




Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 09:50:22 AST
From: base00!jhc@codas.attmail.com
Subject: Lang's Mantis

udcf.gla.ac.uk!gapv64 ("B.Ewins") writes:

>       Just bought 'Sea Life' by Montroll & Lang, which
>I feel very guilty about as I've already ordered 'Origami
>for the Enthusiast' and 'Origami for the Connoisseur'...
>       I've managed the Sea Horse, Blue Shark and Hermit
>Crab so far and I must say the comment in the front that
>'all of these models can be made with ordinary 10 inch
>origami paper' must have been made under the influence of
>strong psychoactive and probably illegal drugs.

I applaud your efforts.  The hermit crab I haven't done, but NONE of those
models are easy!  I'm quite certain there were drugs involved, and he
probably mixed a couple different ones.  I would strongly recommend the
chambered Nautilus out of that book.  It was a b*tch to figure out, but
the result is wonderful!  If you have any trouble, let me know and I'll
try to help.

>       On the same lines, I'd like to hear from anyone
>who managed Robert Lang's Praying Mantis (from the archives)
>In particular what kind of paper did you use ? I have '
>ordinary 9 inch origami paper' which shreds during the
>rabbit-ear-ing of the head. Looking ahead a few steps, I
>think the neck couldnt be folded with this paper either
>at the thickness required.

A loooong time ago, when Lang himself was on the net, he stated that *he*
only had about a 3-in-5 success rate at that step!  Personally, I think
anyone who designs a model he can't do consistently without tearing should
probably be shot;  however, I haven't seen a mantis half as good as that
one, so I guess we're stuck with the problem for now.  All I can suggest
is to use high-quality Japanese paper -- it tends to hold up better.

Wait, I just checked my old saved messages, and I still have that discussion,
as I wanted to try the mantis someday.  It's in ARCHIVE.08, and the relevant
parts are:

>Subject: Question on Robert Lang's Praying Mantis
>Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 15:12:49 EDT
>From: Anne R. LaVin <lavin@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>
>
>
>Well, I did it, I ftp'd the diagrams, and in a fit of over-confidence decided
>to try folding the thing.  It was not, shall we say, much of a success.  (This
>I attribute entirely to my folding, not the clear and well-done directions.  :)
>
>I do have a few questions for Robert which I thought might be of general
>interest to the list:
>
>(1) what paper do you suggest using for the model, especially for a first try?
>I started with the 10 inch Niji paper which tore and turned into mush around
>the head region...Should I try something larger, and if so, what type of paper
>would be good?
>
>(2)  As long as we're on the subject of the head...In the step where you fold
>it down in something like a rabbit ear, the thing I came out with was in fact
>exactly like a rabbit ear (i.e. the leftmost edge, when folded down, was
>completely horizontal, rather than at an angle as in the picture.  I *know* it
>says to make the creases so that they're perpendicular to the outside edges,
>and that's what I'm pretty sure I did.  But it never did quite look like the
>picture.  Am I just spazzing, here, or did I miss something?

And the Reply from Lang himself:

>Date:    Fri, 19 Oct 1990 9:06:30 PDT
>From: RLANG@JPLLSI.JPL.NASA.GOV
>Subject: Praying Mantis Dgms and Design
>
>Dear Ann,
>
>Glad to hear that someone had a go at the Mantis. For the benefit
>of those who still plan to try it, my ever-faithful beta-tester
>Ron Levy points out that in step 9, there is a colored triangle at
>the upper left that shouldn't be there (fortunately, itUs pretty
>obvious that it doesnUt belong). I suppose you could browse
>through the PostScript text and edit out the offending lines of
>code, but I'm not up to it. (I'll just change the original
>drawing.)
>
>Next: you asked what paper to use? This may not be much
>consolation, but I find that 10-inch Niji paper is just dandy. In
>fact, that was the paper I designed it to be folded from. It's
>actually better than foil, because foil tends to split up near the
>head. (So does Niji paper, though, if you haven't done the closed
>sinks neatly and have weakened the paper. In fact, I only have
>about an 85% success rate myself.) All I can say is keep trying,
>and be neat.
>
>As goes the step "something like a rabbit ear," I presume you
>refer to steps 32-34. Yes, the diagrams are correct; the creases
>must be perpendicular to the outside edges (i.e., at 22.5 degrees
>to the horizontal, which results in the left edge being at 22.5
>degrees as well), and NOT angle bisectors (i.e., at 33.75 degrees,
>which results in the left edge being horizontal). You must be
>extremely careful with the proportions and careful neat with the
>folding at this point to avoid, shall we say, splitting headaches
>(rim shot).
>

Like the man said, "Keep trying and be neat."

Good Luck!!

-- Javier





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 12:04:21 AST
From: anselmo@thermsa.eng.sunysb.edu (Andrew P. Anselmo)
Subject: Re: "Sea Life" - 10 inch paper

"B.Ewins" <gapv64@udcf.gla.ac.uk> writes:

        I've managed the Sea Horse, Blue Shark and Hermit
Crab so far and I must say the comment in the front that
'all of these models can be made with ordinary 10 inch
origami paper' must have been made under the influence of
strong psychoactive and probably illegal drugs.

