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Constructing Regular Polygons

December 11, 2024 | Studios
#euclidean-construction #polygon #rhinoceros #tutorial

The practical geometry of the ancient Egyptian “rope-stretchers” delineated land after the annual flooding of the Nile River. Thus, the term “geometry” derives from the Greek words “gaia” (earth) and “metria” (measurement). Greek mathematicians used compass and straightedge to perform similar calculations on paper. This abstract thinking allowed for insights into the underlying logic, independent of the accuracy of hand tools. So, the abstract “circle” and “line” constructed by perfect compasses and straightedges can be seen as a reflection of the “theory of Forms”, as described by Plato. As he famously stated, “The forms are the perfect and unchanging ideas that the world of sense is a poor imitation of”. In this video, I am constructing regular polygons with a compass and ruler.

Constructing Regular Polygons euclidean-construction, polygon

In this video series, I present a variety of in-class exercises from my first-year Architectural Geometry course. Using Rhinoceros software, we delve into Euclidean constructions, basic drawing and transformation commands, introductory fractals, regular and semi-regular tessellations, patterns, modeling, and unrolling polyhedra. Therefore, these concise drawing exercises are beneficial for junior architects, interior designers, industrial designers, and enthusiasts from other disciplines. I’ll be sharing exercises each week on my blog and other platforms. So, today’s exercise is constructing regular polygons.

The software used in this course is Rhinoceros 3d (www.rhino3d.com). However, if you want to find out more and see the whole list of this video series, you can check my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@designcodingnet. The music of this video is ‘Within Our Nature’ by Scott Buckley (CC-BY 4.0). www.scottbuckley.com.au

Cite this post

Yazar, T. (2024, December 11). Constructing Regular Polygons. designcoding. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://www.designcoding.net/constructing-regular-polygons/

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