Hello,

I'm attempting to exactly pack smaller circles around a larger circle, and to get the radius of the outer circle I found this formula online with explanation:

http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/63736.html

When I enter this formula in a calculator I get a proper numerical result, however when I start the circle command in MoI and enter the formula this way for example, where I want to get the radius of ten small circles around the larger center circle with a radius of 20:

20 sin(180/10)/(1 - sin(180/10))

I get no result. Is this just a matter of syntax not being correct? There is still some manual labor required to place the smaller circles around the larger one, but that is simply a matter for the Circular Array since the formula solves for the number of specified circles. Thanks.

Hi OSTexo, it looks like you are missing an operator after the "20" part, here:

20 sin(180/10)/(1 - sin(180/10))
  ^

If that's meant to be a multiplication you'll have to put in a * symbol at that point, basically for computer code math formulas anytime you want a multiplication you have to use the * symbol, it won't work to just stick things next to each other like it is in regular math formulas. So for example you can't write: 5(x-1) you have to write: 5*(x-1).

Hope that helps!

- Michael

20×sin(180/10)/(1-sin(180/10)) = 8,944271909999
Everything is correct.
Are you using radians or degrees?

Yup, the Asterisk:

It is easy to use a 10 sided polygon to construct the 10 outer circles, at an arbitrary radius.
Place the inner circle, then scale its radius, to the proper radius, along with everything.
- Brian

Hello All,

Thanks for the assistance, I appreciate it, this is very helpful.