Monthly Folding Challenge - August 2009

[Demolay]

Hello everyone!

Here is my reproduction of Eric Joisel dwarf in less than 30 folds and it is my first creation also:



I done it in 28 folds, if we count petal folds as one and it is created from waterbomb base i have made diagrams but it is pretty tricky and hard understandable (i guess because it is my first try to diagram something), anyways if anyone would be interested i can try post them

Please comment

[legionzilla]

WOW!!! I even thought it was the real thing!!!
I already designed something for the challenge, though it is 34 folds ...
Now, I need some good paper...

[David_D]

Hello everyone. I just recently started folding stuff again and figured I'd register on this forum. This is my first post here and I hope you find it worth it I designed two models for this month's competition.

The first model is based off Robert Lang's Hercules Beetle from Origami Insects and their Kin. I think the model turned out very well and it is surprisingly simple. It takes around 27 steps to fold.




The second model is based of the same book but now from the centipede. I could have added more detail without exceeding the 30 steps but I choose to keep the number of steps to a minimum. The model is extremely simple and only takes 15 steps total, half of the required maximum.




And now another picture of both models together




PS: Great models, everyone!

Pictures resized by Moderator, please make sure that all pictures posted to the Forum fit into a 640x640 pixel screen.

[origamifreak_1.6180339889]

nice models but the rules say that the models require 30 folds or less, not steps. although i bet you can diagram those models in less than 30 steps, i bet you cant fold them considering all of those pleats.

[David_D]

Good point, my models do require more than 30 folds. In that case everyone can disregard my models since they don't quite meet the criteria. I think the beetle requires around 40 folds and the centipede requires even more individual folds. I hereby retreat myself from the contest I don't have enough time any more to design anything decent :p

[Niels]

The contest is 'Kamiya Satoshi in less than 30 steps'. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find a subject that complex designers, such as Satoshi, have designed. And fold your interpretation in 30 folds or less.

As an idea, here is an interpretation of 'Ancient Dragon' using only 29 steps - this is basically a preliminary base strip grafted onto a stretched bird base.

http://fishgoth.com/misc/dragon-simple.JPG

The rules:

4) Thirty folds maximum. Sunburst will judge if you are telling fibs.
5) A 'fold' is essentially a straight forward step on a diagram. It can be a valley fold, a mountain fold, a reverse fold, a petal fold or a sink. It should not be 'repeat steps 15-29 on the other side'. It should not be a series of multiple box-pleated sinks. I'm sure you get the idea.

7) You only have 30 steps, so you will have to find cunning ways to interpret insect legs, wings, tentacles, spines, clock hands, etc.

11) Please let us know how many steps your model took, and roughly describe how you folded it.


Good luck everyone. If you haven't entered this contest before, give it a go! Everyone has only 30 (or less) folds to design a model, so the playing field should be levelled a bit...

I believe there is some confusion between a fold and a crease. I believe rule 5 defines clearly what a fold or step is. I also highlighted words from fishgoths post that show how he used ' fold' and ' step' as words with the same meaning.

When one reads what Fishgoth has stated in the rules, one must conclude David_D's entries are valid.

[Sara]

When one reads what Fishgoth has stated in the rules, one must conclude David_D's entries are valid.

Actually, no. I am very sure that the steps would include several "repeat" steps, which were clearly excluded. For example the centipede has 22 legs, which takes 22 folds as allowed in the rules. It was also mentioned that box pleating needs several steps, and cannot be combined in one step. So the model will definitely surpass the limit of 30 folds.

I'm in general a bit puzzled by many of the (especially later) entries. Most of them obviously violate the rules, and it will only make it more work for sunburst to judge them. Therefore, I'd ask everyone who submits a model to read the rules and only post a model if it complies with the rules. Else just post it as a new, designed model and ask for feedback on it in a different thread. At least that's my opinion...


-- Sara

P.S. Also, please avoid too big images. They should not surpass the dimensions of 640x640, if I remember correctly. Else a moderator will remove the pictures, which causes work and is in no one's interest. We all want to see your folds, but it'd be great if it wouldn't break the design of the page.

[Niels]

It still isn't clear to me. If for example you need to divide the square in 3ths, is that one step: "divide in 3ths", or is that 4 steps because it requires 4 valleys. or is it even 7 steps because one needs 3 to find the references. would going form preliminary to birdbase be 2 steps? or 4 because 4 inside reverse folds are involved. or is it even necessary to diagram the precreases, wich is common in diagrams for easy models. Is it allowed to count for example 2 crimps on one side of the model as 1 step? because I see that all the time in diagrams.
fishgoth, I really like this month's subject, but it's hard to interpret the rules.

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

that centipede is brilliant!

