When I first discovered Pinwheels, I really amazed a few folks on the slopes, - including
myself!  Here is a flake with 2 vertical lines that not only travel in opposite directions, but
also pass right through each other.  It is rather difficult to "x"plain the action in a Pinwheel,
so to see "x"actly what one does, look up flake number 2123831 for an "x"cellent "x"ample!

Before starting this design, you will want to mark your 3 corners with a washable ink pen.
Just put a small dot on each corner so you can remember their location!  ;)

Also, watch the preview flakes below for the best understanding of what's going on.


Start at the "S" above and bring your pointer down to the "F", as shown.


Release the mouse button and make your 1st cut.


Repeat the procedure, making another cut right of the creation triangle's edge that is
approX. the same width as your 1st cut was.  This will ensure a smooth animation.


Release your mouse button.  Notice the preview flake, the black area is "growing".
Continue making these evenly spaced cuts, increasing the black area each time.


Continue the cuts until you reach the Event Horizon.  This is where you can no longer
make any more of the above cuts without turning the entire flake "black".

Do NOT take your cuts past the Event Horizon.  The above shot is as far as you want to go!
(ALSO...no more cutting is needed in the Pinwheel Design.  The movement is now all done
with positive and negative flips!)


Perform a negative flip, as described in - Negatives & Positives +.


If successful, you will have "split" your line into two, as seen above.  If you are not
successful, hit UNDO and try again until you are.


Now do another negative flip.  Watch to make sure the lines move farther apart from
each other in the preview flake.


Continue making negative flips, making your line move back towards its start point.


Making your line travel left with each negative flip, right back to the neXt...

...Event Horizon.  Once more, you cannot make another cut without making the flake turn black.

(THE ABOVE PIC SHOWS YOUR SECOND "EVENT HORIZON".  THIS IS THE FIRST CUT YOU MADE IN THE FLAKE, NOW VIEWED IN THE NEGATIVE.)

* THE SECOND EVENT HORIZON IS AN IMPORTANT "INTERSECTION" *
You can go in several directions with your design from here.  Here are a few options....

TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR BASIC PINWHEEL DESIGN:
Now make several positive flips in a row, as described in - Negatives & Positives +.  The effect is that of your lines travelling
back and fourth and through, or past, each other.  Very kewl if taken to the SP's limit, which will be quite a ways down the
road, as this flake has very few cuts and they are ALL STRAIGHT!  It is possible to get 6 second animations, even on fast puters!
Just remember that at each Event Horizon, you change from + to - flips (or vise versa), until you reach the neXt E.H. and change again!

MAKE GRID FLAKES, PRINCESSES IN THE DARK, AND RESTORE WITH FIBER OPTIX:
GRID FLAKES - As many variations as your brain can dream up!  See GRID FLAKES for more info.
PRINCESSES IN THE DARK - Once you are comfortable making one cut faces from templates, you can place one here and magically
reconstruct it with L's Fiber OptiX technique.  To learn more of this technique and templates,
view FIBER OPTIC PRINCESS and INGRID's TEMPLATE.

RESTORING YOUR PINWHEEL:
At this 2nd Event Horizon which shows your first cut in the negative view, you can EASILY restore the flake to its past blank glory!
L's FIBER OPTIX technique is an easy way to reconstruct that every flaker should put on their resume.  In the below "x"amples, I
have reconstructed this pinwheel with actual FIBER OPTIX lines, which is how this technique got its name.  However, it is possible
to TOTALLY RECONSTRUCT the flake with no lines visible.  You will have to practice accuracy to achieve it though ;)


Once again, start at the "S" and take you cut line around the OUTSIDE of the creation
triangle clockwise.  End at the "F", somewhere in the white area.  To make a complete
restoration, make the "F" point "x"actly on the white part's right corner ;)


Release your mouse button and the point to the right of your cut line will turn positive.


Repeat the move, this time making your "F" point in the newly revealed white area.


Continue until you reach the other side of your flake :)

Pinwheels are ALWAYS kewl!  They are kewl by themselves or, as seen above, as the
beginnings of more compleX designs that are guaranteed to "wow"!

There are also SEVERAL ways to accomplish a Pinwheel.  As a matter of fact, I just learned a
new one today, but I will save that for a later time ;)  You can see my "old" instructions HERE.

Have fun with the Pinwheel.  It is a bizarre animation that can be the start of AMAZING flakes!
"  "
7/26/7