While a basic understanding of geometry is helpful, very little knowledge is necessary to begin. With knowledge of the different types of polyhedra and polygons, along with a little experience, you should be able to create all the models in this book, and perhaps even some variations of your own. I selected seven simpler, more embellished modular creations to serve as a basis for the twelve more complicated Wire Frames that follow. If you aren’t familiar with modular origami, I suggest starting with the more basic models and getting practice with them until you have gained enough confidence to try the more complicated constructions.
I enjoy designing Wire Frames, and consider them to be the pinnacle of technical modular evolution. With extremely simple units, some remarkably difficult and complicated structures can be made with only paper and the use of your hands. The weaving process is always exciting and challenging. The finished work is a visually stimulating piece that requires more than a passing glance to appreciate. Wire Frame models are akin to geometric puzzles that you must create and then solve using only folded pieces of paper. Like the more complicated representative models, Wire Frames may take more time to assemble than some regular decorative modulars, but the extra effort is apparent in the result.
I have folded and designed all kinds of origami, but have always returned to modular origami, as it is my favorite style. I hope that this book gives you a greater appreciation for the stark geometric beauty and dynamism of modular origami.
MATERIALS
YOU SHOULD KEEP a variety of materials handy for making the models in this book.
Paper is, obviously, the most necessary item to procure. Nearly any paper can be used for origami. I have used many different types, but some are better suited for modular origami than others. The following are several of my favorites. Paper thickness is generally weighed in grams per square meter (gsm). Generally, modulars are best folded with a middle- or heavier-weight paper between 70 and 130 gsm.
COPY PAPER is cheap, colorful, very easy to find, and excellent for Wire Frame modulars. Go for a 24-lb weight.
KAMI, the standard origami paper, is excellent for all of the decorative modulars in this book. While a bit flimsy, it can be used for most Wire Frames.
MEMO PAPER only comes in ~3.5" squares, so it is not generally useful for Wire Frames. However, it is cheap, colorful, and (without a sticky strip), it works very well for decorative models.
TANT is a higher-quality paper that works well for most of the decorative modulars and Wire Frames.
SKYTONE is a higher-quality parchment paper that bears a visual resemblance to Elephant Hide paper, but comes in a greater variety of colors. It is much thinner than Elephant Hide, and isn’t as strong.
STARDREAM is a higher-quality paper that is excellent for Wire Frames. It can work for decorative modulars, but its thickness makes it less suitable for some of them.
ELEPHANT HIDE is a very high-quality paper that generally comes in muted colors. It is tremendously strong and thick, but creases superbly. It’s excellent for all Wire Frames, and good for most decorative modulars as well.
A bone folder is a piece of bone, plastic or wood used to fold creases strongly. While not necessary, it can help make sharp creases on the center vertices of Wire Frame struts.
Scissors or a paper cutter will be needed to cut the rectangular paper used for Wire Frame struts.
A pencil and ruler will be needed to measure and lightly mark the specifically proportioned rectangles of paper to be cut for most Wire Frame modular units.
Frame-holders can be used to hold the Wire Frame elements, which can be a challenge to keep in place during construction. While not required, frame-holders will give your model added stability until it is complete, at which point they should be removed. Metal wire (22-gauge floral wire) is my frame-holder of choice, but it's not the only possibility. Feel free to experiment.
A protractor is not required, but is useful for checking the angles of the unit’s pockets and other angular details.
A calculator is useful for converting the paper proportions for the Wire Frames quickly and easily.
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
WHILE MANY modular origami projects can indeed be challenging, keeping a few important things in mind ahead of time will make everything go easier.
Before you begin, it is important to be prepared. You should have all the paper that you will need for the project, as well as any tools you might need. Be careful to choose an appropriate size for the starting papers, as they will determine the size of your final model. This is especially true for the Wire Frames—it is very natural for beginners to want to expand the size of the units, but if you aren’t careful, you can easily end up with a model several feet in diameter. Conversely, you might decide to make a model very small, which would then make it quite difficult to fold. Scale the paper proportions up or down to determine an appropriate size.
Paper proportions are the length-to-width ratio of the paper for Wire Frames. In some cases, you may want to change the dimensions listed. Fortunately, this is easy. You just have to convert them to their original 1:X ratio (if necessary), and then multiply both numbers by the desired width. Here’s an example: if the paper proportions are listed as 1.25:5, and you want the width of each unit to be decreased to .875 in order to make a smaller model, you first convert the 1.25:5 back to a 1:X ratio. To do this, divide both numbers by the width. 1.25/1.25=1, and 5/1.25=4, so the proportions have been converted to 1:4. You must now multiply both numbers by the new width to get the final proportion: 1x.875=.875, and 4x.875=3.5. Therefore, your final proportions are .875:3.5. These rectangles will have the same height-to-width ratio as the proportions listed in the directions, only scaled down. The same procedure can be used to increase the proportions; simply reverse the process to increase the proportions.
Once all of the preparations are made, cutting and folding the units is generally very straightforward, especially for the Wire Frames. However, if you have difficulty with a step, look ahead to the next step to see the result of the fold. The folding of the units can be tedious, but you can fold small “batches” of them and then assemble them later. And the more effort you put into the units, the more rewarding the finished model will be.
A batch of units for The Alphabet (page 89), just begun.
The complete collection of units for The Alphabet.
The Wire Frame units themselves are surprisingly simple, as they have a standard design pattern. The nature of their design is somewhat redundant, to the point that after having folded several different models, you will probably be able to infer an approximate folding sequence even before reading the diagrams. This will make variations and new concepts easier for you to explore on your own. Probably the most important thing to keep in mind when folding the units, aside from the proportions and pocket angles, is the dihedral angle of each unit. This is the interior angle between the two halves of a completed edge unit. This angle will determine how the units interact with each other: if it is near 180 degrees, the unit will be close to flat; if it is near 0 degrees, the unit will be narrow, and the two halves will be pressed against each other. Unless a special effect is desired, the optimal angle is around 90 degrees. (It is possible for edge units to have a dihedral angle greater than 180 degrees, but that is a subject for another volume.)
The assembly of the units is usually the most difficult—and the most exciting—part of making modular origami. Various types of locks may be used the hold the units together, but the standard