[Sara]

It still isn't clear to me. If for example you need to divide the square in 3ths, is that one step: "divide in 3ths", or is that 4 steps because it requires 4 valleys. or is it even 7 steps because one needs 3 to find the references. would going form preliminary to birdbase be 2 steps? or 4 because 4 inside reverse folds are involved. or is it even necessary to diagram the precreases, wich is common in diagrams for easy models. Is it allowed to count for example 2 crimps on one side of the model as 1 step? because I see that all the time in diagrams.
fishgoth, I really like this month's subject, but it's hard to interpret the rules.

Re crimps:
As I see it, one crimp is one "fold". If you make two crimps, it's two "folds".

Re preliminary fold to bird base:
You need to do two petal folds to get to a bird base. One petal fold is one "fold". If you don't precrease (which is what I usually do) you only need two "folds" in total. But if you precrease it's an extra two "folds" - just fold two flaps on each side for the precrease.

Re thirds:
If you make references, then each reference fold counts as one "fold". But if you don't need accuracy, you can simply say that you should fold approximately one third in, then the other one. That makes two "folds". So if the design depends on accuracy folding thirds will be more expensive than if it's just a judgment fold.
If you need to fold thirds in both directions (you mention 4 valley folds), you need two extra "folds". If you need accuracy, you might need one more reference fold (mark the diagonal to get a third).

This is how I understand it, and the impression i got from reading various posts in this thread. Some clarifications were given earlier on, and those do help a lot. Of course, ultimately it will be sunburst's decision whether a model qualifies or not.

-- Sara

[Whitefly]

original msg erased

[Niels]

I think the problem is if by 30 steps Fishgoth meant steps folding, or steps in a diagram.
and beacause Fishgoth typed:
5) A 'fold' is essentially a straight forward step on a diagram.

I sticked to diagram steps.

It looked like you read steps folding.
If Sunburst decides to stick to that reading, I withdraw my elephant.

because my elephant can be diagrammed in 30 steps, but it can't be folded in 30 'folds'.

[Sara]

I think the problem is if by 30 steps Fishgoth meant steps folding, or steps in a diagram.
and beacause Fishgoth typed:
5) A 'fold' is essentially a straight forward step on a diagram.

I sticked to diagram steps.

Rule 5 in full is:

5) A 'fold' is essentially a straight forward step on a diagram. It can be a valley fold, a mountain fold, a reverse fold, a petal fold or a sink. It should not be 'repeat steps 15-29 on the other side'. It should not be a series of multiple box-pleated sinks. I'm sure you get the idea.

Note that fishgoth wrote a valley fold, a mountain fold, a reverse fold, a petal fold or a sink. This implies one fold per step, rather than several. So if one step includes two crimps, that's actually two steps. If you do a fold on one leg, and it needs to be repeated on the three other legs, that's four steps. "Repeat" steps were explicitly disallowed. I think the essence of the challenge is to create a model that needs very few folds. You're supposed to stretch yourself to create a model that has the essence of a super complex one, but only use very few folds.

In the end, however, I think it's great that this challenge has motivated many to design something. I don't really care whether they qualify for the challenge or not. What I care about is that it's a challenge that made people feel like they enter it. Many challenges in the past were overwhelming, especially when highly complex pieces were submitted. The restriction to only allowing few folds meant that even those of us that are new to designing felt they had a chance.
In that I think the challenge has already been a great success. It motivated me to design my first model, and I think it motivated many others in a similar way. And in the end it's not like you get a big prize that you need to fight for. Yes, you get recognition, but I think you get that for the design itself.

It looked like you read steps folding.
If Sunburst decides to stick to that reading, I withdraw my elephant.

because my elephant can be diagrammed in 30 steps, but it can't be folded in 30 'folds'.

I think that your creation, Niels, is a very nice elephant model. To name another example, PauliusOrigami submitted a Hermit Crab, which he said needed 33 folds. I don't care whether these models really qualify for the challenge. What I do care about is whether you're going to diagram them. Because then we can reproduce the models you invented, and I think that's what this challenge is partly about. Not everyone can fold - let alone design - super complex models. But it's great to see what you can do with just a couple of folds. And I think part of designing is also documenting what you did.
I by no means want to say that you have to diagram everything you design, but if you do diagram things, people will appreciate it and you will be recognized for it. And if you entered the challenge, then you probably - just like me - like getting recognition.

-- Sara

[Fishgoth]

Fishy opinion

Although they are nice models, I don't really think they fall within the spirit of the contest.

I count 29 folds just to form the pleating in the centipede, let alone the legs, shaping, etc.

The hercules beetle seems to be some sort of blintz base with box pleating, which introduces dozens of creases for each leg.

However, the final decision is the judges! Up to you, Starburst...

[firstfold]

Here is a quick diagram for the TWISTER model. I am making a movie of the steps which will follow shortly.

The steps shown are the MAXIMUM number of steps required - the model can be folded in fewer steps.
For example forming the four corners of the square requires two squashes insteads of the 4 steps listed above.
The model can be folded in less than 20 steps by estimating rather than precreasing locations and judicious use of squash folds.