I think you just need some time to get things going.  My first try at
the shark was a bit interesting, but I've got it memorized now, and
can even do it with 6" foil.  I know the rest of the models are somewhat
hairier, but I think this is where tweezers come in.  When they say, "all
the models can be done with 10" paper," I think it is meant in all sincerity.
It's probably just a really long time before you can do it.

A.

(who still needs huge paper for lots o' models)





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 13:13:06 AST
From: SOYLENT GREEN <RHUDSON@eddie.yorkcol.edu>
Subject: RE: "Sea Life"

I think you'll find that with most animal models, particularly towards the end
steps, that the author folded them with "zero thickness" paper.  This is a
scarce commodity; so far, I haven't been able to find it.

   RHUDSON@YorkCol.Edu





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 14:34:59 AST
From: Usuario de Demo <demo@mafalda.univalle.edu.co>
Subject: I'm a new user

Hello !
I'm very happy, because I found a great group of origamists.
I folded paper about three years and I can't believe this :
Origami by computers !, it's wonderful, because I work with computers.
You can send me the messages about foldings, magazines (I'm very
interesed in suscribe in to a origami magazine, help me please!), books
and so forth, to this address or to aperez@mafalda.univalle.edu.co
My name is Jose Tomas.
Thank you for your helpful.
Note : I have books from J.Montroll, K.Kasahara, Grupo Riglos and
E.Clemente (in spanish).





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 14:43:53 AST
From: SKRIPJ@sask.usask.ca
Subject: Paper

I hope it's not an artistic faux pas, but I seldom use actual origami paper
in my folding.  In keeping with a recommendation in a book I read (too) many
years ago, I like to use wrapping paper.  I find it is thin enough for many
multi-layer figures yet strong enough to not tear too often.  For figures
that don't contain too many layers, I like to use wrapping paper which is
foil-coated on one side.  I recall making a peacock with such paper which was
coated with purple foil; in spite of my feeble folding, the paper made it
seem quite beautiful.

HELP REQUIRED:  Is it possible to obtain a copy of the _Big Book of Origami_
(I think that's the title)?  I believe it is long out of print, but it was one of the
very first books on origami which I read and I have very fond memories
of taking it out of my local library over and over and over and over . . .
I'd really like my own copy, since it featured some models I have not seen
elsewhere [one of my favorites, which I haven't been able to fold since I
moved away from my home town and lost contact with THE BOOK, is a figure of
a rabbit sitting on a die; the figure was called "It's Magic" and is folded froma single
rectangle of paper in a 1 X 2 proportion; it's a rabbit sitting on top of a 3-dimensional
cube; anyone remember it?].

Jack Skrip





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 14:52:49 AST
From: SOYLENT GREEN <RHUDSON@eddie.yorkcol.edu>
Subject: RE: Paper

It's magic.. that's in Secrets of Origami by Harbin.. I have the old Xeroxes
somewhere I think.

IS MADE OF RHUDSON@YORKCOL.EDU!  IT'S RHUDSON@YORKCOL.EDU!





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 15:25:39 AST
From: SKRIPJ@sask.usask.ca
Subject: Re: Paper

Yep . . . that's it . . . although I still remember seeing it in _The Big
Book . . ._ for the first time (at the back somewhere, with "harder" figures.
If I can impose upon you to snail-mail me a xerox of your xerox, here's my
snail-address:
Jack
Jack Skrip
#38, 1415 McKercher Drive
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Canada     S7H 5J8.

Thanks for the reply!

Jack





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 16:30:36 AST
From: GURKEWITZ@WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU
Subject: Re: Paper

I have two hard back copies. The book is about 200 pages long!
Did you have a specific model you were looking for, or would you like
a xerox of the table of contents?

Rona Gurkewitz





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 17:02:50 AST
From: winsonc@sfu.ca
Subject: Origami shops in Montreal

I'm going to Montreal for a while, and I was wondering if anyone know of any
places that sells origami books or paper.  Even better, does anyone know if
there is a origami club in Montreal?

Thanks

Winson Chan





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 19:13:27 AST
From: SOYLENT GREEN <RHUDSON@eddie.yorkcol.edu>
Subject: Re: Paper

Jack,

Did you want a xerox of that in Secrets of Origami?

IS MADE OF RHUDSON@YORKCOL.EDU!  IT'S RHUDSON@YORKCOL.EDU!





Date: Thu, 9 Dec 93 21:47:53 AST
From: stamm@aol.com
Subject: Re: Origami shops in Montreal

The following is a list of Canadian Origami Groups from the E-zine "Online
Origami".  The original list is from the "Friends" (FOCA) Regioanl Group
Exchange zine.

I apologize in advance for being lousy in Canadian geography and not having
an Atlas (Right-this-minute) so I don't know if any of these is close.  I
just copied & pasted the whole list.

