D_Replicator is a Blender add-on that clones an object into hundreds to thousands of copies and lets you build their layout and motion with real-time preview.

• Non-destructive — the original object is untouched; changes apply instantly.
• Lightweight — it draws a display-only mesh instead of creating real objects, so thousands stay fast.
• Intuitive — good defaults the moment you add it; it builds up naturally.

Great for motion graphics, arrays/crowds, decoration, set dressing, and looping animation.

Blender 5.1 recommended (works on 4.2+). Windows / macOS. Renderer: EEVEE / Cycles.

• Open Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Get Extensions
• Top-right ▼ ▸ Install from Disk…
• Pick the supplied D_Replicator-x.x.x.zip
• Enable D_Replicator in the list
• The panel appears at 3D Viewport ▸ Sidebar (N) ▸ Replicator

• ① Select an object to clone (e.g. a cube)
• ② Press N panel ▸ Replicator ▸ "Add Replicator"
• ③ You get a Grid 3×3×3 / 200cm spacing by default

Change Count, Spacing, or Mode and it updates instantly. The source is hidden automatically because it is shown as clones.

Adding a Replicator creates three pieces internally. You normally edit the Replicator.

All parameters live on the Replicator itself, so they survive saving and reopening the file.

The 日本語 / English buttons at the top switch only this Replicator panel.

• It does not change Blender's overall interface language.
• The setting lasts for the session (resets to default on restart / opening another file).
• Some tooltips remain in Japanese (current limitation).

Decide how clones are arranged. Parameters shown depend on the mode.

Count limit (safety)

Count is capped at 100 with Safety ON (default) and 1000 with it OFF.

Mesh mode (place on any surface)

Use any mesh as a base and place clones on its vertices / edge centers / face centers / random surface scatter.

• Reference mesh: the base (separate from the source being cloned).
• Surface scatter: area-weighted random placement (bigger faces get more). Amount (0–1000%) and seed control density/pattern; points are added from the front so changing the rate keeps existing points fixed (good for density animation).
• Align to normal / Align axis: aim a chosen local axis along the vertex/face normal.
• Follow deformed: place on the shape after the reference's modifiers/deformation (heavier).

Spline mode

Place clones evenly by arc length along a curve. Align to tangent faces them along travel direction. Closed curves supported.

The objects clones are made from: mesh / light / another Replicator (nesting). Multiple allowed.

• Add: select and "Add Replicator", or make the Replicator active and "Add Selected as Source".
• List: select / reorder (↑↓) / remove from the panel list.

Distribution — Random / Iterate

When you register two or more sources, you can choose how each clone is assigned one.

• Random: assign each clone a source by seed; 🔁 to reroll combinations.
• Iterate (regular): assign 0,1,2,0,1,2… in order.
• Reorder = assignment order: the ↑↓ in the source list change which source each clone gets (clearest in Iterate mode).

Source positions are locked

Turning on "Show Sources" reveals sources for editing, but their position is always locked (to avoid accidentally shifting the clones).

Shift position/rotation/scale progressively per clone. Built into the Replicator.

• Normalize (end-to-end 0→1) (default ON): the value is the change at the last clone, so it stays sane as count grows.
• OFF accumulates (dramatic with high counts). Scale is clamped (0.001) to avoid flips.

Stack multiple modulators; they apply top-to-bottom and add together.

• Add: the "+ Random" / "+ Step" / "+ Time" buttons — each lands with sensible defaults so it animates immediately.
• Reorder / remove / on-off: the ▲▼ / − buttons on the right of the list, and the checkbox on each row.
• Common to all: position (cm) / rotation (deg) / scale / strength.

Time Random scatters each clone's time progression for organic, out-of-phase motion (seed shared with Random).

Multiplies each clone by a 0–1 weight so only clones inside the field are affected. One shared field; only targets with "Mask by Field" ON are localized.

• Add: the force-field icon on the "Field" row creates a gizmo (empty).
• Move (G) / Rotate (R) / Scale (S) the gizmo — clones react live.
• Types: Sphere / Box / Linear (direction) / Noise. Invert swaps inside/outside.

Bezier falloff curve

Turn on "Falloff Curve" to edit the strength (core 1 → edge 0) with a free Bezier curve — add points for hard cuts, smooth ramps, or valleys.

Use a light (point/spot/area/sun) as a source and each clone actually illuminates (verified on EEVEE 4.2+ / Cycles).

• Placement, modulators, field and keyframes all apply — make light rings, light paths, scattered lighting.
• Edit the single source light to update all clones (color, power, spot angle…).
• Lights are heavy; too many will slow down.

Almost every parameter animates. The diamond button (◆) next to a parameter inserts/removes a key at the current frame (standard I key / right-click also work).

• Keyable: spacing/radius (grow/shrink), step transform, each modulator, base scale, scatter amount (density), field (radius/position/angle).
• Keying the field position sweeps the area; clones react in turn as it passes.
• Recomputed every frame on play/scrub/render (combine with the keyframe-free Time modulator).

Make a Replicator a source of another to nest them — complex results emerge just by combining. Fully non-destructive: editing the inner one updates the outer automatically.

Dissolve Top

Deletes only the outermost Replicator while keeping its contents (inner Replicators / sources) as an independent structure. World positions are preserved. The button appears only on the top of a nest.

Clones are instances by default. Use the following when you need real modifiers or actual objects.

• Deform each clone (bend identically, etc.): add a modifier to the source.
• Deform the whole group: turn on "Realize Output", then add modifiers to Replicator_Display.
• Expand to Objects: bake the current state into editable real objects (non-destructive; original kept) in a new "<name>_Expanded" collection.

Seeds drive the random patterns: distribution seed / modulator seed / scatter seed. Use 🔁 to reroll.

• Default seed value is 123456.
• Negatives cannot be entered (min 0). Old files that stored a negative still open fine (normalized internally).

• Sources render → turn "Show Sources" OFF.
• Clones vanish / sluggish → press "Refresh" or step a frame to recompute.
• Mesh/spline edits not reflected instantly → step a frame or "Refresh" (deformation animation follows on playback).
• Spline: only the first of multiple splines is used.
• Field: one field for now (multi-field blending later).
• Tooltips: some remain Japanese in the English UI.