origami_8 wrote:...base collapsing difficulties...
I modified the square packing and CP slightly so that it'll be easier to collapse (just plonked in a few more squares in the mane area).
For box pleated CPs, there's a relatively easy way of collapsing them. First, precrease the grid and put in all the diagonals for each square. Then, identify the line of symmetry (book symmetry, in this case). Once you have this, fold a series of waterbomb bases whose tips lie along this symmetry line. Here's what the creases would look like:
You'll end up with a chain of waterbomb bases of various heights and widths. Do a series of in-out open sinks along the grid lines parallel to the square's symmetry line (the vertical lines, in this case). Finally, do a series of Elias stretches to form the edge flaps, and 'pop' the interior squares into place. At some places, the Elias stretches and 'popping' need to be done simultaneously. The base will not fold flat until the interior squares have been collapsed.
The images were done in CadStd (google for it).