How do you design your own origami models?

[Origami_Domo]

I've really been into designing origami, but I have no clue how to do it. I want to design the CP first, and I plan on using box pleating, because I seem to understand box pleating more then anything else. I've heard of circle packing, but still need to learn a bit more about it. Anybody have a guide or some pointers? Thanks and happy folding

[Harpseal]

Think of something to design. Think of a base to design it with. Invent a base if you can't think of an existing one (this can be tricky). Make it. Make it some more. When you are really good, unfold a version you have made and trace the crease pattern. Now you can do what you like with what you've got. For more tips with designing models, go to the inventing models thread in general origami talk.

[chris_t]

I write this not as an expert designer - far from it! But I went through the same difficulties not long ago, and various bits of advice helped get me to the stage where I can make some sort of attempt...

Tip 1: Buy Origami Design Secrets by Robert Lang! It's a brilliant book, and for me took origami from being a mostly magical process (whereby you follow some instructions and suddenly a model appears with the right features), to being a logical process that I can follow and understand the workings of (although applying some of the principles in practice is sometimes easier said than done). It's got a section on box-pleating and a section on circle packing, and lots more.

Tip 2: Look around on Youtube. There are lots of good origami videos there, some of which talk about design. Tadashimori has some great tutorials http://www.youtube.com/user/tadashimori?blend=1&ob=4.

Tip 3: If you haven't already, try folding some models from the crease pattern only. It's not easy, but it does help to understand how the CP is related to the finished model.

Tip 4: Fold everything you can. And try unfolding some models to look at the crease pattern that gave rise to it, if it wasn't given in the first place.

Tip 5: Play around. You don't have to necessarily fold with a particular goal in mind. Try a combination of folds and see what it does. Take a sequence you've seen in one model and apply it to a different base. See what comes out! With any luck, at some point it might start to vaguely resemble something, and you can then hone the details.

Tip 6: Try some of the challenges on the forum. It gives a bit of motivation and inspiration.

[Origami_Domo]

@Harpseal Thanks for the advice, I'll try that.

@chris-t Thanks! I saw tadashimori's tutorials and they're excellent. They certainly gave me a good idea of what to I need to do. I also checked out Origami Design Secrets, it looks like a great book and I think I'll get it soon. I'll try out your other advice as well.

Thanks everyone!

[Harpseal]

I've had Robert Lang's "Treemake" recommended to me.
Origami SD is also good for diagramming some models
Also, have the shape designed for you and try to copy it! You may not care anything about "Pokemon" but it does help you to start designing.
http://spinflipper.com/origami/cp/ helps with crease patterns loads. http://www.h5.dion.ne.jp/~origami/e/index.html Also has loads of nice easy begginer crease patterns for you to get started with.
Google image search Origami peacock crease pattern is a first crease pattern for loads of people I know. I haven't got started with crease patterns yet but I am going to start with the peacock in a nice, quiet place like the first link suggested.

[Origami_Domo]

Thanks! I downloaded Robert J lang's Treemaker program. It works great!

[Harpseal]

Treemaker is only useful for regular cp makers.

[Origami_Domo]

Yeah, I'm only able to create and solve very simple CPs with it so far. I'll get better at it, though.

[Zoraz]

Be sure you don't overuse treemaker. It is fun to use, but its nowhere near perfect. Its most useful to figure out an approximate point allocation, but from there, its really better to box pleat, create a base based off of easy-to-fold angles such as 22.5 or 15, or find some hybrid of the two. The reason for this is that treemaker almost never gives you any extra paper to work with, and usually the CPs have strange reference points, and that can get really annoying to find.

Also, the second site you posted, harpseal, I believe is Noboru Miyajima's site. the CPs on it aren't too tough, but some of them have strange references, and they're all tricky to shape into the final model.

[phillipcurl]

allthough it is better to learn to collapse first than to learn to shape first.

[Harpseal]

Adobe Fireworks or Illustrator helps with diagrams.

The animals on that "second site" are very good. I, myself, have only done one cp. The origami peacock, which helped me to design two origami pokemon- Serpirior and samurott (silly names huh?)