How do you plot circles onto a square of paper?

[Zoraz]

I don't know if it's just me, but only once have I gotten anything even remotely good out of treemaker. Usually, no matter how much I play with the settings, the CP just will not form, or if it does, it includes universal molecules which I don't want to deal with. I have pretty much given up on treemaker as a design tool (even though I haven't designed much).

[mike352]

Also, Mike, I'd like to see some of your successful Treemaker'd stuff. Especially the 22.5˚ variety.

Hi Jared,
I wasn't clear in my earlier response - I don't use Treemaker in my designs. While I've been able to force angles to be at 22.5 degrees in Treemaker, it was mostly as an exercise. It doesn't work well to design that way for two reasons: the first is that if you constrain too many angles to be multiples of 22.5, the program has a hard time finding solutions. So, you'll usually need to limit the number of angles that you're constraining, which somewhat defeats the purpose. On the other hand, if you're using it to design a simple design, odds are that once you've found a solution, it will be related to well known bases, again defeating the purpose.

So, my comments about designing with 22.5 degrees were with regards to what Jonnycakes said, which is also my approach, not Treemaker:

I tile molecules or polygons (polygon packing) or use other techniques to fill in the actual creases. That way the design is generally foldable and I have control over what flaps and structures look like in the end.

I've only used Treemaker as a tool in one of my early designs, and I soon realized that I could use a traditional base instead. Since then, I've done without it.

About showing my work, I haven't yet set up a Flickr account because I'm too picky about how I want to present them. I've designed a lot, but haven't folded exhibition quality copies of them. I hope to change that soon, as I'm preparing for the Lyon convention in November, where I hope to exhibit. I'll take pictures of my work and post them on Flickr. If you were at OUSA's convention this year, I taught my baby in a stroller model, and I submitted my rubber chicken diagrams to last year's Christmas compilation.

[Jonnycakes]

I thought so Jonny. Something about your Spiny Orb Weaver told me, "yeah, this guy must use circle-packing. At least a little." Smile

That design was actually entirely Treemaker'd-to tell the truth, I came up with the circle-packing on paper and then plugged it into Treemaker to get exact references . It is my only circle-packed design, and there is a reason I don't do more like it.

Also, how to apply Treemaker to non-square polygons? Nguyen Hung Cuong used this on some rectangles for parts of his lucanus stag beetle.

Somewhere in Treemaker you can change the dimensions of the paper-I think it is the window where you can choose lines of symmetry. Treemaker can only do rectangles and squares, sadly.

I don't know if it's just me...

It's not just you

[insaneorigami]

I don't use treemaker all that much either; I find that if I want to circle pack, I just use pencil and paper. For rivers, I just draw them, and erase if they aren't quite right .