Canada
* Niagara Falls: Niagara Origami Society, Greg Warkentin (416) 468 4969
* Saskatchewan: Saskatoon Origami Society, Bob Reid (306) 955 4589
* Toronto: Origami Society of Toronto, Toshi Aoyagi (416) 532 8102
* Winnepeg: Origami Society of Canada, Brian Cox (204) 669 3697
* Calgary, Alberta: Foothills Origami Guild, Ted Downard (403) 271 5118
* St. Catherines, Ontari
o: St. Catherine's Origami People, Katherine Hong
  (416) 374 7640





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 05:54:30 AST
From: Bruce Stephens <bruce@liverpool.ac.uk>
Subject: It's Magic

> I'd really like my own copy, since it featured some models I have not seen
> elsewhere [one of my favorites, which I haven't been able to fold since I
> moved away from my home town and lost contact with THE BOOK, is a figure of
> a rabbit sitting on a die; the figure was called "It's Magic" and is folded froma
single rectangle of paper in a 1 X 2 proportion; it's a rabbit sitting on top of a
3-dimensional cube; anyone remember it?].

Yes, I know it.  I forget whose model it is, but it's also in Harbin's "Secrets
of Origami".  Not that that helps you any---Secrets is also out of print.

> Jack Skrip
>

Bruce                   Institute of Advanced Scientific Computation
bruce@liverpool.ac.uk   University of Liverpool





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 10:31:14 AST
From: hull@cs.uri.edu (Tom Hull)
Subject: It's Magic

Hey hey hey!
     It's Magic was created by the ledgendary Fred Rohm (one of those
magician/origamist types). Fred's the guy from which the term "Dirty
Rohm Trick" stemmed. A dirty Rohm trick is a step in a origami fold where
the folder must unfold everything he/she has done and continue with
the pre-creased paper. It's wicked!

Later (or sooner) ----------------- Tom "I'm not Soylvent Green" Hull





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 11:23:11 AST
From: Jody Rae Prival <jp56+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Paper

The only precut origami paper I can find comes in packages of assorted
colors, several of which I don't usually want.  Does anybody know where
I can find origami sold in packages of a single color?  I sometimes use
wrapping paper, but cutting all the squares is a bit of a pain.

               --Jody





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 12:14:13 AST
From: FWOLFLINK@RCNVMS.RCN.MASS.EDU
Subject: Re: I'm a new user

Hola Jose,
You mention a book in spanish by Clemente, I've been looking for a model of
a teapot that is from the Moorish or Spanish or possibly Argentinian school.
Is that in either of your spanish books?

Thanks
fred wolflink
fwolflink@ecn.mass.edu





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 12:29:53 AST
From: "B.Ewins" <gapv64@udcf.gla.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Lang's Mantis

FTAO Javier (jhc@codas)

...More "Sea Life" stuff...
        I tried the Nautilus (of which more in a minute)
+ this got me on to the rest of the shells. The conches
are real cool, I wish I'd tried them before I did the
hermit crab, I'd have had a better idea what to do.
        The Nautilus... this seems easy up to the point
where you start to pull out the folded shell (after
you fold the model in half for the last time. Maybe too
easy, I guess I must be doing something wrong. I never
did understand what was meant by 'dont trap the coloured
layers inside the white ones'. Anyway, at this final stage,
the model began to rip. not just once, but each time I tried
to recover by moving on to the next crimp, I got another rip.
I think I a) creased the folds too hard, weakening the paper ,
and/or b) held the paper in this 'halved' position too tight
so the crimps couldnt escape. Any tips on how to do this bit?

Also, I tried the fiddler crab. I have a very nice origami
golf ball on the floor of my room. I think I need to buy
bigger paper.

        cheers,
               Bazza
:"
cOO
|\/  <- thats me.





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 13:37:18 AST
From: "A.G.BATEMAN" <N09UW%TARN@newcastle.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Sea Life

I don't have any problems folding Lang's Nautilus anymore. That's
because I don't bother attempting it any more. One of my favourite
models from Sea Life has to be Lang's Blue Crab, which with practice I
can now fold from a 6 inch square! Another good thing in sea life is the
frog transformation, particularly the froglet and frog. The way in which
J.Montroll adds a tail to his frog to get a froglet is really clever. It's
easy to see if you unfold both models and compare the crease
patterns.
                                                          That's enough sea life for
today.
                                                                       Alex.





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 14:07:45 AST
From: Agnes Tomorrow <atom@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Paper

On Fri, 10 Dec 1993, Jody Rae Prival wrote:

> The only precut origami paper I can find comes in packages of assorted
> colors, several of which I don't usually want.  Does anybody know where
> I can find origami sold in packages of a single color?  I sometimes use
> wrapping paper, but cutting all the squares is a bit of a pain.

        The Friends of the Origami Center of America has a mail order
supply service, which includes single color packages, in several sizes, of
I think at least 15-20 different colors.  (They also offer a vast
assortment of other kinds of fabulous paper, not to mention zillions of
books!  And all are discounted to members--a great reason to join!)

        Of course I don't have the address on me at the moment--the
mail-order address is different from the regular address.  However, if
you send a SASE to FOCA, 15 W. 77th, NY, NY 10024-5192, they will
probably send you the catalog and ordering information (as well as
membership information!)...

Agnes Tomorrow
atom@u.washington.edu





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 14:42:30 AST
From: Cynthia Pettit <pettit@cs.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: "Sea Life"

>I think you'll find that with most animal models, particularly towards the end
>steps, that the author folded them with "zero thickness" paper.  This is a
>scarce commodity; so far, I haven't been able to find it.

