Quick Start

Ordimus works on pieces. A Formation makes them, Falloffs say who moves when, Constructors say how, and Delay lags the result. Every recipe below uses the same stack, so learn it once and it carries over. See How It Works.

Add Component is in the Ordimus sidebar, and it’s also in the Shift+A menu and the top menu bar. Use whichever is closest. Every “Add Component > …” step in this guide works from any of the three.

Pick your start

• Part 1: Clones and titles. Any object or collection, no SVG needed.
• Part 2: SVG artwork. Logos and illustrations.

Part 1: Clones and titles #

1. Make pieces #

The Cloner is where most motion starts. It builds live copies, so you can change the count, spacing or mode at any time. Give it one of two sources:

• Geometry. Select an object and add the Cloner to it, and it clones that object.
• Collection. Start from an empty mesh, set Source: Collection, and pick a collection. The Cloner uses the objects inside it as the clones. Choose how they’re picked with Clones: Iterate, Random (seeded) or Sort.

1. Add Component > Formations > Cloner.
2. Pick the Source, then a Mode and the Count.

Mode	What it makes
Linear	A row, with per-clone position, rotation and scale steps
Radial	A ring or an arc
Grid	A grid in X, Y and Z
Honeycomb	A staggered tiling
Object	Copies on another object’s vertices, edges, faces, surface or volume
Spline	Copies along a curve

With a collection source, every mode works the same way. Each clone just comes from your collection.

Remember

Max Clones is a safety cap. Over the cap, a seeded random subset is kept and a warning says so. Raise it on purpose when you want more copies.

See Formations for every control.

2. Move them #

1. Add Component > Constructors > Simple (or Random) to move, rotate or scale the copies.
2. Add Component > Falloffs > Linear (or Sphere, Box, Cylinder, Radial). It lands directly above the selected constructor.
3. On the constructor, set Falloff Mode to Falloff and pick the Falloff’s name.

The Falloff decides who moves when. Without one, every copy moves together.

3. Run it with one value #

Keyframe Animate in the Stagger panel from 0 to 1. That one value drives every copy, so you never keyframe objects one by one.

4. Time it #

Add Component > Constructors > Delay last. By default it blends to smooth, which eases the motion so nothing starts or stops abruptly. For overshoot and settle, switch it to Spring.

If you see X, do Y

Delay looks wrong when you scrub? Delay is a simulation. Play from the start frame, or bake. See Bake and Performance.

Recipe: Clones along a spline #

Set the Cloner’s Mode to Spline and pick your curve as the Curve Object. Use Segment Mode: Even to space the copies evenly. In the Alignment panel, set Align, Aim Axis and Up Direction so the copies face along the curve, and use Banking to tilt them through turns.

Recipe: A staggered film title #

1. Add Component > Formations > Text Generator. With nothing selected it makes its own object.
2. Set Pieces to Letters, then choose the Font, Size and Depth.
3. Fill in the Region Materials (front, back and side).
4. Add Component > Constructors > Step. Set Step From to Left and the Profile to Ease Out, then move the letters with Position, Rotation or Scale.
5. Keyframe Animate from 0 to 1.
6. Add Delay last. It blends to smooth by default. Set it to Spring if you want the letters to overshoot and settle.

Keep layering #

• Constructors add. Three Simple constructors that each lift 1 m give 3 m.
• Falloffs with the same name layer onto each other with Blend and Opacity.
• A Falloff only affects the constructors below it, so order is how you control the result.

See Falloffs and Names and Constructors.

Part 2: SVG artwork #

The same stack, fed by an SVG. Import and extrude the artwork, group it into rigs, then use the Constructors and Falloffs from Part 1.

The loop

1. Import the SVG: File > Import > SVG as Structured Curves.
2. Extrude Curves with Group Level 0.
3. Group Rigs so each thing you animate becomes one unit.
4. Add a Falloff and a Constructor from Add Component.
5. Keyframe the Animate value, or any constructor input.
6. Copy Constructor Stack to the other rows.

1. Import #

File > Import > SVG as Structured Curves (.svg), or Ordimus tab > SVG Rigs > Import SVG (Structured). Defaults are fine. Set Show As to Extrude Now to jump straight to step 2. See Import and Extrude.

2. Extrude Curves #

Ordimus tab > SVG Rigs > Extrude Curves.

Settings

Collection: the import root. Ingest: Per Group. Group Level: 0. Depth: 0.012. Direction: Back. Stack In Z: on.

3. Group Rigs #

Ordimus tab > SVG Rigs > Group Rigs For Constructor. Leave Group: By Source Group and set Group Level to how deep, in your own hierarchy, the thing you animate sits. Add Ingestor stays on. Nothing needs to be selected. See Group Rigs and Group Levels.

4. Falloff and Constructor #

Select a group rig, then Add Component:

• Constructors > Simple to move, rotate or scale.
• Falloffs > Linear (or Sphere, Box, Cylinder, Radial). It lands directly above the selected constructor.
• On the constructor, set Falloff Mode to Falloff and pick the Falloff’s name.

5. Animate #

Keyframe Animate in the Stagger panel from 0 to 1, or keyframe any other input. Put Delay last for smooth easing, or switch it to Spring for overshoot and settle.

6. Copy to other rows #

Select the other rigs, then the tuned rig last, then Ordimus tab > Helpers > Copy Constructor Stack. See Copy Constructor Stack.

Remember

Falloffs go above the constructors they drive. Constructors need pieces. After a Realize, add an Ingestor again.