Origami tech tree
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This origami tech tree shows how most origami skills are related to each other. It also shows which skills are harder, because they use lots of other skills. (This page needs LOTS of pictures, and maybe some animations.)
A few examples, to start off:
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Pureland skills
Pureland origami can be done by just folding one thing at a time. It has no simultaneous folds a la the squash fold or waterbomb base.
- Turn over.
- Rotate.
- Unfold.
- A precise valley fold = a whole bunch of almost trivial stuff.
- A mountain fold = turn over, valley fold, turn over.
There are other ways to make a mountain fold, but the result is the same.
- A book fold. = a kind of valley fold. Turn over a flap, just like turning over a page in a book.
- A pleat = parallel mountain and valley folds.
- A radial pleat = a pleat that is wider at one end than the other.
- A cupboard fold = 2 particular pleats.
= Fold in half (rectangularly). Unfold. Fold the edges to the centerline. - A kite fold = 2 particular radial pleats.
= Fold in half (diagonally). Unfold. Fold two edges to the centerline. All 3 creases meet at 1 corner. - A blintz fold = Valley fold and unfold a "+". Valley fold the corners to the center.
Simple skills
- Outside reverse fold = 2 particular valley folds, and a mountain fold, all done at the same time.
- Inside reverse fold = 2 particular mountain folds, and a valley fold, all done at the same time.
- Prayer fold = 2 inside reverse folds.
- A waterbomb base = prayer fold
= valley fold an "X" and mountain fold a "+", all at the same time.
= an inside out preliminary fold. - A preliminary fold = prayer fold
= valley fold a "+" and mountain fold an "X", all at the same time.
= an inside out waterbomb base.
Low intermediate skills
- A squash fold = an awkward kite fold.
= start with a triangular flap with 2 layers (for example, part of a waterbomb base). Make a particular valley fold, unfold, open out, reach in, and flatten. (Some of these "trivial" steps are described on the valley fold page.) - A petal fold = a squash fold + 2 inside reverse folds.
= Start with a triangular flap with 2 layers (e.g., part of a waterbomb base). Make a different particular valley fold, unfold, squash fold, inside reverse fold 2 edges. - Repeat xxxx on rear = do xxxx on the front. Turn over. do xxxx (or maybe its mirror image) on the rear. Turn over.
- A bird base = preliminary fold. petal fold. repeat petal fold on rear.
- A frog base
- A rabbit ear
Mid-intermediate skills
- Crimp
- Swivel fold
- Spread Squash
- Pentagon
High intermediate skills
- Stretched bird base
- open-sink
- open double-sink
- closed sink.
- twist fold.
Complex skills
- Closed unsink.
... (more complicated techniques) ...
External links
- www.folds.net/tutorial (http://www.folds.net/tutorial/index.html) - The FOLDS.NET Guide to Paperfolding Instructions on the Web is laid out in the same order as this tech tree, with pictures of the simplest models at the start and pictures of the most complicated models at the end.
Further reading
- Robert J. Lang. The Complete Book of Origami: Step-by-Step Instructions in Over 1000 Diagrams. Dover Publications, Mineola, NY. Copyright 1988 by Robert J. Lang. ISBN 0-486-25837-8 (pbk.)
- Pages 1-30 are an excellent introduction to most of these skills. Each of these 13 models is designed to let you practice one skill several times. Unfortunately, the remaining 24 models leave out lots of pre-creases.