Hey!  We could make "zero-thickness" paper in Virtual Reality!

Maybe I'll propose "Virtual Origami" as a new research group here at
UNC.  We could get Henry Fuchs to be the Pricipal Investigator.  I'll
bring it up with him next time I see him.

Now all we need is a company to provide funding...

:)

Cyn

Virtual Reality: it's not what it seems.





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 16:52:22 AST
From: SKRIPJ@sask.usask.ca
Subject: Re: "Sea Life"

Hmmmmmm . . . "zero-thickness paper."  The concept has a strange allure.
Just as "closet drama" denotes plays written to be read rather than performed,
perhaps we could investigate the possibility of "closet origami"--figures
meant to be drawn and read, but not actually folded, except with the ever
ever-elusive zero-thickness paper.  Wow . . . theoretical mathematicians who
do topological (is that the right word?) research could have fun with this
concept--virtual folds based on the square root of negative-one come to mind;
I think I need a drink.

And about that origami golf ball . . . as incredibly popular as this fold is
(among origamists of all ages and abilities), I have yet to come across a
workable set of instructions (It's not even in _The Big Secret Book of Origam_);perhaps
it's what we might call a "found fold."

Jackpe I don't find I fold it
}8-{%





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 17:06:51 AST
From: SKRIPJ@sask.usask.ca
Subject: Re: "Sea Life"

Oops.
That last line was supposed to be a clever, witty, turn-of-phrase playing on
the "found fold" term--"I hope I find I don't fold it often anymore."

Instead, I typed my name over it.  Phoo.

Thanks to those who commented about "It's Magic" and it's possible source.  I
still maintain that _The Big Book of Origami_ and _Secrets of Origami_ are
two different books hat both contain this fold.  Can someone clarify?

-The Big Book . . ._, as I remember it, was exactly that--a hardcover measuring
maybe ten by 13 inches or so and running about 200 pages.  It had a neat
section in it on origami furniture, including a bookshelf, armchair, and
upright piano.  "It's Magic" was, I think, somewhere near the back of the
book.

Speaking of books and "mathemagical origami" . . . does anyone know the title
and publishing information of the book which more-or-less fits this description:
A softcover trade-paperback collection of folds by some guy whi, in "real life,"is a
physicist/engineer or something like that.  The folds it includes are
very esoteric and complex, including a cuckoo clock with a cuckuu that actually
pops out when you pull the pendulum.  Wowser.

Jack





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 17:41:27 AST
From: Chris Minwah Fang-Yen <cfangyen@leland.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Re: "Sea Life"

>
> Hmmmmmm . . . "zero-thickness paper."  The concept has a strange allure.
> Just as "closet drama" denotes plays written to be read rather than performed,
> perhaps we could investigate the possibility of "closet origami"--figures
> meant to be drawn and read, but not actually folded, except with the ever
> ever-elusive zero-thickness paper.  Wow . . . theoretical mathematicians who
> do topological (is that the right word?) research could have fun with this
> concept--virtual folds based on the square root of negative-one come to mind;
> I think I need a drink.
>

Actually, most topologists probably wouldn't recognize the difference
between the sheet of paper and the finished model!

origami in the limit as thickness -> 0 is really the same as origami
in the limit as paper size -> oo... and paper size can get quite
large.  Has anyone tried folding with very large paper?

Chris





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 17:56:08 AST
From: Joseph Wu <jwu@cs.ubc.ca>
Subject: Re: "Sea Life"

On Fri, 10 Dec 1993, Chris Minwah Fang-Yen wrote:

> Actually, most topologists probably wouldn't recognize the difference
> between the sheet of paper and the finished model!
>
> origami in the limit as thickness -> 0 is really the same as origami
> in the limit as paper size -> oo... and paper size can get quite
> large.  Has anyone tried folding with very large paper?

I must say that I've not had much trouble with the models in Sea Life,
with the exception of the Lion Fish which did not work well with a 10 inch
squeare of standard kami-weight paper.

As for folding with large paper, I've done Montroll's lobster from Origami
for the Enthusiast (or was that Animal Origami for the Enthusiast?) out of
a four-foot square of red paper. It came out to be about two feet long
from tail to the ends of the antennae, a little bigger than most lobsters
that you might find at the dinner table (the body was about 17-18 inches
long).





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 18:13:50 AST
From: ab682@leo.nmc.edu (Nancy Nietupski)
Subject: Re: "Sea Life" & Cuckoo

On Dec 10 Jack wrote:
>
>Thanks to those who commented about "It's Magic" and it's possible source.  I
>still maintain that _The Big Book of Origami_ and _Secrets of Origami_ are
>two different books hat both contain this fold.  Can someone clarify?
>
>-The Big Book . . ._, as I remember it, was exactly that--a hardcover measuring
>maybe ten by 13 inches or so and running about 200 pages.  It had a neat
>section in it on origami furniture, including a bookshelf, armchair, and
>upright piano.  "It's Magic" was, I think, somewhere near the back of the
>book.
>
        It sounds to me like you are discribing my _Secrets of Origami_
book.  It was the first book I got.  The hard cover was covered by a
jacket and on it was a picture of the Peacock - green I think- its been
lost for years. The first
few pages inside are black and white photographs of many of the models
inside.  Including a number of furniture models.  It also had a complete
nativity set - Joesph, Mary, Jesus, animals and angels.  Sound familiar?

