Origami crease patterns

[nancylebov]

A recent thing in origami is folding from the crease patterns instead of from step by step instructions.

http://langorigami.com/art/creasepatterns/creasepatterns.php4

But in fact, there’s another reason why some compositions are published as CPs; it’s not just that the composer doesn’t want to spend the time drawing up a step-by-step folding sequence. It may be that the composer doesn’t even know of a step-by-step sequence. In fact, one may not even exist! Many modern origami designs, particularly if they were designed using tree theory, circle packing, box pleating, or any of the other tools of modern design, are designed in an “all-or-nothing” way. The creases all work together when they are fully folded, but it is often the case that there are no intermediate states — no subsets of the creases — that can be folded together, which would form the individual steps. For such a model, the only way to assemble the model is to precrease all of the creases, then gently coerce them all to come together at once with a minimum of bodging. That method of assembly, as it turns out, is almost always the approach used for folding a model from a CP.

This mammoth might actually tempt me into getting into crease patterns.

Here's a Cthulhu. Open the crease pattern at your own risk--I expect that the geometry is unnatural.

In addition to the insects and fiddler crabs typical of modern origami (at least the harder parts), here are leaves, a turborotor, and two batmen.

Comments

[firecat]

[*head explodes*]

[shagbark.livejournal.com]

Traditional origami instructions are already exceedingly hard to follow. I have often spent 5 minutes trying to go from figure N to figure N+1 of a sequence of 50 or more figures. I can't imagine trying to do it from just the crease pattern.

What's the difference between traditional and modern origami?

I saw a most cool book at Borders that presented the mathematics of origami, and was supposed to teach you mathematical techniques for developing new origami patterns. It said that 90% or more of the known origami patterns have been developed only in the last decades, using these techniques. But I didn't buy it, because it cost $40, and I tried to have the store save it for me until I could use my 30%-off coupon later that week, and they lost it. Now I don't even remember its name.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time, people weren't embarrassed to publish models that took two squares of paper to make a horse. These days, they'll fold a zebra (with stripes!) from one square.

It might have been Origami Design Secrets by Robert Lang.