Random Quilt Block Arrangement Generator

Description

Arrange supplied quilt blocks with legal clockwise quarter-turns and optional horizontal reflection, returning transformed grids and repetition counts.

Procedural artwork expresses a visual idea through coordinates, repeated motifs, colors, or explicit placement constraints. A coordinate plan can be checked and reproduced before rendering, while physical material behavior and fabrication require separate information.

Arrange supplied quilt blocks with legal clockwise quarter-turns and optional horizontal reflection, returning transformed grids and repetition counts.

When to use this tool

Use this generator to create reproducible quilt block arrangement cases from the supplied model or bank. Inspect the returned evidence before using cases in a test or exercise.

How to use the tool and how it works

Supply rows, columns, blocks in the field shapes below. Set seed when you need an explicit replay.
Run the tool and correct any input error. For generated controls, distinguish a successful fixture containing an invalid case from failure to generate the fixture.
Read placements, repetitionCounts. Use the conventions below and keep answer-bearing fields separate when presenting an exercise.

For every grid placement, sample a supplied block, an allowed quarter-turn count, and an optional horizontal reflection. Reflect first, then apply delegated 90-degree matrix rotations; return transformed matrices and block repetition counts.^[1]

Delegated operations used for this result: rotate 90; flip horizontal. Their calculation or parsing conventions apply to the corresponding result fields.^{[2, 3]}

Input field	Meaning and units	Accepted input
rows	Rows	Required. Safe integer; minimum 1; maximum 16.
columns	Columns	Required. Safe integer; minimum 1; maximum 16.
blocks	Blocks	Required. Array of Object; no unknown keys.; minimum items 1; maximum items 16.
blocks[].id	Literal identifier used to match records, independently of their display labels.	Required. Text; minimum UTF-16 length 1; maximum UTF-16 length 64.
blocks[].matrix	Matrix	Required. Array of Array of Finite number.; minimum items 1; maximum items 8.; minimum items 1; maximum items 8.
blocks[].quarterTurns	Quarter Turns	Required. Array of Safe integer; minimum 0; maximum 3.; minimum items 1; maximum items 4.
blocks[].allowReflection	Allow Reflection	Required. Boolean.
seed	Optional numeric seed; takes precedence over context randomness. Without either, use the fixed tool.io default seed.	Optional. Safe integer.

Output field	Interpretation	Returned shape
placements	Placements	Required. Array of Object; no unknown keys.; minimum items 1; maximum items 256.
placements[].row	Row	Required. Safe integer; minimum 0; maximum 15.
placements[].column	Column	Required. Safe integer; minimum 0; maximum 15.
placements[].blockId	Block Id	Required. Text; minimum UTF-16 length 1; maximum UTF-16 length 64.
placements[].quarterTurns	Quarter Turns	Required. Safe integer; minimum 0; maximum 3.
placements[].reflected	Reflected	Required. Boolean.
placements[].matrix	Matrix	Required. Array of Array of Finite number.; minimum items 1; maximum items 8.; minimum items 1; maximum items 8.
repetitionCounts	Repetition Counts	Required. Array of Object; no unknown keys.; minimum items 0; maximum items 128.
repetitionCounts[].id	Literal identifier used to match records, independently of their display labels.	Required. Text; minimum UTF-16 length 1; maximum UTF-16 length 64.
repetitionCounts[].count	Requested count; the mechanics explain whether one draw expands into several returned records.	Required. Safe integer; minimum 0; maximum 9007199254740991.
randomness	Replay metadata: source is seed or context; seed is the normalized 32-bit seed or null for a context source.	Required. Object; no unknown keys.
randomness.seed	Optional numeric replay seed; normalization and precedence are explained below.	Required. Safe integer. or Null.
randomness.source	Source	Required. Text; one of "context", "seed".

An explicit safe-integer seed takes precedence over injected context randomness and is normalized to an unsigned 32-bit integer. With no seed and no context source, replay uses the fixed tool.io default seed. A context source must return finite values from zero inclusive to one exclusive; its advancing state must be retained separately. randomness records the source and normalized seed, or null for context. These generators are not cryptographic random sources.

json

{
  "input": {
    "rows": 1,
    "columns": 2,
    "blocks": [
      {
        "id": "arrow",
        "matrix": [
          [
            1,
            2
          ],
          [
            3,
            4
          ]
        ],
        "quarterTurns": [
          0,
          1
        ],
        "allowReflection": true
      },
      {
        "id": "bars",
        "matrix": [
          [
            5,
            6
          ],
          [
            7,
            8
          ]
        ],
        "quarterTurns": [
          0,
          2
        ],
        "allowReflection": false
      }
    ],
    "seed": 42
  },
  "output": {
    "placements": [
      {
        "row": 0,
        "column": 0,
        "blockId": "bars",
        "quarterTurns": 0,
        "reflected": false,
        "matrix": [
          [
            5,
            6
          ],
          [
            7,
            8
          ]
        ]
      },
      {
        "row": 0,
        "column": 1,
        "blockId": "bars",
        "quarterTurns": 2,
        "reflected": false,
        "matrix": [
          [
            8,
            7
          ],
          [
            6,
            5
          ]
        ]
      }
    ],
    "repetitionCounts": [
      {
        "id": "arrow",
        "count": 0
      },
      {
        "id": "bars",
        "count": 2
      }
    ],
    "randomness": {
      "seed": 42,
      "source": "seed"
    }
  }
}

Limitations and assumptions

Each source block must be rectangular with distinct rotation choices. Different transformed dimensions remain possible; no seam allowance, fabric cutting, or physical quilting fit is calculated.
A replay requires the same complete input and implementation. Randomized construction does not guarantee uniform coverage of every feasible output; finite samples can repeat unless a distinct-selection rule is explicitly stated.
The field tables state structural bounds; cross-field constraints and bounded search or output budgets also apply. Unknown keys are rejected where the object contract disallows them. Input errors are distinct from null fields and deliberate invalid controls in a successful output.

Alternative or Complementary methods

For a supplied example, inspect the returned construction or delegated check directly. To evaluate a consumer, also test cases chosen for its own boundaries; a generated finite corpus does not establish exhaustive coverage.

References

Tool behavior and example: Random Quilt Block Arrangement Generator — tool.io
Calculation or validation: matrix/rotate-90 — tool.io
Calculation or validation: matrix/flip-horizontal — tool.io

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