>Speaking of books and "mathemagical origami" . . . does anyone know the title
>and publishing information of the book which more-or-less fits this description:
>A softcover trade-paperback collection of folds by some guy whi, in "real life,"is a
physicist/engineer or something like that.  The folds it includes are
>very esoteric and complex, including a cuckoo clock with a cuckuu that actually
>pops out when you pull the pendulum.  Wowser.
>
>Jack
>
>
        I have a pattern for a cuckoo clock in _The Complete Book of
Origami_ by Robert Lang.  I don't have the book here for an more
information but I can look when I get home.  (Why in the world would
someone call their book that? It obviously can't be a complete book
of origami!)

Nancy
ab682@leo.nmc.edu





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 19:15:59 AST
From: Cynthia Pettit <pettit@cs.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: Origrami golf-balls

>Also, I tried the fiddler crab. I have a very nice origami
>golf ball on the floor of my room. I think I need to buy
>bigger paper.

Wow!  How'd you get all those teeny-weeny dimples?!  Must'a been a
fancy pre-fold of some kind...

Cyn "in a spunky mood today" Pettit





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 19:27:57 AST
From: Cynthia Pettit <pettit@cs.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: Lobsters

>As for folding with large paper, I've done Montroll's lobster from Origami
>for the Enthusiast (or was that Animal Origami for the Enthusiast?) out of
>a four-foot square of red paper. It came out to be about two feet long
>from tail to the ends of the antennae, a little bigger than most lobsters
>that you might find at the dinner table (the body was about 17-18 inches
>long).

If you can find a roll of red wrapping paper 3X3, it folds nice into a
life-sized lobster.  Mine made a nice home in the Columbia St. Bakery
in Chapel Hill NC for a number of months where, like the Velveteen
Rabbit, it was "loved" quite to a rag.

I never had a problem with folding it with a little patience.  It's
definitely one of my favorites -- and IMHO the better of the two
lobsters.

Cyn





Date: Fri, 10 Dec 93 20:25:01 AST
From: Bill Upton-Knittle <EIW8BUK@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Re: Paper

>  The Friends of the Origami Center of America has a mail order
> supply service, which includes single color packages, in several sizes, of
> I think at least 15-20 different colors.  (They also offer a vast
> assortment of other kinds of fabulous paper, not to mention zillions of
> books!  And all are discounted to members--a great reason to join!)

I'd like to join....anyone know the registration fee? I assume they issue
a journal?





Date: Sat, 11 Dec 93 11:33:43 AST
From: ab682@leo.nmc.edu (Nancy Nietupski)
Subject: Geometric paper folding by Rao

        This is a quick question of inquiry to see if anyone out
there is familiar with T. Sundara Rao's book _T. Sundara Row's (it
is spelled both ways in the entry) Geometric exercises in paper folding_
published in 1905.  It is listed in the inventory at Western Michigan
University Phy Sci Library.  It sounds interesting and I was wondering
if it was worth the hour trip to the campus to take it out.  They are
notorius for giving out parking tickets and at the same time no parking
spots for nonstudents.  Can anyone tell me if it may be worth the try?

Nancy
ab682Eleo.nmc.edu





Date: Sat, 11 Dec 93 15:08:04 AST
From: plank@cs.utk.edu
Subject: Re: Geometric paper folding by Rao

>        This is a quick question of inquiry to see if anyone out
>there is familiar with T. Sundara Rao's book _T. Sundara Row's (it
>is spelled both ways in the entry) Geometric exercises in paper folding_
>published in 1905.  It is listed in the inventory at Western Michigan
>University Phy Sci Library.  It sounds interesting and I was wondering
>if it was worth the hour trip to the campus to take it out.  They are
>notorius for giving out parking tickets and at the same time no parking
>spots for nonstudents.  Can anyone tell me if it may be worth the try?
>
>Nancy
>ab682Eleo.nmc.edu

I have this book, but haven't really done more than browse it -- it
has cute things like how to fold a variety of polygons from square
paper, plus some conic sections and other things.  No polyhedra.  It
looks interesting, but I haven't had the time to go at it.  Anyway,
I bought it for $4 new at an art store here in Knoxville.  Relevent
info:

ISBN: 0-486-21594-6
T. Sundara Row, Edited and Revised by Wooster Woodruff Beman and David
        Eugene Smith,

Dover Publications, Inc.,
180 Varick St.
New York, NY 10014

Hope that helps,

Jim

Jim Plank
plank@cs.utk.edu

Department of Computer Science
University of Tennessee
107 Ayres Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996

615-974-4397





Date: Sat, 11 Dec 93 16:10:30 AST
From: SOYLENT GREEN <RHUDSON@eddie.yorkcol.edu>
Subject: Re: "Sea Life"

Virtual Origami could be the wave of the future..

