Hi, I'm trying to produce a sketch that evenly distributes objects at the same distance from one another. 

So far I've based the concept of the sketch on a sort of charged particle system.

If particles are to close to each other they repel,  to far away, they attract, very far away, they do nothing (wait around essentially).

I've also quickly dropped in the ability to increase or decrease the restraining distances of certain conditions.

But the sketch still wont evenly distribute each particle.

I think it has something to do with the use of  float D = dist(n1.x, n1.y, n2.x, n2.y);

Each particle can't be.. lets say  spaced 100 pixels from every other particle, because that would result in each fighting for an even point against every other.

Simply,

 

I'm not sure how to get round this although its probably blindingly obvious, I was thinking is it possible to somehow use Sort() and Min() to distinguish between the D of all particles and only equalise against those that are within a certain proximity

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any help or discussion will be much appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PFont F;

ArrayList boids;
float Dist = 100;
float A = 50;   
boolean hover = true;
boolean lock = false;

void setup() {
  size(900, 900);
  smooth();
  boids = new ArrayList();
}

void draw() {
  background(255);
  F = loadFont("Calibri-48.vlw");
  fill(0);
  smooth();
  text("Repel Limit  " + A, 20, 20);
  text(" Dist " + Dist, 20, 40);
  for (int i=0; i<boids.size(); i++) {
    Boid b = (Boid) boids.get(i);
    b.Drag();
    b.Drop();
    b.display();
  }
  for(int i=0; i<boids.size(); i++) {
    Boid n1 = (Boid) boids.get(i);
    for(int j=0; j<boids.size(); j++) {
      Boid n2 = (Boid) boids.get(j);
      //noFill();
      //stroke(0.25);
      //ellipse(n1.x, n1.y, Dist, Dist);
      if (dist(n1.x, n1.y, n2.x, n2.y) <= Dist) {
        float D = dist(n1.x, n1.y, n2.x, n2.y);
        float theta = atan2(n1.y-n2.y, n1.x-n2.x);
        if(D > n1.r*2 && D < A) {
          n1.x += 1 * cos(theta);
          n1.y += 1 * sin(theta);
        }
      }
      if (dist(n1.x, n1.y, n2.x, n2.y) >= Dist && dist(n1.x, n1.y, n2.x, n2.y) <= 200) {
        float theta = atan2(n1.y-n2.y, n1.x-n2.x);
        n1.x += -1 * cos(theta);
        n1.y += -1 * sin(theta);
      }
    }
  }
}

void mousePressed() {
  if (mouseButton == LEFT) {
    boids.add(new Boid(5, -1, 0));
  }
}

void keyPressed() {
  switch(key) {
  case '=':
    Dist += 10;
    break;
  case '-':
    Dist -= 10;
    break;
  case '2':
    A += 10;
    break;
  case '1':
    A -= 10;
    break;
  }
}

/////////////////////////////////////////   CLASS   

class Boid {
  float x, y;
  float r;
  float C;
  color c;

  Boid (float R_i, float Charg, color col_i) {
    r = R_i;
    x = mouseX;
    y = mouseY;
    C = Charg;
    c = col_i;
  }

  int dis=(15);

  void Drag() {
    if (mouseButton == CENTER && mouseX > x-dis && mouseX < x+dis &&
      mouseY > y-dis && mouseY < y+dis) {
      lock = true;
      x = mouseX;
      y = mouseY;
    }
    else {
      if (mouseButton == LEFT &&  mouseX > x-dis && mouseX < x+dis &&
        mouseY > y-dis && mouseY < y+dis) {
        lock = false;
      }
    }
  }

  void Drop() {
    lock = false;
  }

  void display() {
    stroke(0);
    strokeWeight(1);
    fill(150,70);
    ellipse(x, y, r*2, r*2);
    noFill();
    stroke(255,51,51,60);
    ellipse(x, y, Dist, Dist);
   
    fill(c);
    //text(x + " / " + y,x+10,y);
  }
}