Inventing Models

[Harpseal]

My samurott and serpirior are both from the same base as a peacock

[malifold]

I designed a giraffe!
It's still being refined, but its from a distorted bird base with splits points and a graft.
I decided to make an animal from a bird base with one point split, and distorted it to even out the leg lengths.
It looked like a giraffe (sort of) and had a really long neck. I added a graft to add on horns and ears.
In this case, which is only my second design that turned out well, I set out to make a four-legged animal, and it turned into a giraffe.

*EDIT* I guess I'm level 2.

[Harpseal]

Long neck, detail at the top and four other legs and a tail is hard! I'm looking forward to seeing this!

[cowburger13]

I am about level 3. I have designed a scorpion, longhorn beetle, and some other stuff (in collaberation with a friend)

[Harpseal]

Can i see?

[cowburger13]

Crease pattern:


Folded model: http://palaeorigamipete.deviantart.com/ ... /#/d4x6b8i

(The folded model is by Petr Stuchly)

[Harpseal]

Wow! And to think he calls it simple!

[the modern einstein]

it IS box pleated.

[Harpseal]

Well yeah, but i'd love to see that creator's idea of hard!!

[cowburger13]

this is very easy, as it is based off a 32x32 grid. It may be hard to a beginner, but there are far more boxpleated designs out there. An example is Petr Stuchly's leafy sea dragon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/petr-stuchly/6108544488/
That is VERY complex.
But the most complex boxpleated cp of all time is the ryuzin 3.5 :O http://www.flickr.com/photos/27778510@N05/2592994542/

[Harpseal]

My phone won't follow those links. Drat. Ryujinn anything is seriously hard, but i was looking forward to seeing a leafy sea dragon. Grrr.

[cowburger13]

secret cp (which was guessed correctly sooner than i expected =P) - a Leafy sea dragon! by origamiPete, on Flickr
here you go

[Harpseal]

Ouch.

Pretty cool though!

[ahudson]

There's another stage:

IV - You don't need to design a base to create a complex or interesting model.

I'm wondering how you people start. Do you start with like say 'a head' in mind then you fold that and see where that gets you, or do you really plan a ahead and think about how the rest of the flaps should fal to create body and limps at the same time?
I know, it's not the 'best' way to design, but since I'm only just starting to design my own models, I think it's ok.

I actually think that's a better way to design-- eventually you'll get fluent enough with boxpleating and other design techniques to just dive in like that, and most of the time you get much more interesting structures this way than by designing a base first.

[Baltorigamist]

I usually lay out the entire CP before I start folding and then refine it from there. There are times, though, when I start with one part and design the rest based around that.

I need help with something design-wise, though: how do you transfer irregular pleats (1:sqrt2) to standard BP?