"Cyberfold".. heh.. we could get Billy Idol to do the background music as we
fold..

IS MADE OF RHUDSON@YORKCOL.EDU!  IT'S RHUDSON@YORKCOL.EDU!





Date: Sun, 12 Dec 93 09:47:08 AST
From: Klaus.Weidner@Physik.TU-Muenchen.DE
Subject: Nautilus ("Sea Life")

Hello,

I got a copy of `Sea Life' a few weeks ago, I haven't tried all of the
models yet, but the ones I tried all worked reasonably well. I think
that the Nautilus is definitely worth practising, it took me quite a
while to figure out the correct folds, but the result is worth it.

Step 19 is rather tricky, you have to keep track carefully on the
mountain and valley folds. Basically, you unfold the model after step 18
to the shape shown in step 20. You have four sectors which (almost) meet
at the top point, now you reverse the creases (change mountain folds to
valley folds and vice versa) in the first and third sectors (counting
from the left), sectors 2 and 4 are already correct. Don't try to
separate the layers shown in step 20, treat the paper like a single
sheet. I think that is what is meant by not trapping the coloured
layers, the layers should be arranged roughly like this (cross section):

             /\
          | |  | |
          | |  | |
          |/    \|

Once you have finished step 24, it will look like this:

            /  \
           //  \\
          //    \\
          ~      ~

The paper should be quite tough, I got good results with `kite paper'
(I don't know what the correct name is), which is translucent, very
thin and very resistant to tearing. It is great for practising complex
models, but it does have one big disadvantage - it is hard to bend it,
because it tends to pop back, so you can't shape things to make them
look more three-dimensional.

It is possible to fold the hermit crab from a 6" sheet of ordinary
origami paper, but the legs and antennae don't look very nice. I think
what was meant in the introduction was that it is possible to do all
the steps with normal origami paper, but not necessarily that you'll
get a nice-looking model as a result.

One model which I had trouble with was the walrus - it ended up with
a head which was ridiculously small compared to the rest of the body.
I think that the position of the fold in step 7 is a bit off. Or maybe
I just misread the instructions somewhere.

ciao, Klaus

P.S.: since this is my first posting, I'll introduce myself. I am a
      physics student living in Munich, I started folding when I was
      about 8 years old and I am a fan of complex animal models,
      even if they usually don't end up looking like the ones in the
      book...

\ klaus@snarc.greenie.muc.de--kweidner@physik.tu-muenchen.de--2:246/55.4
\ .signature error -- quote dumped





Date: Sun, 12 Dec 93 22:35:23 AST
From: r.follmer@genie.geis.com
Subject: Origami paper suppliers

I do not remember who started the question of Canadian origami supplier
and/or clubs.  However....

In Toronto, Ontario there are two stores with the same name.  One is a
relative of the other.  The Japanese Paper Place, Queens Quay (at the
Harbourfront) is a store that has all made-up, ready for sale origami
jewelery.  It is well worth the visit when you are in the area.  The other
store, of the same name in located on Queen Street West.  In the 900 block
or something.  They are a store that is dedicated to hol.ding classes and
supplying books and papers to the enthusiasts.  It is my understanding that
the whole building, among which was this business, burned down completely.
I further understand that they opened another store, on the same street,
about one or two blocks further west.  I have not been able to verify that,
but will do so when I get there or hear from someone.

While I am at it, I would like to introduce myself.  I am from Rochester NY,
am 62, and a former entertainer there in this area.  Now that I am semi-
retired, I am looking at this as a potential field to help make the bucks to
supplement what I get from SS.  As an entertainer, I did magic, balloons (
the big ones long before the one balloon critters came along.  I also did a
lot of table work and used a lot of folding paper money into various shapes.
I also did what is known in the trade as Trouble-Wit.  Folded paper makes
loads of things.  I called my routine The Handy-Dandy Thirty Seven In One
Tool.  The I proceeded to make at least that number of items out of the
various folds.  Have loads of fun with it.  I have two sizes...one for table
work and a larger one for stand-up work. I was also a magic manufacturer of
many items during the mid 60's to the early 70's.  With good fortune, I will
be at the June confab in NYC.  I have free room and board there as our
daughter lives on Staten Island.

S'nuff for this time.  Am enjoying the mail.

Bob Follmer





Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 08:27:37 AST
From: lucero@gpeb.ufsc.br (Jorge Carlos Lucero)
Subject: Intro and question

Dear fellow folders:

I am new on this list, this is a brief intro about myself.
I learned a little of origami in Japan, where I lived for 6 years; I am
interested in all its facets, including paper making by hand. I brought a
good collection of books on origami from Japan (Kasahara, Maekawa, Fuse,
Yoshizawa, traditional origami), many of them in Japanese (I understand some
written Japanese).

A question: Is there an Argentine school of origami (someone mentioned it days
ago)? I am interested, since I am Argentine. I remember that my mother taught
me some simple forms when I was a child (ships, airplanes, a hat, a rabbit).

Greetings,

Jorge   (lucero@gpeb.ufsc.br)





Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 10:32:25 AST
From: hull@cs.uri.edu (Tom Hull)
Subject: Replies to Virtual Origami & math stuff

Hellooo!

