
Origami Levels of Complexity [video] - brudgers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDwPXRy9IFc
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Drup
For a little bit of context, Robert Lang is what you could call a "modern
master" of Origami. He's one of the author who promoted a "whole vision"
approach to model design, using lot's of circle/square packing and a very
scientific methodology. He's also the author of several books (and some
software!) to explain how to design your own models using his techniques.

One of the reason the last model is a new scale of complexity might be that it
somehow use "old school" techniques: There is now collapse, no circle packing,
it's just straight traditional (hard!) folding from start to finish. Creating
such complex models from the traditional tools is usually really hard. It also
has a certain elegance to it that is often very pleasing.

~~~
layoutIfNeeded
In my experience models made from crease patterns tend to be rather boring.
Yes, it’s tricky and menial to collapse them, but once you’ve done a few, you
can fold all of them. It’s a mechanical procedure, so much that these designs
are usually generated with a software called TreeMaker, pioneered by Lang
himself:
[https://langorigami.com/article/treemaker/](https://langorigami.com/article/treemaker/)

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gorgoiler
I had no idea about the level of formal planning required to make these
complex objects. It’s almost like a spatial algebra that’s being used and then
the folding part itself seems to be a two step recipe.

As I understood it, after (1) planning out your design you then (2) create a
flat set of pockets with as many pockets as you need appendages, of
appropriate sizes, before (3) extruding those pockets out into limbs,
antennae, wings, and eyes.

Having it explained visually, it makes so much sense. A bit like a chef doing
_mise en place_ before then constructing a dish. Absolutely fascinating.

~~~
nocut12
If you want to learn more about this stuff, the guy in the video wrote a great
book called Origami Design Secrets
([https://www.amazon.com/dp/1568814364/](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1568814364/)).
It's certainly still _the_ book about origami design.

For something that still touches on some of this stuff but is more
beginner/child friendly, I'd recommend Jun Maekawa's book Genuine Origami
([https://www.amazon.com/dp/4889962514](https://www.amazon.com/dp/4889962514))

There's also the OSME books ([http://osme.info/](http://osme.info/)) which
collect origami related papers.

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andy_ppp
I have nothing to add but to say I was completely transfixed by the level of
detail the hobbyist showed in this video.

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jdnier
Oh he's hardly a hobbyist. :) From his biography:

[https://langorigami.com/about-robert-j-lang/](https://langorigami.com/about-
robert-j-lang/)

Robert J. Lang has been an avid student of origami for over fifty years and is
now recognized as one of the world’s leading masters of the art, with over 700
designs catalogued and diagrammed.

~~~
andy_ppp
He referred to it as his hobby in the video...

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siavosh
This could almost be a proxy measure of civilizational complexity.

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archagon
Haven't watched the video yet, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that
David Huffman (of Huffman coding) was a pioneer in the field of mathematical
origami when I attended an exhibit of his works in Santa Cruz in 2012[1].
Quite stunning to see in person.

Robert Lang and Erik Demaine were also featured, IIRC.

[1]: [https://news.ucsc.edu/2012/03/origami-
exhibit.html](https://news.ucsc.edu/2012/03/origami-exhibit.html)

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carapace
That bird behind him is incredible.

