Curved Pattern Origami

Origami is the art of paper folding. It transforms paper into a completed form through folding techniques. ?ORI? means ?folding? and ?GAMI? means ?paper? in Japanese. Japan has developed the most extensive tradition of origami, although the exact origin of origami remains unknown. In this thesis, I use a computer to design folding patterns, and then use a laser cutter to cut and etch the patterns in paper.

Firstly, I implemented a C++ application to define folding patterns and to save the patterns in EPS file format. I also used another C++ application developed by a PhD student Ozgur Gonen. This application permits us to create more complicated geometric patterns. Secondly, I exported the EPS file to an AutoCAD DWG file using Adobe Illustrator. Thirdly, I set up the AutoCAD file for the laser cutter, moving, resizing, and placing the drawing elements onto separate layers with different colors in AutoCAD. Finally, I operated the laser cutter to let laser cut through material.

The application that I implemented allows us to draw both straight lines and diagonals. However, we can arrange these lines only on a single square. In contrast, the application developed by Ozgur Gonen makes us able to arrange these lines on a diversity of geometries, such as triangles, rims, and polygons, though its diagonal-drawing function has not been implemented yet. Drawing folds using these applications has several advantages: scaling, stretching, and repetition are easy. Furthermore, we can always reload and modify any drawings.

To identify the performance requirements in our developed software solutions, I executed some of the crease patterns from the book ?Folding Techniques for Designers: From Sheet to Form? by Paul Jackson as our test cases. The test report will serve as a base for future studies on how to maintain and drive continuous quality improvement in the software in meeting user requirements.