RE: Virtual Origami
     It HAS been done! Some crazy Japanese engineers made a computer
origami simulation system, and they discuss interacting with the system
using a head-mounted display and a "data glove." I found all this out from
the following article (which I wrote about before a while back...)

"An Interactive Simulation System of ORIGAMI Based on Virtual Space
Manipulation" by Miyazaki, Yasuda, Yokoi, and Toriwaki in IEEE
International Workshop on Robot and Human Communication (Proceedinds),
1992.

     This article is WAY hard to find (the librarian at URI told me that
only 6 places in the USA have a copy of this proceedings). So if anyone
wants a copy from me, snail me a SASE: Tom Hull, Dept. of Mathematics,
University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881-0816.

RE: T. Sundra Row's Book "Geometric Exercises in Paperfolding"
     I've read this book, and found it kinda interesting but disappointing
on the whole. The author does little more than straight-edge & compass
geometric constructions, only he uses a square of paper instead of
a straight-edge & compass. I suppose it would be a great way to teach
high-school geometry, but the material doesn't get any deeper than that.
For example, he doesn't address the question "Can you trisect an angle
using a square piece of paper via folding?", which is something you
CAN'T do with a straight-edge & compass. (And honestly, I don't know
the answer to that question.)

Staying smooth,
--------------------- Tom "lip-smacking" Hull





Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 13:07:44 AST
From: "B.Ewins" <gapv64@udcf.gla.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: "Sea Life"

I took the advice of another poster and tried doing
the models more carefully. With practice, I now find
I can make a family of four American Lobsters from a
single discarded bus ticket.

...NOT!
that the stuff that e-mail comes on is a good approximation
but getting it _out_ of your monitor can be a problem.
Mail yourself some pretty ascii patterns and experiment.

On a more serious note, Tom Hull asks if it is possible to
trisect an angle by folding. I assume you mean a right angle?
If you give me carte blanche to choose any old angle, I'd
pick 67.5 degrees (or 3/4 of a right angle) which is really
easy to trisect if you start with a _right_ angle.
        I'd guess that some variation on the division of
paper into thirds would allow you to divide up angles instead.

... I just drew me some pictures to see if I could figure it out.
It is certainly the case that you can trisect 90 if you are
allowed to fold _and_ are given a set of compasses, but I dont
know about just folding yet, and I've no idea if you could do
this for a general angle.
        I suspect that if it is possible to trisect 90 by
just folding, it will be explained in Kasahara's 'Origami
Omnibus' ... I only saw this in the bookshop last week, but
it had a few pages on getting golden sections, dividing by 3,5,..
etc.

        Cheers,
               Bazza.





Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 14:02:53 AST
From: "A.G.BATEMAN" <N09UW%TARN@newcastle.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Angle trisection (Math)

I have been told that trisection of an angle is shown in the
proceedings of the Ferrara Origami and Technology conference.
That's from memory so I might be wrong. I think it also has how to
fold a regular heptagon. I have never seen this volume but would like
to.
Does anyone know if Robert Lang's program written in Mathematica
is available? Some of the bases I am using are of unusual
proportions and I can't work out a starting folding sequence, so this
program would be invaluable.

                                       Alex Bateman.





Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 14:35:56 AST
From: GURKEWITZ@WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU
Subject: Re: angle trisection (Math)

There are 2 or 3 methods for doing this. One was published in the
BOS newsletter 6 or 7 years ago #105-110 was a series on origami
and math. The chicago area origami society newsletter has a redont
version of Abe's method. I have a copy of Jacques Justin's method.
If you send me a sase I'll send you a copy of both.

Rona Gurkewitz
181 White Street
Danbury, Connecticut 06810





Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 15:48:42 AST
From: Nico Poppelier <N.POPPELIER@ELSEVIER.nl>
Subject: RE: Replies to Virtual Origami & math stuff

> For example, he doesn't address the question "Can you trisect an angle
> using a square piece of paper via folding?", which is something you
> CAN'T do with a straight-edge & compass. (And honestly, I don't know
> the answer to that question.)
I've seen some diagrams with accompanying text that claims it *is* possible.
Kinda fun really, since indeed you cannot do it with a straight edge and
compass.

Nico

Dr. Nico A.F.M. Poppelier
Elsevier Science Publishers, APD, Information Technology Development
Molenwerf 1, 1014 AG Amsterdam, The Netherlands





Date: Mon, 13 Dec 93 23:56:42 AST
From: MJNAUGHTON@amherst.edu
Subject: Re: Geometric paper folding by Rao

Hi Nancy,
This is to add to Jim Plank's reply -- I have the book, too, and the emphasis
is on "geometric" -- there is lots of math (formulae & theorems) and not much
paperfolding.  He starts by showing how to make a square from a non-square
piece of paper; it then shows how to crease the square to make smaller squares,
then it shows how to make an equilateral triangle, then proceeds to other
figures -- all flat.  Personally, I found it a little too technical for my
taste -- in 150 pages there are only 25 pictures, and most of those are in
the first 20 pages.  However, I know some people like a folding style (I
don't know its name) where you put lots of alternating creases in a sheet
of paper and then crumple it up into amazing things (depending on the creases
and the crumpling).  This book might provide some interesting ideas for that
sort of thing. . . .
Good luck,
Mike Naughton





