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CP Guide
A Beginner's Guide to Crease Patterns
Introduction
Crease Patterns - what they are
Crease patterns have been around since the 1930s, when Uchiyama Koko first
catalogued various bases according to their symmetry and geometrical layout.
Variously known as developmental plans, crease plans, folding patterns, etc,
crease patterns are increasingly being depicted together with finished models
or diagrams to illustrate the structure of the model. For some bizarre reason,
there is also an increasing number of people who fold from CPs, an activity
sometimes called a "crease pattern challenge".
What they're for...
Crease patterns are primarily used in origami design, as a method of assigning
different regions of the starting paper to different parts of the finished model.
CPs allow you to instantly see where the points are, and from that, figure out
the best way of adding various grafts so that you can add more detail to the
model.
CPs are not intended as a substitute for full diagrams. They are meant to show
how the model is structured, not its folding sequence. It's also easier for
designers to steal ideas from a CP than a diagram. And CPs are a useful way of
staking a claim to a model without having to go through the bother of diagramming
it fully.
...and how to fold them
Didn't you read the last section? You don't fold a model from a CP, period.
Folding from a CP is an activity only for seriously deranged masochists.
If you're still keen on folding a CP, here's what you'll need:
- The CP itself
- As many photos of the finished model as you can find
- Ruler, pencil, compass, or electronic equivalent
- Large strong paper (lots)
- Patience (lots)
- A quiet padded cell