The Origami Forum

I have successecful in folding many models from crease patterns in my life.And I have been trying to draw diagrams from these CPs but I've received no success,I can't figure out where to begin the diagram.
Does anyone have ideas of how to draw diagram form CPs?
thank in advance.

why don't you just start up from the beginning? this may sound like a joke, but it isn't. like every ordinary diagram, you have to show the starting piece (or base) and go on step by step. as long as you know how to fold the model, it should be possible to draw the diagram. the biggest difficulty are the 3dimensional steps.
drawing diagrams with your computer is another story, because the program choice influences the drawing progress.


- Christian

Folding from CPs sometimes, if not usually, involves precreasing all creases and trying to collapse in one long 3d step. The hard and 3d part of this collapsing usually involves the points that are formed from the center of the paper.

Thus the central and difficult problem for many designers is to create a folding sequence to form these inner points while, at the same time, using an accepted, flat-folded, and diagrammable sequances of folds. Commenting on linear folding sequances, Robert Lang once said on the O-List (4-19-04):

[Finding linear folding sequances] is no simple matter. When one is using mathematical techniques to design the finished form, there's often little or no guidance as to what the folding sequence might be, or even a guarantee that a linear folding sequence exists! We know that there are simple maneuvers that don't have clean implementations, closed sinks being one of the more familiar ones. But there are also more complicated structures that are analogous to closed sinks: they can't be broken down into smaller units, and can't even be executed without buckling the paper.

These types of folds often arise in technical design, not because technical design particularly selects for hard maneuvers, but just that, unlike empirical manipulation, there's nothing that prevents you from incorporating a complex irreducible structure into the design.

So designers who produce only CPs are not just too lazy to diagram; it may that they haven't yet worked out a linear folding sequence, or it may be that a linear folding sequence doesn't exist. In my own published diagrams, I spend a LOT of time working out a tractable sequence ("tractable" is relative, of course) and will often try out different variations of the design whose sole purpose is to try to simplify the folding sequence. As an example, the "Maine Lobster, opus 447" published in the last BOS convention was designed in 1999, but it took me until this year to work out a decent sequence.

I think he puts it very well. I myself am in the middle of diagramming a model of mine that is quite lengthy (120+ steps), and I have been constantly revising its folding sequance to make it more diagrammable.

The other part about diagramming someone else's models from their CPs is the personal finishing touches to the model. You might have a different interpratation of how that model should be finished off than another person, and thus, yet another folding sequance emerges. If you are diagramming other people's work (as it seems from your post), than make sure you get the author's permission before hand. It will make you very unhappy if you finish some diagrams, only to find out that the creater has disputes with them.

So, I suggest start with precreasing to find landmarks necessary for the CP. Then, continue with the formation of the central points and than finish the base with the formation of the edge and cornor points. Proceed with the necessary thinning and shaping. Lastly, for the inexperianced diagrammer, I greatly suggest Lang's article on Diagramming Conventions which can be found here:
origami.kvi.nl/articles/diagram.pdf

Good Luck!

Thanks very much.I 've successful in folding the RHINO beetle of Jason Ku recently but still,I can't draw the diagram for it yet.

Why do you want to diagram it? I have a fairly resonable folding sequance for it, but I think the cp is fairly straight forward. I should be working on its diagram later this summer, but I just have to finish with these balrog diagrams first.... grrrrrr.....

-----------------------
Jason Ku

http://www.bluegoo.net/~jason

Why do you want to diagram it?

most people I know (including me) aren't able to handle CP and most of them (including me) are not willing to use them. it would be nice to have some diagrams from crease patterns to fold that model. there are surely a lot of models out there, that are worth folding, if only they were clearly diagrammed.

thanks to origamimagiro for making clear, what the problems of crease-patterns-to-diagrams could be. you and mr. lang made a lot of good points, although I completely disagree with the "problem" of the final shaping. I also know the problems of diagramming the 3dimensional steps, but this could probably beeing solved by making photographs, instead of diagraming them, couldn't it?

but hibakotaro didn't told us, how he'd lik e to make the diagrams. I mean, the main question would be: computer or not.


- Christian

Hm...I used to draw diagrams not by computer,just my hand and a ruler with pencil.All of the diagrams in my coleection were draw by this method,though it isn't a piece of cake.

TheRealChris wrote: most people I know (including me) aren't able to handle CP and most of them (including me) are not willing to use them. it would be nice to have some diagrams from crease patterns to fold that model. there are surely a lot of models out there, that are worth folding, if only they were clearly diagrammed.

I guess what I meant to ask was why does hibakotaro want to diagram my Rhino Beetle? I will diagram it sometime, and I already have a folding sequance for it.

ahh,sorry,that's my hobby that I want to diagram all crease patterns which I 've folded.Hope that won't invoke Jason Ku.

I know this hibakotaro guy.he's a diagram sucker.He spent almost his time wandering on the internet,printing all the diagram he found and then re-drawn 'em all to his collection.What an amazing idiot!

origamifan wrote:I know this hibakotaro guy.he's a diagram sucker.He spent almost his time wandering on the internet,printing all the diagram he found and then re-drawn 'em all to his collection.What an amazing idiot!

I would refrain from name calling on this list. So he likes diagrams? Well, let him make his diagrams. As long as he is not selling nor distributing them, I see no infringement on copyright nor of a personal nature. We need more diagrammers out there, to be sure.

Hibakotaro, if you like to diagram, I think you could provide a great service to the origami community and make a little money on the side. If you diagrammed for people, I know a lot of people who would pay for the service.

What an amazing idiot!

please keep that speech out of the forum. if you don't like, what he's doing, you should probably talk to him privately. there is no need to talk that way.


thanks

- Christian

Ah,Sorry,... I don't diagram with the comerical purpose.It's my hobby that
I want to figure out how the models are folded from the CPs,and I have tried diagraming,that's all.My "self made" diagrams are not for selling or something,just want to know the way it works from CP.But little succeed.
(Diagrming aint' easy)

hibakotaro wrote: (Diagrming aint' easy)

I agree with you. If you diagram just for personal use, I see no harm in that.

sorry for the nubby question but what is a cp?