaver on your computer, save it as an image to use in your own designs, or save it as a movie, or 3D animation.

You can also save your animations as animated gifs like the ones on these pages - to upload to your web site or share with your friends.

Here is a gallery of many Lissajous patterns (opens in a new window)

You can make the ribbon as a whole wider or narrower (it varies in width also along the length of the ribbon), or change the colours and materials, and the background colour.

The materials use the ambient and specular colours for real physical materials such as copper, gold, etc. This models the way real materials reflect or absorb light. The image here shows gold and ruby with the material transforming from gold to ruby and back again along the length of the ribbon.

Here is an example using a hexagonal cross section tube instead:

simple 3D lissajous - Movie

To find this feature in Lissajous 3D, go to Pattern | Ribbon, select Tube and set the number of sides to six.

You can also set the lighting for dawn, sunset, a sunny day and other presets or make your own.

pearl necklace at dawn - Movie

This uses pearl for the material, and dawn for the lighting.

To find this feature in Lissajous 3D, investigate Pattern | Lights, and Pattern | Material. For the beads effect, go to Pattern | Ribbon, switch on the Tube and use Make Beads

Many more examples are included with the program and as part of the screen saver. What these images don't show is that all these shapes are animated - they transform in shape as time goes by.

Like this:

Or click on the Movie button below any of the images above.

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You can use any picture for the background and for the pattern. The pictures can twist and turn like reflections in a hall of mirrors (see Textures)

What to do next

Freeware / Shareware status: Lissajous 3D is shareware.

You are recommended to try out the program first.

See the Purchase page for details of the pricing etc.

To download the program and the screen saver and take it for a Test drive (start the test drive at any time):

Download Lissajous 3D

You can use Lissajous 3D for free (with splash) with a main window up to 600 by 400 pixels, or to save images up to 400 by 400 pixels.

To read more about Lissajous 3D, go on to:

Pattern Transformations

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