22.Feb.2011 [parameters] Attractors + Density
Bat swarms consist of individual bodies that make up a larger mass. They communicate with one another about areas of plentiful food sources but remain as individual hunters. The grasshopper script illustrates the conditions of attractors and density. Beginning with a three dimensional rectangular grid, the points of the grid are attracted to certain points outside of the grid system. The attraction is dependent on proximity to those attractor points. The movement of these points from position to position are mapped. The attractor points have a maximum threshold that limits the number of points it can sustain, forcing the remaining points to diverge and continue on to another attractor point.
The first sphere of attractor points (dark blue circles) have varying magnetism, attracting the bats (red circles) based on proximity. As the first sphere of attractor points can no longer sustain the attracted masses, a second sphere of attractor points (light blue circles) attract the deflected masses.