Date: Tue, 14 Dec 93 11:43:36 AST
From: hull@cs.uri.edu (Tom Hull)
Subject: Robert Lang's programs

RE: Robert Lang's origami programs

     I have copies of some of Lang's origami macintosh programs (one is
written in Mathematica), but don't know how he feels about distributing
them. I'll write to the Lang and ask.
     I reply to Alex's message, I don't know if these programs would be
of much help. The Mathematica one requires you to (1) enter the coordinates
of the vertices and crease lines in your origami crease-pattern and
(2) enter the coordinates of the vertices in 3-D space AFTER it's folded!
This last one is a big pain-in-the-butt, but doing this does allow
the computer to fold and unfold the model quite nicely (and Mathematica
allows you to animate it!). HOWEVER, I haven't tried doing this for anything
more complicated than a bird base. In more complex origami, the program
might not be able to proceed smoothly from the unfolded square to the
finished model (intermediate "steps" may be essential, and I don't think
the program has a way of looking for these).
     The moral of the story in that these programs and quite neat-o, but
don't get your hopes up. They're not nearly the end-all-be-all aid for
complex folding.
--------------------- Tom "hunkaburnin'steamin'luv" Hull





Date: Tue, 14 Dec 93 12:36:26 AST
From: ab682@leo.nmc.edu (Nancy Nietupski)
Subject: Creating diagrams

        I am a new beginner at creating models and was wondering
if anyone knows of a book that talks about drawing out diagrams
by hand.  I don't have a harddrive or lazer printer or the bravery
to try diagraming with a computer program.  In fact, I would rate
my drawing ability up there with my cooking (my son could tell you
real horror stories!).  I've been working with graph paper and
ruler.  But it is difficult to represent several layers of paper.
I have been measuring the different edges of paper and scaling
them down after each step.  But this is incredibley time consuming!
I've thought about photographing each step.  Has anyone tried
this?
        I'm at the end of my ruler and graph paper!

Nancy,

P.S.  Thanks to those wanwersed my question about Row's book.
I think I will take it out the next time I'm in Kalamazoo Mi.





Date: Tue, 14 Dec 93 15:19:59 AST
From: anselmo@thermsa.eng.sunysb.edu (Andrew P. Anselmo)
Subject: Re: Origami animal using dollar bill; PS diagram for anyone (30K)

Hi all-

If anyone is interested, I'll e-mail them a PS diagram for a new
origami animal I made with a dollar bill, while perched on a local
bar stool.  It might have been done before, considering its simplicity.
There probably is a lot of room for improvement too.

A.

Andrew Anselmo
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794
(516)-632-8303
Primary: anselmo@thermsa.eng.sunysb.edu  Secondary:apa1@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu





Date: Tue, 14 Dec 93 15:34:29 AST
From: Jeremy.Uejio@Eng.Sun.COM (Jeremy Y Uejio)
Subject: Re: Origami animal using dollar bill; PS diagram for anyone (30K)

I would like to see it.  Do you know of any dollar bill folds for
a piano?  (Actually I really would like a person sitting in front of
a piano, but then that might be asking too much...)

                          jeremy





Date: Tue, 14 Dec 93 15:42:32 AST
From: stamm@aol.com
Subject: Re: Creating diagrams

Hi Nancy!

> I am a new beginner at creating models and was wondering
> if anyone knows of a book that talks about drawing out diagrams
> by hand.

Books on DRAFTING should be helpful on learning to draw.  I personally
view origami diagramming as technical drawing.  When I do diagramming by
hand (now done quiet rarely) I use graph paper and a straight edge (and a
compass and a protractor).  [Before my career in computers, I had a career
in drafting.]

As for diagramming on computers I personally use a program called Canvas
on a Mac.  I believe there is a Windows version now.

> I've thought about photographing each step.  Has anyone tried
> this?

I believe that Zulal Ayture-Scheele uses this tecnique in her books.  If
you can work past the moral dilemma of buying her books (She does not
credit the originators of the models she uses in her books and in one of
her books she appears to have directly ripped off the Kasahara book
"Creative Origami".)  Her tecnique is to draw directly over the photograph.
It looks very nice (at least for simple models).

PS - Does any know who originated the Unicorn and Pegasus models in Ms.
Ayture-Scheele's book "Beautiful Origami"?

Tom Stamm





Date: Wed, 15 Dec 93 00:48:22 AST
From: anselmo@thermsa.eng.sunysb.edu (Andrew P. Anselmo)
Subject: Re: Dollar bill $; 38K PostScript file; anyone?

Ok, you money-folders.  I just made another PS diagram of one of the folds
I came up with; this time, it's a dollar bill sign ($) from a dollar bill.
I remember reading about such a beastie someplace, but never saw it.  So
I decided to make one on my own.  If you want the diagram, drop me a line,
and let me know what you think of the folds and the diagramming.

A.

 Andrew Anselmo / Department of Mechanical Engineering / SUNY Stony Brook
                anselmo@thermsa.eng.sunysb.edu
